Most musicians intuitively understand the relationship between music, learning and academic achievement. While there are always exceptions, I have always found that music arms me with thinking skills that help me in everyday life and in seemingly unrelated subject areas like math, science, and even English!
Music training, from learning an instrument to developing aural skills, enhances our ability to think in a more disciplined and abstract way. It helps us understand more complex concepts and relationships. Just think about what it takes to make a piece of written music come alive – no matter the level or difficulty. Think about what it takes to understand a composer’s written notes and markings, and then translate the script into a playable form, while interpreting possible meaning. Think about the mechanics and thought needed to understand movement and draw connections between sounds, pitches, tempi, etc… Now think about working within a larger ensemble and all that entails. We use our senses – constantly evaluating what we are trying to achieve, assessing how we are doing, and making decisions to improve or enhance a performance. Musicians spend hours in disciplined self-study and practice, learning what it takes to achieve the next level. It all conspires to make us think harder and more deeply whether or not we realize it, and significantly enhances our capacity to be more creative and critical thinkers and problem solvers.
The recent article, “A Musical Fix for American Schools,” (WSJ, October 10, 2014) reaffirms my viewpoint and provides interesting facts from some more recent studies. It also provides a sound basis to justify the preservation, and perhaps the expansion of musical studies in our K-12 school systems. Those pundits that adopt the simplistic view that music programs are too costly often fail to fully consider their significant value. This article certainly defends music’s value and broad ranging benefits.
“Music is no cure-all, nor is it likely to turn your child into a Nobel Prize winner. But there is compelling evidence that it can boost children’s academic performance and help fix some of our schools’ most intractable problems… Music training does more than sports, theater or dance to improve key academic skills.” Joanne Lipman, “A Musical Fix for American Schools,” WSJ, October 10, 2014.
I also believe that the article provides some great information and motivation for any of us who aspire to become professional musicians or music educators. I feel I have an obligation to pass on what I have reaped in my own musical upbringing and feel very strongly about promoting early music education. And while early music training no doubt helps one become a better musician, its more important attribute is its significant value in expanding children’s thinking abilities and skills that help them become more capable students (regardless of topic) and I would argue, more capable and well-rounded people!