Acting as a universal language that triggers emotional responses and unleashes creativity, music is an integral aspect of education that should not be overlooked. Music is often cited to improve a child’s academic performance and helps to develop communication and social skills. Through music education, students can receive an interdisciplinary education that can help in all aspects of life and study, which has far-reaching benefits that stretch beyond the subject itself. Here are 10 reasons why music education is important and should be considered a crucial aspect of a student’s education.
#1 Music Education improves linguistic capabilities
Music has long been associated with improved linguistic capabilities, especially in younger children. Musical education and training develop the same parts of the brain that works when learning a language, which ultimately helps children to hold a greater understanding of tone, pronunciation, and intonation of languages. Consequently, musical education complements language acquisition and can even be considered a shortcut to learning second or third languages.
#2 Music Education improves human cognition and functioning
Learning music enables individuals to improve their neural systems through greater neural activity through music. In fact, a study by the New York Academy of Sciences discovered that children who had a musical education had better fine motor skills compared to children without musical education, with visible changes in the neural networks shown in brain imaging.
#3 Music Education unlocks greater creativity
As music is an art that requires a great amount of creativity and innovation, learning music can help students to improve their overall sense of creativity. From composing music to playing an instrument, all aspects of music help to stimulate creativity and should be fostered from a young age through musical education.
#4 Music Education fosters teamwork skills
Music is an inherently collaborative art that requires a high level of teamwork skills and cooperation. Musicians are often required to play in multiple ensembles, which helps individuals learn how to work with other people from a variety of ages and backgrounds. As such, musical education not only provides theoretical and cognitive abilities, but also provides collaborative skills that will prove to last a lifetime.
#5 Music Education develops social skills
Similar to developing teamwork skills, an education in music will help individuals become more social beings. As there are many opportunities to meet people while studying music, music education can introduce students to a wider community and offers an opportunity to refine their social skills.
#6 Music Education provides a sense of achievement
Musical education is considered one of the hardest disciplines to excel in and achieving a musical goal provides a great satisfaction that derives from working hard to attain a goal. This sense of achievement leads to an improved sense of confidence, which is a valuable skill for all students, regardless of their discipline of specialization.
#7 Music Education builds imagination and intellectual curiosity
As music is correlated with improved brain cognition and function, this leads to a greater sense of intellectual curiosity and imagination. Imagination is a crucial aspect in music and can lead to innovative ideas that can help in all aspects of life. Similarly, a greater curiosity in intellectual topics will help students be interested in all other subjects taught at school.
#8 Music Education improves memory
Musical education requires a high level of memorization, from memorizing how to read music to performing works by memory. By training a student’s brain to memorize a great amount of information, this will help in all other aspects of life, including memorizing important dates, speeches and formulas.
#9 Music Education improves test scores
Children who are exposed to a music education often get better grade and test scores compared to their non-musical peers. In fact, a study by the University of Kansas discovered that students who attended schools with better music programs scored 22% higher in standardized English exams and 20% higher in math’s exams, compared to students who attended schools with a sub-par music education program.
#10 Music Education fosters perseverance
A musical education is incomplete without hours and hours of practice and study. In order to become a successful musician, students will have to dedicate a huge amount of time to improve their musical craft. This takes years of perseverance, willingness and diligence that will last a lifetime to become a musical master. Students who understand the importance of working hard to achieve a goal is an incredibly great skill to have and can be applied to all aspects of life.
