Why Learn to Play Music, a study from The NAMM Foundation
The NAMM Foundation published a brochure that shares insight on the benefits of music education. In their studies, they found that there are health, social, educational, and cognitive benefits that come from music education. You can read about some of their findings below.
Health Benefits
- Music can distract people from pain
- Musical education improved nervous system functions
- Children who have some musical training have more robust brainstem reactions to sound into adulthood compared to people without any musical background
- The cognitive benefits gained from music education during childhood last throughout the person’s lifetime and even counteract some effects of aging such as memory and hearing loss
Educational Benefits
- Graduation and school attendance rates are higher at schools where the music programming is rated excellent or very good
- A majority of parents and teachers strongly believe that music education has a direct, positive impact on academic achievement levels
- There is a strong connection between rhythm skills and pre-reading abilities in toddlers
Cognitive Benefits
- Children with musical training of some sort have better listening skills which include the ability to perceive speech in noisy backgrounds, pay attention, and keep sounds in their memory
- A study showed that the brains of children who participated in music education grew larger in the areas that control fine motor skills along with hearing
Social Benefits
- Students who play a musical instrument are more likely to work better in team settings, pursue a higher level of education, and have enhanced critical thinking skills
- Musical students develop perseverance skills along with a better self-esteem and study habits
- Other musical benefits include: learning how to cooperate, compromise, sharing, concentration, and creativity
To download and read the full brochure, you can click here. Were there any benefits that surprised you? Let us know in the comments below!
