This is a very interesting topic that has been talked about and debated for years. Can music lessons really improve your thinking and comprehension? Can it really make you a better student?
A groundbreaking study from the University of California, Irvine a couple of decades ago by Dr. Gordon Shaw and Dr. Frances Rauscher seems to support this theory. They took a group of young students and divided them into three different groups. One group took computer lessons, one group took piano lessons, and one group was the control group who did neither. They administered these lessons for a few months. Before the instruction began, they administered standardized testing for math and English. After the instruction period ended, they had them take standardized tests again. Surprisingly, the students who took piano lessons scored higher on their math and English exams. The students in the other two groups saw no change in their test scores.
Interestingly, it has been discovered that students who just listen to Classical music during tests score higher than students who don’t listen to music. This is referred to as, “The Mozart Effect”.
There has been some debate about the overall effect of listening to classical music to boost intelligence but in the end, if you’re just getting to listen to Mozart and other Classical music, that’s good in of itself!
There have been a number of studies in recent years that have continued to support the theory that music lessons can help young people achieve better scores on their tests and increase their overall skills in critical thinking and comprehension.
Thanks again for joining me Robert Estrin Robert@LivingPianos.com