Lifetime of Advantages With Music Education

Many of us have experienced some form of music education as students in school. Some studies have shown that music education has a multitude of benefits for developing minds, but it does not stop there, as these benefits can help people as they age, too. Music education is a part of most children's lives, but not all of them extend further into learning an instrument. Still, some benefits of furthering music education will travel through adulthood. Music education has many benefits but especially in the developing minds of adolescents.

Music education helps with confidence, brain power, social skills, patience, discipline, creativity, memory, and much more. Music education helps with language. “I am playing russian composer here in america and it is a bizarre experience but a great experience because music travels with ease with no borders.” says Natalia Lauk. Music education is one of many things a child needs to aid in brain development. Whether it is a recorder, piano, or guitar that a child first learns to play music will help.

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Two studies found vital links between music education and improved brain function (The Power Of Music Education).

Gottfried Schlaug (Harvard neurologist) found that with just 15 months of music education in early childhood, brain changes related to motor and auditory improvements are noticeable (Diane Cole). Another study showed that music education can help close the achievement gap between at-risk and opulent students (The Power Of Music Education). One study proved that over the period of six years 90% of high school seniors that participated in music lessons went on to college (The Power Of Music Education). Studies showed that with just one year of music education students that had music lessons experience a significant boost in IQ (The Power Of Music Education).

Not only does music education help adolescents, some of these students really love music and pursue a career in this field. So this brings up the point of the music education benefits in adulthood. Childhood music education creates additional neural connections that help reduce the cognitive declines in the latter part of life (Diane Cole). In a study from 2003, Gottfried Schlaug (Harvard neurologist) found that adult professional musicians had more grey matter in their brain than the brain of a non-musician (Diane Cole). In a study published in 2011 Hanna-Pladdy 70 adults of good health between ages 60 and 83 were divided into three groups: a control group that had never learned an instrument or how to read music, some that had played between one and nine years, and some had played for ten plus years (Diane Cole). Then each of these people took multiple neuropsychological tests (Diane Cole). The ones who had played for ten plus years scored highest in nonverbal and visuo-spatial memory, taking in and alter new information (Diane Cole). The ones who had never learned an instrument or music scored the least and the ones who had played between one to nine years were in the middle of the two (Diane Cole). Nina Kraus (Neuroscientist of University in Chicago) found effects on older adults to be positive in hearing and communication and concluded that those who had music education longest had the fastest response time (Diane Cole).

Music education helps with well-being and mood. 'Once i had a really bad day, but when I came to rehearsal and we had to play some bach and after five minutes of playing Bach all my bad mood went away because it is impossible to play this music and stay angry.' says Natalia Lauk.