The 2004 issue of Psychological Science published a study written by E.Gienn Schellenberg from the University of Toronto, which reported a slight increase in the IQ of students who had weekly music education lessons. One group of students was actually given music classes, while others were given drama lessons. The idea here was to show whether it is arts in general that increases the IQ in students or it is only music. The results were on the side of music. The six-year-old children who were given music lessons had an average of three IQ points higher than those who had drama lessons.
According to Schellenberg, 'there is a dose-response association' when it comes to music education and IQ. The professor explains that the more a child is exposed to music and learns about it, the better they can perform in school.
Within two years of the study, the neuroscientists found the auditory systems of children in the music program were maturing faster in them than in the other children. The fine-tuning of their auditory pathway could accelerate their development of language and reading, as well as other abilities - a potential effect which the scientists are continuing to study.
The enhanced maturity reflects an increase in neuro-plasticity - a physiological change in the brain in response to its environment - in this case, exposure to music and music instruction.
Music can improve your child’s abilities in learning and other nonmusic tasks, but it's important to understand that music does not make one smarter. As Pruett explains, the many intrinsic benefits to music education include being disciplined, learning a skill, being part of the music world, managing performance, being part of something you can be proud of, and even struggling with a less-than-perfect teacher. “It's important not to oversell how smart music can make you," Pruett says. "Music makes your kid interesting and happy, and smart will come later. It enriches his or her appetite for things that bring you pleasure and for the friends you meet." While parents may hope that enrolling their child in a music program will make her a better student, the primary reasons to provide your child with a musical education should be to help them become more musical, to appreciate all aspects of music, and to respect the process of learning an instrument or learning to sing, which is valuable on its own merit.
Performing with others also helps students build critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students who play an instrument in a band need to acquire certain social and emotional skills necessary to be a contributing member, including discipline, collaboration, patience, persistence and motivation (Adderly, 2003). In addition, performing in front of others helps boost children's self-esteem and gives them the opportunity to overcome fears and see they can succeed.
The arts also create a supportive environment that promotes acceptance of constructive criticism and safely allows one to take risks (Barry, 2002). In several national studies over the past decade, students at risk of dropping out of school cite participation in the arts as their reason for staying. These students also reported watching fewer hours of television, participating more in community service and having fewer feelings of boredom in school. Similarly, orchestra students in Tacoma, Washington (Cutietta, 1998) followed over a two-month period were found to have more positive attitudes about school and less classroom friction and competitiveness.