By Ford Barker –
Do music lessons make you smarter? This question is misleading. It is easier to address this question by rephrasing it. Do music lessons improve cognition? The answer is a resounding yes!
To elaborate, there are four basic components of cognition which are: attention, memory, perception, and cognitive flexibly. Music lessons improve each one of these components. The finding that “elementary school students in higher quality music education programs demonstrate a 20% improvement in standardized tests of English and math” provides an excellent illustration of this enhancement and a powerful endorsement for music education.
“Neuroscientists have demonstrated that learning to play a musical instrument or singing leads to changes in a child’s brain that make it more likely that they will reach their full cognitive and academic potential.” With this in mind, it is important to consider the following facts. Firstly, passively listening to music will not work, this requires active engagement in music making. Secondly, these benefits occur at any age, however, the younger the start the greater the effect.
It is interesting to note that a rather high percentage of professionals, such as medical doctors and lawyers, play a musical instrument. Perhaps their enhanced cognitive abilities acquired through the discipline of learning a musical instrument have facilitated their professional development?
“The theory of relativity occurred to me by intuition, and music is the driving force behind this intuition. My parents had me study violin from the time I was six. My new discovery is the result of musical perception” – Albert Einstein
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