During the recent decades, an increasing number of research studies demonstrated the value of musical education on a child’s cognitive development. Some experiments state that young musicians excel in long-term verbal memory, while others indicate that their language and mathematical skills are significantly enhanced. These results should not come across as surprising. After all, children who study music are raised in an intellectual environment that promotes creativity, sensitivity, and abstract reasoning.
Two American researchers, Dr. Frances Rauscher and Dr. Gordon Shaw, conducted multiple research studies that explored the correlation between music and early brain development. The discoveries showed a noticeable improvement in the spatial and temporal reasoning abilities for children with previous musical experience. Subsequently, these cognitive skills would have an essential influence that leads to future mathematical success.
Other studies highlight the positive effects on literacy. Young musicians experiment with numerous rhythms, rhymes and sounds, all of which are helpful for developing communication skills. These children are also exposed to reading song sheets, learning new vocabulary, and comprehending narrative structures. Furthermore, their familiarity with a musical language allows students to understand other verbal languages in a more advanced context. In essence, young musicians become young readers over time.
In 1993, an original research by Shaw initiated the provocative “Mozart effect” phenomenon. His discoveries were reported heavily by the media, which led to the popular (if somewhat misconstrued) belief that listening to classical music will benefit a child’s mental intelligence. While some scientists had discredited the theory since then, the rapid interest in relaxing music led to other positive outcomes. For example, listening to Mozart reduces the stress and medical complications for expecting mothers. Also, many parents are encouraged to provide a wealthy musical education for their children.
Listening to music may not have made children automatically smarter, but learning music could still provide some pleasant results. By enrolling in an acclaimed school of music, parents have enriched the available opportunities for their offspring’s cognitive development. As part of their education, these young musicians learn to count, calculate the time of the notes, memorize complex patterns, and even develop philosophical thoughts by researching the history of famous musicians.
