Over the last few weeks we’ve been looking at some of the benefits children and adults can reap from an education in music. We’ve discussed areas such as life skills and brain development, but this week we’re going to go a lot more basic. Specifically, basic benefits such as improved academic success, including higher grades, character benefits such as higher self-confidence, perseverance, and a sense of accomplishment, as well as even more basic benefits like making friends as part of a band or ensemble, the joy of making music and entertaining others, and having a hobby that they can enjoy throughout their entire lives.

Let’s start with the academic improvements. The idea that an education in music can result in a higher IQ and improved grades has been around for while, however there has been a lot of arguing over how true it is. Specifically it has been suggested that any scholastic achievements have more to do with the kind of student that would enjoy musical training, rather than the musical training itself. However, a study by a Canadian research team published in November 2013 suggests otherwise. Their study found that among a group of high-performing high school students, those that had a continuing education in music consistently scored higher grades than those that had stopped playing after a compulsory two year music program. The team had looked at a group of students that had all played music for two years before having the option to either continue, or drop music for study in another area for the remaining years of their schooling. Looking at the student’s full range of class subjects, including math, science, history, and even foreign language, the team found extremely consistent results; the students that had chosen to continue their music education had higher marks than their peers who had switched subjects. This finding was remarkably persistent, with only two exceptions in which non-music students performed marginally better. While it is true that these findings do not necessarily prove that it is the the music education creating these results rather than some quality inherent in the type of student who would choose musical education over other options, the overall consistency of the data certainly cast doubt on this belief while reinforcing the idea that an education in music can have some serious and lasting benefits to a young person’s academic success.

We’ve talked a bit about some of the character benefits that go hand in hand with musical training at a young age before, but these basic perks deserve yet another look. First and and arguably most important, are the connections between a musical education and a healthy sense of self-confidence. Generally, low self-esteem or -confidence begins to rear its ugly head right around the “tween” years of 10 to 12. It is around this age that children start to realize there are things that they are not very good at, while at the same time their bodies begin to go through hormonal and physical changes. As you may (or may not) clearly remember it is a difficult time, full of confusion, conflicting thoughts and emotions, and self-doubt. There are a number of ways parents and children alike combat this slow decline in self-image; some play sports, some rely on academic achievement, others find support in their artistic abilities. Each of these tactics have the same thing in common: setting the student up for success. Performance based music programs are especially adept at this, while also creating an environment of camaraderie and acceptance. These programs allow children to play as part of a group, or “team” if you will, giving them the opportunity to play their part while contributing to the whole and work towards an exciting performance. These attributes of a musical education can help a young person to find something they can hold onto as their own during a time of emotional and physical upheaval and change. Finding success in something like music, an endeavour many of their peers do not have a talent for, can help children know that no matter what else is going on in their lives, they are good at something and can be successful in it. It is not an easy task, but once a child realizes that they are good in one area, that confidence can be fostered and brought out into other aspects of their life in a kind of “if I can do this, I can do anything” kind of way.

Playing as part of a group has some other benefits to a child’s development, including learning perseverance and a sense of accomplishment. These two traits go hand in hand with a musical education like coffee and donuts. Perseverance is the ability to continue in the face of difficulty, hardship, or defeat, and an education in music is an excellent way to teach a young person this valuable ability early in life before it becomes a trait critical to their success. Musical education is perfect for this task because it is not easy, and pitfalls and failures are inevitable, but the joys of playing, the camaraderie of being part of a group, and the desire to improve and complete songs helps built that ability to strive to continue even after mistakes are made. Musical education helps in this area in a slightly different way as well. It may sound a little strange, but realistically, music is an area where while failure is always possible and setbacks are inevitable, it is not necessarily as devastating as failures in other areas of life. For example, some children learn about self-confidence and perseverance through sports, but mistakes and failures in sport can be obvious and talent and ability are more easily compared to others on the team or in the competition. Music, however, can be a somewhat easier environment for these entanglements. It could be argued that this is simply a matter of opinion, and admittedly it is a general statement that may not apply to all children, but perseverance is a talent that is more easily learned in an environment with less social pressures to perform flawlessly, unlike those in a sport competition or with academic achievement (especially if the musical program the child in enrolled in is not part of their school, and therefore they are not receiving a grade for their performance). Similarly, playing as part of band or ensemble can help form bonds and connections between members that are not necessarily based on ability. Teams of all kinds, be they bands or sports, build strong relationships between members, but sometimes these bonds can be built on talent and natural ability, especially in the case of sports. Music on the other hand, especially with young children, provides an environment where talent is much less important, and bonds are built on a mutual interest in playing together.

The final benefit we’re going to discuss today comes from the very act of performing. An education in music can build a hobby that young students can enjoy for their entire lives. Obviously not every child that begins musical training will continue that training throughout their life, but even those that do not can develop a strong appreciation for music as a whole. Those that do continue learn the joys of performing for others. These people can find that bringing joy to others through their playing is a wonderful experience for themselves, regardless of whether they are playing for an arena packed with thousands of adoring fans, a small gathering of people at a café or pub, or just playing for friends or their own children. Even with a small amount of training, music can become a hobby that enriches a person’s life and experiences well beyond the actual lessons.

An education in music can build life long benefits and lessons that children will carry with them through adolescence and into adulthood.