The Power of Music: The Effect of Music on Cognitive Abilities

1850 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Music's effect on the brain

Over 45% of people listen to at least 10 hours of music each week, according to a recent study by Lab42. In addition, a Gallup poll indicates in 2003 that 54% of American households contain at least one musical instrument player. It is evident that music is a significant part of people’s lives, but could listening to and learning music serve other purposes besides providing pleasure as an extracurricular hobby? Many have debated whether music is a valuable part of education. Currently, less than 50% of the nation's 8th graders are being taught the arts at school, and students are not achieving at high levels in music and art related activities, as reported by the National Assessment of Educational Progress. Unfortunately, many people do not realize this fact or are aware but are simply not bothered by it. To some, music training should simply be an optional activity, and schools should not waste money incorporating it into the curriculum. On the other hand, supporters of music education point to the positive results of music training as evidence that it should be included in school curriculums. One such result is an improvement in cognitive abilities--brain-based skills humans need to carry out any task from the simplest to the most complex. Because listening to and learning music improves cognitive abilities, music education is a necessary component in everyone’s educational curriculum, since cognitive reasoning is the foundation for successful critical thinking skills.
One type of cognitive skill is spatial-temporal reasoning, the ability to visualize a spatial pattern and understand how pieces fit into that space. In 1993, Psychology professor at University of California- Irvine, Dr. Frances Rauscher and her colleagues demonstr...

... middle of paper ...

... Center, 2011. Web. 05 Dec. 2013.
Neisser, Ulric. "Rising Scores on Intelligence Tests." Editorial. American Scientist Sept.-Oct. 1997: n. pag. American Scientist. American Scientist. Web. 29 Mar. 2014.
Ostman, Sarah. "Social Sound Bytes: Music Listening & Sharing." Market Research Blog Infographics Custom Research News Lab42. Lab42, 07 Aug. 2012. Web. 03 Feb. 2014.
Rauscher FH, Shaw GL, Ky KN. Music and spatial task performance. Nature1993;365: 611.
Rauscher, F.H., Shaw, G.L., Levine, L.J., Wright, E.L., Dennis, W.R. and Newcomb, R.L. Music training causes long-term enhancement of preschool children’s spatial-temporal reasoning. Neurological Research, 1997, vol. 19, p. 2-8.
Schellenberg, E.G. (2005) Current Directions in Psychological Science, Vol. 14, No. 6, 317-320.
Schellenberg, E.G. (2004). Music Lessons Enhance IQ. Psychological Science, 15, 511–514.

Show More
Related

  • The New York Times Article: Does Music Make You Smarter

    1105 Words  | 3 Pages

    My mom required my three siblings and I to take piano lessons for at least two years when we were younger. I enjoyed playing, so when my two years were up I decided to keep going. I played for another four years, but my life started to get busy and I had too many things on my plate, so I quit piano for good. I have somewhat regretted my decision, and noticed a decline in my math skills during the past two years, and other areas in school as well. The absences of math and cognitive skills will dramatically affect a person’s life, because without these skills it makes it very hard to become a successful person in the world’s view. Contrary to what the New York Times article, “Music and Success” by Samuel Mehr stated, listening to music or playing

    Read More

  • Music and the Brain

    2088 Words  | 5 Pages

    Music and the Brain: Processing and Responding (A General Overview). For any individual who either avidly listens to or performs music, it is understood that many melodies have amazing effects on both our emotions and our perception. To address the effects of music on the brain, it seems most logical to initially map the auditory and neural pathways of sound. In the case of humans, the mechanism responsible for receiving and transmitting sound to the brain is the ears.

    Read More

  • Music's Relationship to Emotional Cognition

    2107 Words  | 5 Pages

    Also children as young as 3 or 4 years of age are able to recognize basic emotions in music (Cunningham & Sterling 1988). Emotional contagion it has been argued, facilitates the mother-infant bond (Darwin 1872), as well as social interaction in general terms (Preston & de Waal 2002). In support of this, this emotional contagion seems to create liking and affiliation (e.g. Lakin et al. 2003) which is perhaps beneficial for social interaction (Juslin, P.N. and Vastfjall D., 2008, p.565).

    Read More

  • Music Influence

    1694 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many people do not realize the positive effect that popular music has on children. At a young age one of the breakthroughs for children is music’s benefit for language development. According to the Children’s Music Workshop, the effect of music education on language development can be seen in the brain. Studies have indicated that musical training develops the left side of the brain known to be involved in processing language and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways. The relation between both music and language development can also have advantages children. Listening to music can also improve children test scores and IQ levels. Dr. Schellenberg found that a small increase in the IQs of six year olds who were given weekly vocal and piano lessons. This leads to the fact that music is very helpful when it comes to education. Professor Christopher Johnson revealed that students in elementary schools with better music education programs sc...

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay Music

    1142 Words  | 3 Pages

    Music plays a major role in life for most people. It can soothe and excite, encourage sleep and encourage dancing, we can sing to it and ponder it. There are so many different uses of music and so many mediums through which to play it such as Pandora, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Beyond that, more songs every day there are new songs being written. Statistics show that ninety-five percent of all Americans think that music is a core part of a balanced and well-rounded education. The same study showed that ninety-three percent of Americans thought music belonged in the public schooling system, and seventy-nine percent even suggested that music education should be mandatory for all students. Still, studies show that a staggering twenty percent of high school students choose

    Read More

  • Why Music Education Is Being Cut

    1463 Words  | 3 Pages

    There have been many studies done to find how music influences a child’s development. The College Entrance Examination Board discovered that students who took music appreciation classes had higher verbal and math scores than those who did not take the classes. (Stephens 2003) The U.S. Department of Education found that in 25,000 secondary schools, students who were highly involved in the music program did much better in math than any other students. (Stephens 2003) These studies and more have found that involvement in music increases chi...

    Read More

  • Music And Music: The Influence Of Music On The Brain

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    Music has been said to affect a persons brain in many ways. It is said to change someone's mood in an instant. It has also been known to influence someone's lifestyle and attitude just by listening to one song. Music is universal and there is a style for everyone no matter how different people maybe. It is an outlet for creativity and motivation. Music moves people in so many ways and can help people through anything. Almost everyone enjoys music and it is a force that brings people together. A song can reach out to anyone in any situation and the person connects with the notes and lyrics. If someone is sad they can listen to a sad song and know that someone else understands them and that they will turn out alright just like the singer. Sometimes if a person is happy they can listen to a song that expresses just how they feel and they become even happier when listening to this song. A simple melody can do so much and i began to wonder why. The human brain is a very complex and fascinating topic especially with music involved. After a bit of research i began to notice that I had no idea how music works with the brain on a physical level. So i looked into how music is able to be heard by the human ear and how the brain can process this information. It is a simple task that many take for granted however, it is amazing that the brain can change sound waves into different sounds that humans hear. Eventually the topic that fascinated my mind was how music really affects the brain physically and emotionally.

    Read More

  • Music Education: A Catalyst for Academic Success

    672 Words  | 2 Pages

    Exposer to music is crucial to young children’s brain development. Not only does it develop otherwise unused areas of the brain, like the auditory cortex, it increases children's future intellectual enjoyment level (Matter). Music at an early age enhances sensitivity to sound and pitch, which can lead to better phonological and reading skills (Moreira). Without a music program in schools students do not get the full exposure to music and music theory that is needed for brain development.

    Read More

  • The Mozart Effect: Don Campbell

    913 Words  | 2 Pages

    Rauscher, F. H., Shaw, G. L., & Ky, K. N (1993). Music and spatial task performance. Nature, 365(6447), 611. doi:10.1038/365611a0

    Read More

  • The Importance of Funding Music and Art Programs for Young Students Across America

    1684 Words  | 4 Pages

    Much too often in America today, modern music and art programs in schools are perceived to many as extracurricular activities rather than important subjects that are vital to a students learning and skill development. The truth of the matter is that encouraging music and art education in public schools has a much larger impact on student’s grades, academic performance, and the economy than the majority people realize. Within the next year city school budgets will be dropping by twenty five percent, and despite the fact that music and art programs have been showing a dramatic contribution to student’s learning, this substantial drop in funding for the programs will lead to no dedicated money for art or music programs (Mezzacappa). There is no doubt that a cut in funding for art programs will take a huge toll on students overall grades and test scores. Research has found that the studying of music and art facilitates learning in other subjects and enhances children’s skills in other areas (Brown). Furthermore, providing students with a creative outlet can do great justice in reducing the stress from many other classes and even offer insight for students in possible career paths involving the art field. The art industry today currently supports 4.1 million full-time jobs (Dorfman). By increasing the funding of music and art programs for students preschool through twelfth grade we can see a dramatic increase in the education of children across the United States, assist with skill development in young students, and greatly benefit the economy at the same time.

    Read More

  • The Effect of Music on Psychology and Behavior

    2701 Words  | 6 Pages

    There have always been discussions of the effects music has on ones behavior, and how it’s related to Psychology. The truth has never really been verified among common knowledge, but it’s usually something that intrigues people. They say heavy metal and rap can make teenagers violent, sad and depressing music can make teenagers sad and depressed, and some say it’s best to listen to classical music when doing schoolwork because it makes your brain more active. There have been many people that reported how music has effects on their behavior. It can lift their mood, “fuel the fire” when they’re angry, or even make it easier for them to fall asleep. People never really get the chance to research the actual science of music, and how it changes people attitudes.

    Read More

  • How Does Music Effect The Brain?

    1365 Words  | 3 Pages

    Schlaug, Gottfried, Andrea Norton, Kate Overy, and Ellen Winner. Effects of Music Training on the Child’s Brain. The Musician's Brain. New York Academy Of Sciences, 2005. Web. 14 Oct. 2013. .

    Read More

  • Importance Of Creation Art

    726 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even when children learn music they able to listen, sing, dance, create movement. Listening to music draw out emotions, and playing music can be just like communicating emotions. Some people find this a very powerful experience. “ Music enriches the lives of students and should be considered a necessary part of education.”

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Music Education

    844 Words  | 2 Pages

    Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Without music, life would be a mistake”. Music is almost as old as the human race and is as much a part of it as anything. So why would anyone choose to get rid of it? An Increasing number of schools across the nation are deciding to cut music education programs. This includes band, orchestra, choir, and general music classes. In 1991, 55.4 percent of public school eighth-graders took part in music classes at school. In 2004, this figure was just 49.1 percent. Money plays a huge role in this statistic: “...when funds are scarce, arts courses are usually the first to be dropped from a school’s curriculum” (“Arts Education”). While many argue that music education is an unnecessary cost for schools, it improves student’s overall well being.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Music on the Mind, Brain, and Body

    519 Words  | 2 Pages

    Music has incredible effects on the brain and body! Ever since the beginning of time, music has been around. It can influence the way a person thinks and behaves, and also social interactions. Teens are more susceptible to this (Revatto 1). Music can be used in therapy by helping people with depression, and can even be a more natural way to heal the body (“How Music...” 1). In some cases, songs and melodies can help or make diseases worse. Music is a powerful thing and can affect your brain and many other things in your body in numerous ways.

    Read More

More about The Power of Music: The Effect of Music on Cognitive Abilities

Open Document