Piano teachers who work with music everyday have always known the benefits of playing an instrument. We’ve had our passion confirmed by the research findings of Dr. Frances Rauscher of the University of Wisconsin at OshKosh, and Dr. Gordon Shaw of the University of California at Irvine.
Their research shows the importance of music in early developmental stages of childhood and has attracted many supporters.
The team explored the link between music and intelligence, finding music training, especially the piano, superior to computer instruction in enhancing a child’s abstract reasoning skills. This makes playing the piano far more beneficial to children’s understanding of math and science.
Building on their earlier studies which showed how music can enhance spatial-reasoning ability, the doctors compared the effects of musical and non-musical training on intellectual development.
For their experiments, the researchers created four groups of preschoolers: one group received private piano or keyboard lessons; a second group received singing lessons; a third group received private computer lessons; and a fourth group received no additional training.
Those children who received piano or keyboard training performed 34 percent higher than the other groups on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability, showing music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, science and engineering.
This research can change the way educators view the core school curriculum, as it proves making music nurtures the intellect and produces long-term intellectual improvements.
Dr. Rauscher tells us, “It has been clearly documented that young students have difficulty understanding the concepts of proportion (heavily used in math and science) and that no successful program has been developed to teach these concepts in the school system.” Dr. Shaw added, “The high proportion of children who evidenced dramatic improvement in spatial-temporal reasoning as a result of music training should be of great interest to scientists and educators.”
This research does not stand alone. Numerous studies have recently focused on child development and music. Early experiences determine which brain cells connect with others and which ones die away. Young brains develop to their full potential when exposed to experiences that nurture and enrich them in early childhood. Studies indicate that playing and learning an instrument, especially the piano, generates the right kind of connections for enhanced intellectual capacity, including capabilities necessary for understanding mathematical concepts.
The study also shows the IQ of students participating in music training increased by three points more than children who were not. In no other subject area than music does a child have to make four or five decisions per second and then act on them continuously for long stretches of time. This research lends
more weight to the theory music exercises parts of the brain useful in mathematics, spatial intelligence and other intellectual pursuits.
Their research shows the importance of music in early developmental stages of childhood and has attracted many supporters.
The team explored the link between music and intelligence, finding music training, especially the piano, superior to computer instruction in enhancing a child’s abstract reasoning skills. This makes playing the piano far more beneficial to children’s understanding of math and science.
Building on their earlier studies which showed how music can enhance spatial-reasoning ability, the doctors compared the effects of musical and non-musical training on intellectual development.
For their experiments, the researchers created four groups of preschoolers: one group received private piano or keyboard lessons; a second group received singing lessons; a third group received private computer lessons; and a fourth group received no additional training.
Those children who received piano or keyboard training performed 34 percent higher than the other groups on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability, showing music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, science and engineering.
This research can change the way educators view the core school curriculum, as it proves making music nurtures the intellect and produces long-term intellectual improvements.
Dr. Rauscher tells us, “It has been clearly documented that young students have difficulty understanding the concepts of proportion (heavily used in math and science) and that no successful program has been developed to teach these concepts in the school system.” Dr. Shaw added, “The high proportion of children who evidenced dramatic improvement in spatial-temporal reasoning as a result of music training should be of great interest to scientists and educators.”
This research does not stand alone. Numerous studies have recently focused on child development and music. Early experiences determine which brain cells connect with others and which ones die away. Young brains develop to their full potential when exposed to experiences that nurture and enrich them in early childhood. Studies indicate that playing and learning an instrument, especially the piano, generates the right kind of connections for enhanced intellectual capacity, including capabilities necessary for understanding mathematical concepts.
The study also shows the IQ of students participating in music training increased by three points more than children who were not. In no other subject area than music does a child have to make four or five decisions per second and then act on them continuously for long stretches of time. This research lends
more weight to the theory music exercises parts of the brain useful in mathematics, spatial intelligence and other intellectual pursuits.
