German Research Reveals Benefits of Music Study

From an article appearing in Frankfurter Neire Press, Feb. 1 1996. From The Journal, Spring 1996

European Music Educators Association

Children who receive an intensive musical education in school, raise their IQ and develop in early childhood a strong personality.

Those are the results of a recent six-year study about the influence of music education on the development of children, sponsored by The Education Department of Science and Research in Bonn, Germany.

The study shows there is a correlation between intelligence and musical talents. This means that by raising a child’s musical ability, a child’s IQ is also raised. Fifty percent of the children who receive intensive music education are above average and far above average in IQ in comparison to children who do not receive music education in school.

The study shows that parents who make music at home and have the conviction that they have a musically talented child, have a strong correlation to a higher IQ for their child. Differences can also be seen in social behavior between musically educated children and those who do not receive music. Not only self-esteem, but esteem between children is higher. Children educated in music seldom reject other children. Above all, and this is perhaps most important, the study discovered that music education contributes to the reduction of violence and force!

Children who make a lot of music assess themselves as happier and more cheerful. Children who make music in a group or ensemble and who critique their own music making, develop higher thinking skills earlier. And, they develop, even in early childhood, a sensitivity to reality.

We can assume that music develops our concentration levels. The connection of listening and hearing, telling the brain to adjust the vocal cord muscle to sing higher or lower (fine tuning) functions better with practice. It’s a team effort within each child and within the musical ensemble. Musical experiences develop not only the musical ability of each child, but also, enhance the child’s personal character.

It has been discovered that the musical ability of medical students is a better forecast of success in medical school that the student’s grade point average in high school.

Finally, this study discovered that the time take for music learning and making music, playing instruments and practicing does not take away from the child’s development in other subjects like reading, writing and arithmetic. On the contrary, music education helps develop these other subjects.

Due to this study, more time and space will be given to music education in the elementary schools in Germany in the future. Music should be experienced by every child. Music should be the basis for a child’s fantasy and creativity. As we go into the year 2000, higher level thinking skills learned in music education and in making music are going to be needed for solving the problems of the future.