Research made between music and intelligence concluded that music training is far greater than computer instruction in improving children’s abstract reasoning skills. (Source: Shaw, Rauscher, Levine, Wright, Dennis and Newcomb, “Music training causes long-term enhancement of preschool children’s spatial-temporal reasoning,” Neurological Research, vol. 19, February 1997 ).

Students taking courses in music performance and music appreciation scored higher in the SAT than students with no arts participation. Music performance students scored 53 points higher on the verbal and 39 points higher on the math. Music appreciation students scored 61 points higher on the verbal and 42 points higher on the math. (Source: 1999 College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers, The College Entrance Examination Board, Princeton, New Jersey).

Studying Music Strengthens Students’ Academic Performance.  Rhode Island studies have indicated that sequential, skill-building instruction in art and music integrated with the rest of the curriculum can greatly improve children’s performance in reading and math.  (Source:  “Learning Improved by Arts Training” by Martin Gardiner, Alan Fox, Faith Knowles, and Donna Jeffrey, Nature, May 23, 1996)

According to a 1991 study, students in schools with arts-focused curriculums reported significantly more positive perceptions about their academic abilities than students  in a comparison group.

Students who participate in All-State ensembles consistently score over 200 points higher on the SAT than non-music students.

After only six months of study, those children who received instrument training performed 34% higher on tests measuring spatial temporal ability than other children.  These findings indicate  that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, chess, science and engineering. Gordon Shaw, Ph.D University of California, Irvine.