Early Childhood Education

These studies about music and it’s cognitive advantages on human intelligence have been studied in kids of a variety of age groups from infancy all the way into adult hood. Dr. Gordon Shaw wrote “Keeping Mozart In Mind” which examines the scientific correlation between making music and brain development and studying. According to Shaw, the “Mozart Effect” is known to permit a window into higher brain function. This appears to effects people of all ages, ethnic groups, and socio-economic groups.

In March 1999, the Neurological Study published the most recent study headed by Shaw and reported that second grade students who played the piano scored 27% greater in math performance tests.

In February 1997, a study from the Shaw laboratory, announced that six months of piano keyboarding lessons enhanced spatial-temporal reasoning in preschool-aged youngsters. Preschool kids who participated in piano study scored 34% greater in puzzle solving tests.

One of the most remarkable studies comes from the discovery that MusicMajors are the most likely group of college graduates to be admitted into medical school. This study was taken from 7,500 University College Students. 66% of all music majors who applied to medical school became accepted and admitted, whereas only 44% of biochemistry majors who applied to medical school became admitted.*

Learning to play a musical instrument such as taking piano lessons, guitar lessons, or violin lessons in early childhood, and later participating in Band or Orchestra in High School, can make a massive distinction in the cognitive development of the student. Music has been shown to enhance the “tough-wiring” component of the brain, particularly in regards to spatial-temporal reasoning, which is the ability to visualize and transform objects in space and time. Learning to play a musical instrument wires the brain to visualize a lot more successfully, involve ratios, fractions, and proportions. These key brain components are employed each day in our lives when we are engaged in reasoning and problem solving.