The impact of music instruction on other skills

Frances H. Rauscher

The author of this article wants to examine how music making can improve childrens

abilities in other realms of reasoning. Her aim was to collect what was known about

this matter and to make an authentic conclusion.

The author introduces the term Mozart effect used regarding the effects of music on

childrens behaviour and overall intelligence. The phrase was made known by the

media in relation to a study that was using college students as subjects (Rauscher et

al., 1993). The meta-analysis of thirty six related studies had for conclusion that

Mozart effect is limited to a specific type of spatial task (Hetland, 2000a, p.136). To

the authors knowledge only three studies considered the effect of listening to music

on childrens cognitive abilities. Only one study found a significant effect (Ivanov and

Geake, 2003).

Author also examines the possible effects of music instruction on childrens cognitive

abilities. Rauscher finds that several studies related to this matter are correlational,

since music instruction and academic performance may be casually related.

Author turns to studies related to influence of early experience on childrens

intellectual development. Rauscher mentions the debate of empiricists and

rationalists, nature versus nurture, altogether with newer findings that intellectual

potential and achievement are the result of complex interactions between physical

body and experience.

One of the earliest studies related to the effects of instrumental instruction on

childrens cognitive abilities was completed by Hurwitz and his colleagues. The

findings showed significantly higher scores on three of five sequencing tasks and

four of five spatial tasks in favour of experimental group. None of verbal measures

have shown significant difference at the beginning (Rauscher). Several studies have

found improvement in childrens spatial skills following music instruction but other

areas of intelligence such as cognitive performance, may also be influenced

(Rauscher).

As for the influence of music instruction on general intelligence Schellenberg has

examined the difference between results of IQ tests before and after thirty six weeks

of music instruction. The results have shown small but significant increase in IQ test

results of children who have music instruction (Rauscher).

Author states that after comparing the verbal IQ and performance IQ scores of the

music and control group the data suggest that the increase in general intelligence

was due to gain in visual-spatial intelligence than to gains in verbal intelligence.

An increasing amount of research proposes that music instruction at early age has

an effect on the brain, perception and cognition (Rausch).

The author states that these effects are apparent in anatomical differences in the

brains of musicians compared to non-musicians. According to studies the extensive

practice on a musical instrument can have a cortical reorganization as a result. This

reorganization may therefore produce changes in the way that brain processes

information applicable to the specific area of expertise. The author states that if this

extensive practice takes place in early childhood, these changes in the brain function
may become permanent, whereas in the case when this occurs later, there still may

be significant expertise developed but without a cortical reorganisation.

Rauscher states that studies propose that early music training modifies the brain

structure and/or function related to cognition, although it is still unknown whether this

occurs as a result of music training or it is an indicator of musical interest or aptitude.

Rauscher reveals a study (Norton et al. 2005) whose preliminary data suggests that

changes that occur in the brain may be a result of music instruction in virtue of

absence of any pre-existing differences in brain structure and cognitive task

performance.

Author suggests that potential explanation for improved cognitive abilities following

music instruction is cognitive transfer which according to Rausch occurs when a

person applies knowledge or skills that have been learned in one context to new

contexts. Rausch states that research based on transfer theory has shown

correlation between music instruction and a variety of cognitively associated skills.

In the conclusion author argues that studies presented in this chapter propose that

curriculum reform could aim at more pervious boundaries between disciplines so

knowledge and skills transfer can be more spontaneous.

Research on influence of musical instruction on cognitive functions is still in its

infancy but presented studies are of scientific importance by reason they propose

that music and other areas of intelligence may be psychologically and neurologically

related (Rausch).
Even so, arts are not needed in schools for increasing mathematical and verbal skills

(Winner and Hetland, 2007) and should not have to prove its importance by

demonstrating that they have non-musical outcomes (Rausch).

Although music seems to have different place in Early Years education from for

example Language development and Numeracy skills, I assume that it is very

important for children to be included into variety of musical activities, particularly

since it appears to be evident that music can be beneficial to many skills

development in early years children.