Music training boosts learning
This study has gotten a lot of coverage lately, and at the risk of “piling on”, I wanted to offer a few tidbits that seem to be missing from the discussion.
In the latest article I saw about NU’s findings, published in the article Music can boost language skills, they offer the following conclusions:
“But Kraus said currently what is known about the benefits of music training on sensory processing beyond that involved in musical performance is largely derived from studying those who are fortunate enough to afford such training.
The researchers concluded that there needed to be a serious investment of resources into music training in schools accompanied with rigorous examinations of the effects of such instruction on listening, learning, memory, attention and literacy skills.”
Where to start… :-)
First, I fully believe that during many (if not most) rounds of budget cuts in any school district, music education gets short shrift. Unfortunate? Yes. Unfair? Absolutely. Can it be fixed? Yes…but it’s not going to happen on its own, or by accident. Until music parents support the music programs with the same energy that sports parents bring to their programs – in terms of time, commitment, and monetary investment – the music department continue to be seen as an easier target. Yes, we’re all busy, and studies like this do help; but pointing to a study and wishing our music teachers “good luck” won’t change anything.
Second, the conclusion as published in the linked article above indicates that only the wealthy are beneficiaries of music training because of its expense. This should never be the case.
Our family certainly is not wealthy, but music training has always been a priority in our house. Why? Because of the values it brings to a developing child (focus, discipline, teamwork, etc.), of course…but also because it enriches lives throughout those lives. Musical training develops a talent that can be used at 8 or 80, and “sacrificing” a temporary thing for a lifelong gift to our children always seemed like a wise investment to us.
The idea that musical training has to be expensive is also a fallacy. How many stories of pop icons have you heard in which the story begins with “my grandfather gave me this old guitar/violin/piano and I taught myself how to play”? The field of music is diverse, and each area carries different hurdles; but even in the classical music field – arguably the one with the highest barriers to entry – examples of success without extensive, expensive training exist. When will we stop making excuses and start learning, regardless of the obstacles? When will we help eliminate some of those obstacles?
As PTMs (Part Time Musicians), we bear some responsibility for that. How can we help kids learn? How can we make the world just a bit better? Volunteering to teach, helping with ensembles and events, collecting used instruments, fixing donated instruments – these are only a few ideas, and there are many more.
The important thing is to get involved! Our kids’ brains depend upon it. 
Keep playing,
Mark
