ScienceDaily (Mar. 16, 2009) — Children exposed to a multi-year programme
of music tuition involving training in increasingly complex rhythmic, tonal, and
practical skills display superior cognitive performance in reading skills
compared with their non-musically trained peers, according to a study published
in the journal Psychology of Music.
Several studies have reported positive associations between music education
and increased abilities in non-musical (eg, linguistic, mathematical, and
spatial) domains in children. The authors say there are similarities in the way
that individuals interpret music and language and “because neural response to
music is a widely distributed system within the brain…. it would not be
unreasonable to expect that some processing networks for music and language
behaviors, namely reading, located in both hemispheres of the brain would
overlap.”
The aim of
music study was to look at two specific reading subskills –
vocabulary and verbal sequencing – which, according to the authors, are “are
cornerstone components in the continuum of literacy development and a window
into the subsequent successful acquisition of proficient reading and language
skills such as decoding and reading comprehension.”
Using a quasi-experimental design, the investigators selected second-grade
children from two school sites located in the same geographic vicinity and with
similar demographic characteristics, to ensure the two groups of children were
as similar as possible apart from their music experience.
Children in the intervention school (n=46) studied piano formally for a
period of three consecutive years as part of a comprehensive instructional
intervention program. Children attending the control school (n=57) received no
formal musical training on any musical instrument and had never taken music
lessons as part of their general school curriculum or in private study. Both
schools followed comprehensive balanced literacy programmes that integrate
skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening.
“All of this adds a compelling layer of meaning to the experimental
outcomes, perhaps signaling that decisions on ‘when’ to teach are at least as
important as ‘what’ to teach when probing differential neural pathways and
investigating their associative cognitive substrates,” note the authors.
“Study of how music may also assist cognitive development will help
education practitioners go beyond the sometimes hazy and ill-defined ‘music
makes you smarter’ claims and provide careful and credible instructional
approaches that use the rich and complex conceptual structure of music and its
transfer to other cognitive areas,” they conclude.
Peaking about her appointment, Rosa said: “Music Generation will bring
great opportunities for children and young people to get involved in music in
different ways. I am really looking forward to being part of the programme. I
have worked across many different areas of music and the arts and I firmly
believe in the Music Generation model of creating local access to music
education will bring tangible benefits to the community.
We have some great plans for Music Generation Laois, such as the Laois
School of Rock, the Music Box – a music programme for children with special
needs – a choral Singfest and providing access to instrument banks for children
and young people.”
Director of Music Generation, Rosaleen Molloy, said: “We are delighted to
have Rosa on the Music Generation team. Her wealth of experience in arts
administration and music education will significantly enhance the exciting plans
for music education and for children and young people in Laois over the coming
years.”