Music advocacy fliers

In a 2000 University of Sarasota Study, Jeffrey LynnKluball explored the relationship of instrumental musicinstruction and academic achievement for the senior

class in Lee County High School, Leesburg, Georgia.Significant correlations were found between the number ofyears of band instruction and academic achievement asmeasured by the Georgia High School Graduation Test(GHSGT) Mathematics and GHSGT Science tests. An East Texas State University study by Daryl Erick Trentrevealed that high school seniors who participated in

instrumental music in grades 6-12 score significantly higherin language arts and math on standardized tests than dostudents involved in non-music extra-curricular activities orwith students not involved in any school related extra-curricular activity.U of S study by Jeffrey Lynn Kluball, 2000; ETSU study

by Daryl Erick Trent

Studies find link between music instruction andacademic achievement as measured by

standardized tests.

Join AMC at:www.amc-music.org

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Second-grade and third-grade students were taughtfractions in an untraditional manner — by teachingthem basic music rhythm notation. The group was

taught about the relationships between eighth, quarter, half and whole notes. Their peers received traditionalfraction instruction.

When tested, the students who were exposed to themusic-based lessons scored a full 100% higher on fractionstests than those who learned in the conventional manner.

One of the researchers, Dr. Frances Rauscher, said, “Ithas been clearly documented that young students havedifficulty understanding the concepts of proportion(heavily based in math and science) and that no successfulprogram has been developed to teach these concepts in theschool system.”Reference: Neurological Research, March 15, 1999

Researchers find music is a superior way to teachelementary students the concept of fractions.



Percentage of Americans who believe: • Music is part of a well-rounded education 95%• Music is an activity that a child can enjoy all his/her life 98%• Music brings the family together 90%• School band is a good way for young people to develop teamwork skills 97%• Schools should offer instrumental music as part of the regular curriculum 93%• Music gives children a sense of accomplishment 95%• Music helps instill an appreciation of arts and culture 96%

According to a Gallup Survey, Americans holdmusic and music-making in high regard

Source: American Attitudes Toward Music, The Gallup Organization, March 2000


Astudy of 7,500 university students revealed thatmusic majors scored the highest reading scoresamong all majors including English, biology,

chemistry and math.Physician and biologist Lewis Thomas studied the

undergraduate majors of medical school applicants. Hefound that 66% of music majors who applied to med schoolwere admitted, the highest percentage of any group. Forty-four percent (44%) of biochemistry majors were admitted.

References: “The Comparative Academic Abilities of

Students in Education and in Other Areas of a

Multi-focus University,” Peter H. Wood, ERIC Document

No. ED327480

“The Case for Music in the Schools,” Phi Delta Kappan,

February, 1994

Music majors are better readers, more successful med school applicants.



Second-grade students were given four months ofpiano keyboard training, as well as time using newlydesigned math software. The group scored over 27%

higher on proportional math and fractions tests thanchildren who used only the math software.

Music involves ratios, fractions, proportions andthinking in space and time. The software – called Spatial-Temporal Animation Reasoning (STAR) – allows children tosolve geometric and math puzzles that boost their ability tomanipulate shapes in their minds.

The findings are significant because a grasp ofproportional math and fractions is a prerequisite to math athigher levels, and children who do not master these areasof math cannot understand more advanced math critical tohigh-tech fields. Reference: Neurological Research March, 1999

Taking piano lessons and using math puzzlesoftware significantly improves math skills

of elementary school children.



Preschoolers were divided into three groups: Onegroup received private piano keyboard lessons andsinging lessons. A second group received private

computer lessons. The third group received no training. Those children who received piano/keyboard training

performed 34% higher on tests measuring spatial-temporalability than the others — even those who receivedcomputer training.

“Spatial-temporal” is basically proportional reasoning— ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space andtime. This concept has long been considered a majorobstacle in the teaching of elementary math and science.Reference: Neurological Research February 28, 1997

Research shows piano students better equipped tocomprehend mathematical and scientific concepts.



How do early sensory and motor developmentinfluence later cognitive, perception and languageskills? That was the question asked by Debby

Mitchell at the University of Central Florida in her study,“The Relationship between Rhythmic Competency andAcademic Performance in First Grade Children” The studyexplored the cognitive-motor link, and how sensory andmotor development may influence later cognitive,perception and language skills.

Findings showed that there was a significant differencein the academic achievement levels of students classified

according to rhythmic competency. Students who wereachieving at academic expectation scored high on allrhythmic tasks, while many of those who scored lower onthe rhythmic test achieved below academic expectation.

The study concludes that the large percentage ofchildren who are achieving below academic expectationare lacking in foundation skills that should have beendeveloped prior to entering school.

Young children with developed rhythm skillsperform better academically in early school years.



The College Entrance Examination Board reports,“Students of the arts continue to outperform theirnon-arts peers on the SAT®. In 2001, SAT takers

with coursework/experience in music performance scored57 points higher on the verbal portion of the test and 41points higher on the math portion than students with nocoursework/experience in the arts.”

Longer arts study proved to parlay into even higher testscores. The 1996 report observed, “Those who studied the

arts four or more years scored 59 points higher and 41 points higher on the verbal and math portionsrespectively than students with no coursework orexperience in the arts.”Reference: Profile of SAT and Achievement Test Takers,

The College Board, compiled by Music Educators

National Conference, 2001, 1996.

In both verbal and math scores, high schoolstudent-musicians outpace peers.



According to a study conducted at the University ofTexas, college-aged music students have fewer

problems with alcohol, are emotionally healthier,and concentrate better than their non-musical counterparts.

“This study is interesting on many levels,” commentedDr. Kris Chesky, one of the study’s researchers. “First of all,it flies in the face of all the stereotypes out there aboutmusicians. It also seems to support the assertion thatstudying music helps people learn to concentrate.”

The study looked at 362 students who were in their firstsemester of college. They were given three tests, measuringperformance anxiety, emotional concerns and alcoholrelated problems. In addition to having fewer battles withthe bottle, researchers also noted that the musiciansseemed to have surer footing when facing tests. Reference: Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998

College-age musicians emotionally healthier than non-musician counterparts.




UCLA professor, Dr. James Catterall, led an

analysis of a U.S. Department of Education

database. Called NELLs88, the database was

used to track more than 25,000 students over a period of

ten years.

The study showed that students involved in music

generally tested higher than those who had no music

involvement. The test scores studied were not only

standardized tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading

proficiency exams.

The study also noted that the musicians scored higher,

no matter what socioeconomic group was being studied.

Reference: Dr. James Catterall, UCLA, 1997.

Regardless of socioeconomic background, music-making students get higher marks

in standardized tests.


The top-performing students on the 1988 InternationalAssociation for the Evaluation of EducationalAchievement (IAEEA) Test in science were the

eighth and ninth graders from Hungary, followed by thosefrom the Netherlands and Japan.

All three countries have required music training at theelementary and middle school levels, both instrumental andvocal, for several decades. The centrality of musiceducation to learning in the top-ranked countries seems to

contradict the United States’ focus on math, science,vocabulary, and technology.

Local education policy and funding should take alesson from these high academically ranking countries andrecognize the long-term learning benefits of music bymaking it an integral part of every child’s education.

Hungary, Netherlands and Japan top worldwidescience achievement and have strong

commitment to music education.



In Rhode Island, researchers studied eight public schoolfirst grade classes. Half of the classes became “testarts” groups, receiving ongoing music and visual arts

training. In kindergarten, this group had lagged behind inscholastic performance.

After seven months, the students were given astandardized test. The “test arts” group had caught up to

their fellow students in reading and surpassed theirclassmates in math by 22%. In the second year of theproject, the arts students widened this margin even further.

Students were also evaluated on attitude and behavior.Classroom teachers noted improvement in these areas also. Reference: Nature May 23, 1996

Researchers find arts training not only raisesscholastic performance, but also improves

student behavior and attitude.


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