Here are a couple of interesting facts about music and music lessons that I found on Do Something.org
- Children who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills than their peers who do not participate in music lessons.
- Children with learning disabilities or dyslexia who tend to lose focus with more noise could benefit greatly from music lessons.
- Music programs are constantly in danger of being cut from shrinking school budgets even though they're proven to improve academics.
- Children who study a musical instrument are more likely to excel in all of their studies, work better in teams, have enhanced critical thinking skills, stay in school, and pursue further education.
- In the past, secondary students who participated in a music group at school reported the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (tobacco, alcohol, and illicit drugs).
- Schools with music programs have an estimated 90.2% graduation rate and 93.9% attendance rate compared to schools without music education, which average 72.9% graduation and 84.9% attendance.
- Regardless of socioeconomic status or school district, students (3rd graders) who participate in high-quality music programs score higher on reading and spelling tests.
- A Stanford study shows that music engages areas of the brain which are involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating events in our memory.
- Much like expert technical skills, mastery in arts and humanities is closely correlated to a greater understanding of language components.
- Young children who take music lessons show different brain development and improved memory over the course of a year, compared to children who do not receive musical training.