Consider the results of a study done by Dr. Francis Rauscher from Irvine’s Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory @ the University of California.

  • Over the course of 6 months, different groups of children participated in four separate daily activities: singing, free play, computer games, and piano instruction.
  • When complete, each group was given the same spatial-temporal IQ test.
  • The children receiving piano instruction scored 43% higher than the rest!

The reason behind this vast improvement surrounds the multi-faceted benefits that the brain receives during the music-making process:

  • Eyes must recognize the ordered notes on the page (mathematical).
  • Fingers must touch and move according to that recognized patterns.
  • Ears must process how everything sounds together, forcing adjustments.

This allows for connections throughout the brain that few other things can match.  Furthermore, since music must be practiced regularly, it further enhances those connections and basically increases mental horsepower. Making music is not a “nice thing to add” to the homeschool environment, but an extremely critical aspect that can help to make your children smarter.  Even if they don’t have amazing talent or continue their study of music long-term throughout life, they can still reap the benefits of personally making music.