Abstract
Temporal processing underlies both music and language skills. There is increasing evidence that rhythm abilities track with reading performance and that language disorders such as dyslexia are associated with poor rhythm abilities. However, little is known about how basic time-keeping skills can be shaped by musical training, particularly during critical literacy development years. This study was carried out in collaboration with Harmony Project, a non-profit organization providing free music education to children in the gang reduction zones of Los Angeles. Our findings reveal that elementary school children with just one year of classroom music instruction perform more accurately in a basic finger-tapping task than their untrained peers, providing important evidence that fundamental time-keeping skills may be strengthened by short-term music training. This sets the stage for further examination of how music programs may be used to support the development of basic skills underlying learning and literacy, particularly in at-risk populations which may benefit the most.
Highlights
The ability to keep a beat lies at the heart of music-making
While a child who struggles to speak his or her native language may be assessed for a language deficit, individuals who fail to develop basic musical skills are often considered “unmusical”
Abnormal rhythmic performance is associated with language deficits such as dyslexia[11,12,13] as well as attention-related deficits[14]
Summary
The ability to keep a beat lies at the heart of music-making. Though the emergence and mastery of rhythm skills can continue through to adulthood, rhythmic competence can depend greatly on the extent of engagement with music [4,5,6,7]. While a child who struggles to speak his or her native language may be assessed for a language deficit, individuals who fail to develop basic musical skills (even those engaged in musical training) are often considered “unmusical”. Performance on simple tapping tasks relates with a variety of critical abilities outside the musical domain, from cognitive and linguistic skills[8,9] to handwriting[10]. The potential for music classes to strengthen fundamental temporal processing mechanisms holds great promise for educators and clinicians
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