Abstract
Recent empirical evidence suggests that attending individual instrumental training in music schools benefits the development of cognitive skills such as language and executive functions. In this article, we examine studies that have found these transfer effects provided by group-based music education in school and preschool contexts. We conclude that group-based music lessons may enhance children’s language skills and possibly executive functions, but evidence for the impact of music activities on intelligence—as measured by nonverbal intelligence tests—or long-term prosocial abilities is scarce. Although the beneficial effects of music on language skills and executive functions are small, they seem to be discernible. However, we do not know if they apply to all children or only to, for example, children who enjoy engaging in musical activities. We suggest that group-based music education should be part of the national school and preschool curricula, because of both the enjoyment of learning music-related skills and the impact it may have on children’s general learning. In parallel, we encourage new empirical longitudinal projects to be launched, enabling further investigations into the promises of music.
Highlights
Music—whether listening to or practicing it—brings positive experiences and well-being to human beings, irrespective of age and culture, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (Fancourt & Finn, 2019)
In addition to offering enjoyment and enhancing music-related skills, an abundant body of recent research has suggested that engaging in musical activities enhances other skills that are not related to music, such as language skills, executive functions, social skills, and intelligence (Bugos & DeMarie, 2017; Cirelli et al, 2014; Francois et al, 2013; Jaschke et al, 2018; Kirschner & Tomasello, 2010; Linnavalli et al, 2018; Moreno et al, 2009; Schellenberg, 2004; Schellenberg et al, 2015)
The definitions seem to differ slightly according to the resource, near transfer refers to the situation where specific skill training improves skills in a closely related area, whereas far transfer suggests that training a specific skill improves abilities in a more distant domain (Barnett & Ceci, 2002)
Summary
Music—whether listening to or practicing it—brings positive experiences and well-being to human beings, irrespective of age and culture, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) (Fancourt & Finn, 2019). Several longitudinal studies have reported the causal effects of music education on typically developing children’s phoneme awareness, vocabulary, reading and literacy, rapid naming, and verbal memory (Dege & Schwarzer, 2011; Francois et al, 2013; Linnavalli et al, 2018; Moreno et al, 2009; Nan et al, 2018; Roden et al, 2012) These interventions have offered children extra music activities lasting from 20 weeks to 2 years and have been implemented in school or preschool curricula. More studies and reporting of null results are clearly needed to conclude whether it is possible to support children’s prosocial development with school- and preschool-based music lessons
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