The Catoctin School of Music

how music is good for your mind, body and soul

Ten Benefits of Music

1. Early musical training assists in developing the left side of the brain which is responsible for language and reasoning. Studies show that early musical training helps “wire” the brain, thus strengthening language processing.

2. Music is most recently being used to reduce stress, anxiety, and depression. Health professionals have found that their patients who listen to an average of 30 minutes of music a day are more relaxed than others.

3. Whether running a marathon or playing a competitive sport, physical activity is mostly mental. Music works with your mind and helps control mood, fatigue, and emotion by reducing the perception of how hard you are working.

4. Through music, students will learn to set and complete goals while learning the concrete rewards of hard work.

5. Musical study in ensembles and classroom settings facilitates teamwork skills and discipline. For example, an ensemble or orchestra requires all of its members to practice, learn the music, and attend rehearsals for a single harmonious goal, the performance.

6. Musical performances teach students to take risks and challenge themselves. A little anxiety introduced at an early age will help later in life and will assist in developing a student’s full potential.

7. A musician is consistently adjusting to changes in tone, tempo, rhythm, and feeling. As a result, the brain is being trained to handle multiple tasks at once which pay off for lifelong attention and intellectual skills.

8. Studies show that students who have musical training receive higher grades on aptitude tests such as the SAT.

9. College boards believe that those involved in music and arts programs have valuable knowledge that broadens their experience in understanding and appreciating the world around them. As a result, students involved in the arts programs have an advantage over others when it comes to applying to colleges.

10. An arts education exposes children to the incomparable.

Works Cited
"Benefits of Music Education | VH1 Save The Music." VH1 Save The Music | VH1 Save The Music Foundation. Web. 28 July 2011. .
"Music & Success in Society." Guitar Lessons, Piano Lessons, Voice Lessons, NYC, Manhattan, NY, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, New Jersey, Boston, Chicago. The National Association for Music Education. Web. 28 July 2011. .
Philllips, Carolyn. "Twelve Benefits of Music Education." Music Education Online by Children's Music Workshop. Web. 28 July 2011. .