Want to get better at counting numbers? Perhaps you should take a music lesson!
In his recent study, “Multilevel Models of the Relationship Between Music Achievement and Reading and Math Achievement,” University of Kansas music educator Martin Bergee discovered a significant association between students’ achievements in both fields of study. Bergee’s original thesis, however, was to disprove the link between the two subjects.
“I set out to demonstrate that there are probably a number of background variables that are influencing achievement in any academic area,” Bergee said. These factors included a household’s demographic background, including race, education, and location. “But hang on. Much to my surprise, not only did they not disappear, but the relationships are really strong.”
The study, published in the Journal of Research in Music Education, wasn’t trying to demonstrate the importance of music as a means of improving a student’s math or reading scores. Instead, it shows, “if your goal is to educate the person – to develop the person’s mind, then you need to educate the whole person.”
March is Music in Our Schools Month! Join us online as we explore music’s impact in our classrooms, inspiring the next generation of our area’s musicians and artists.
Beyond the Stage 