Brain Research and Music Instruction in the Curriculum

Why Arts Education Matters — Insights from Brain Research

For years, schools across the U.S. cut back on arts programs to focus heavily on boosting reading and math scores. But emerging brain research suggests that arts education might actually help students excel across all subjects — not just creatively, but cognitively.

According to a report by Liz Bowie in the Los Angeles Times (original article), scientists are investigating how learning music, dance, and visual arts impacts brain development. Early findings are promising: young students who receive even minimal music training show measurable structural changes in their brains, particularly in areas linked to fine motor skills and dexterity.

Harvard University psychologist Jerome Kagan emphasized that research into arts education is “as deserving of a clinical trial as a drug for cancer,” underlining its importance. Studies led by researchers like Ellen Winner (Boston College) and Gottfried Schlaug (Harvard Medical School) have found that just half an hour of weekly music lessons can foster brain plasticity in children — a foundational process for learning and memory.

Though the direct effects of arts education on math and reading scores are still under study, neuroscientists like Michael Posner (University of Oregon) and Charles Limb (Johns Hopkins University) have demonstrated that music training strengthens networks in the brain related to attention, creativity, and even intelligence. Remarkably, brain imaging now shows visible differences between the brains of students who study instruments like the piano or violin compared to those who don’t.

Mariale Hardiman, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Neuro-Education Initiative, points out that integrating arts into academics may help students retain knowledge longer — and could combat the growing concern that creativity is being squeezed out of classrooms.

Even without final research conclusions, Kagan makes a pragmatic case: arts education boosts confidence and engagement, particularly for students who may struggle in traditional academic settings. As he notes, if arts programs could help even the lowest-performing quartile of students stay in school, the national dropout rate could significantly decrease.