Music and Learning

The causal relationship between music education and learning in other academic areas is crucial in providing the insight as to why music education should be considered as an equal to math and science in the education system. Although there is need for more rigorous research on the subject, there is applicable reason for why music and the arts should be upheld at a higher standard by all education institutions. Many connections have been made between music education and academic success, cognitive ability, and even entrepreneurial identity.

In the article “The Arts in Education: Evaluating the Evidence for a Causal Link“, Winner and Hetland establish that there is no reason to justify the importance of music and arts education based on if it leads to stronger skills in math or science. We don’t justify mathematics education based on if it leads to stronger skills in English therefore we should not justify the presence of music education based on if it leads to stronger skills in other traditional academic areas. The study of its learning transfer effects are important educationally and scientifically nonetheless.

A transfer of learning occurs through the use of previously acquired skills and knowledge in a new learning or problem-solving situation. As stated by Steve Oare in his article “Music Education and 21st Century Skills“, music education provides students with opportunities to develop foundational skills that promote social and emotional well-being, a sense of responsibility, strong character, adaptability, and a strong work ethic. It has the ability to awaken a students curiosity, initiative, persistence, leadership, and social and cultural awareness. More specifically, when looking at the learning transfer of music education to entrepreneurial education, as examined in Jefremovs and Kozlinska’s article “Music education in adolescence – A pathway to entrepreneurial identity?“, clear similarities have been identified in how one develops an entrepreneurial identity versus the skills developed within music education. Characteristics of an entrepreneurial identity include creativity, proactivity, flexibility, the ability to generate new ideas, and the competency in which to make them happen. Similarly, music education is known to develop adaptability and openness to new possibilities, among many other entrepreneurial characteristics. The creativity, sensory memory, and ability to work with others that music education helps to develop also has a lot in common with the qualities of entrepreneurial individuals. Music education is an emotionally intensive activity while at the same time being focused on discipline, regular practice, and accountability to peers. Similarly, any entrepreneurial project is extremely focused on being passion-driven while requiring time investments and a conscious commitment to the task at hand. The ability to create and work in teams is also a distinct characteristic of both entrepreneurial individuals and musical individuals. Entrepreneurship is often defined as the “creation of something from nothing” which is also how the act of making music can often be defined. These evident similarities and the significant positive effects of music education on the strength of entrepreneurial identity suggest a likely causal relationship, as concluded by Jefremovs and Kozlinska. The findings of Winner and Hetland as well as Jefremovs and Kozlinska show that the skills learned in music education not only help the development of an entrepreneurial identity but also aid in the development of foundational skills needed in other traditional academic areas.

Music education is often excluded from the “traditional academic areas” mostly due to the fact that some argue that music programs detract from a student’s academics. They believe that spending too much time practicing, going on trips, and attending performances hinders a student’s ability to focus on their studies. Although these conclusions are valid, what is often overlooked is the synergy that occurs between the different areas of academic study; art and music, math, and science. Specifically, music and mathematics have been show to have many correlations. The great mathematician Albert Einstein is said to have sat and played music when he was stuck on a mathematical problem, as stated in the article “Correlation Between Math and Music Ability“. In the Brain Balance article it is also said how, at some level, all music is math. It’s about time signatures, beats per minute, and formulaic progression which therefore reinforces parts of the brain used in mathematics. It is also said that taking the time to appreciate music is a reward on it own, for people interested in the success of students that time could also improve mathematics and other academic skills.

Appreciation for the finer things is inherently what connects all aspects of academic study. Without the learned ability to appreciate and nurture beauty in all things there would be no mathematicians, scientists, or musicians. “A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made of ideas. His patterns, like the painter’s or the poet’s must be beautiful; the ideas, like the colors or the words, must fit together in a harmonious way,” as quoted from English mathematician G. H. Hardy. Music appreciation directly correlates to the appreciation of harmony and structure in math. Like patterns in music there are patterns and formulas in math, like experiments in science the relationships between chords, melodies, and harmonies all have different effects dependent on many interchangeable variables. If the appreciation for the inherent “beauty” in all things can be nurtured through music education then an appreciation and passion can be developed for the things that hold a similar type of beauty in the worlds of mathematics and science.

Although seemingly unimportant to those who only focus on standardized test scores and only care about performance in “traditional academic areas”, music education is shown to be very impactful in the development of foundational academic and life skills, academic success, and entrepreneurial ability. Music education is also very impactful in the way it correlates to other aspects of academics in mathematics and science. With the appreciation of the fact that music does in fact build foundational skills needed in “traditional academic areas” and the fact that skills learned in music education have been shown to transfer to many areas including entrepreneurial ability, there is applicable reason for why music education should be upheld in the same light as mathematics and science.

References

Correlation between math and Music ability. Brain Balance Achievement Centers. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://www.brainbalancecenters.com/blog/correlation-between-math-and-music-ability

M&Mquotes.html. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from http://www.math.utep.edu/faculty/lesser/M&Mquotes.html#:~:text=%EF%BF%BDA%20mathematician%2C%20like%20a,they%20are%20made%20of%20ideas.&text=%EF%BF%BDMusic%20is%20true.

Music education in adolescence – journals.sagepub.com. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/09504222211042282

Oare, S. (2017, July 3). Music Education and 21st Century skills. Kansas Music Review. Retrieved April 6, 2022, from https://kansasmusicreview.com/2017/07/03/music-education-and-21st-century-skills/#:~:text=Music%20activities%20provide%20students%20with,and%20a%20strong%20work%20ethic.

WWW-JSTOR-org.ezproxy.lib.ou.edu. Retrieved April 7, 2022, from https://www.jstor.org/stable/3333636