An Argument for Music Education

In This Article:

photo of kids playing the guitar

A new study, An Argument for Music Education, published in American Scientist by Dr. Nina Kraus and her colleague Travis White-Schwoch from Northwestern University, shows how learning music early in life can lead to lifelong neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to be malleable.  

"Our research into music and neuroplasticity has given us opportunities such as speaking to teachers, policy makers, and the media, which are relatively rare for scientists. Like other scientists who have studied music and brain development, we strongly support music classes in schools and community music organizations that provide cocurricular or extracurricular music education."

The study also explores the arguments for teaching, which forms include: the indirect argument, the incentive argument, and the intangible argument.

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