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Music in the classroom gives students an alternative way to learn, and can help them retain information better! It helps them make connections, and learn new strategies in a way that is easier for them to remember. Not to mention, it also makes them happy!

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Clap Along 1 | Brain Breaks | Green Bean's Music | Interactive Songs

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Music in the classroom helps students in many different ways!

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To reap the benefits of music on learning, kids need consistent and abundant musical practice, according to the latest cognitive research.

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Here are three musical elements that relate to math and some suggested activity ideas to try at home.

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Place Value Song For Kids | Ones, Tens, & Hundreds | 1st - 3rd Grade

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Learning to play a musical instrument relies on understanding concepts, such as fractions and ratios, that are important for mathematical achievement. But the precise relation between music and math-whether musical training promotes mathematical ability, or mathematical skill influences musical ability, or whether these skills simply develop in parallel-remains unclear.

Previous research has linked instrumental musical training to mathematical achievement, but this link is highly debated. For example, students who are musically trained have been observed to have higher mathematics grades and standardized test scores, compared with students who have not studied music. Yet not all studies have found an association between these two sets of skills. Furthermore, research has yet to determine whether the proposed link can be explained by other confounding factors, such as socioeconomic background (for example, if you grow up in a household with good financial resources, you are more likely to be able to afford music lessons, attend a good school, and so on), motivation, educational setting or overall parental involvement. To identify whether superior math abilities are a direct result of musical training, we need longitudinal studies that measure mathematical skill before and after such training and that control for these variables.

It is also possible that other cognitive factors contribute to an individual's success in music and mathematics. In fact, research has suggested that the link may be driven by high-level cognitive-processing skills that are necessary for both subjects, such as executive functions, which allow individuals to adjust to changing task demands. Executive functions are known to be a strong predictor of academic achievement, even more so than general intelligence. Playing a musical instrument recruits these functions through, for example, constantly adjusting your motor movements to changing tempos and key signatures. To date, a few studies have suggested a link between musical training and executive-functioning skills. But longitudinal studies are also needed to establish whether this is a causal link or whether these skills develop side by side.

Until then, we should just simply enjoy studying math or music if it positively enriches our lives.
Editor's Note (5/8/17): This article has been updated since its publication because of errors in the editing process. Question submitted via e-mail Do you have a question about the brain you would like an expert to answer? Send it to Editors@sciam.com

This article was originally published with the title "Is there a link between music and math?" in SA Mind 28, 3, 74 (May 2017)

doi:10.1038/scientificamericanmind0517-74b

ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)

Nadine Gaab

Associate professor of pediatrics at Boston Children's Hospital and Harvard Medical School

Jennifer Zuk

Doctoral student at Harvard University.

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Learning to play a musical instrument relies on understanding concepts, such as fractions and ratios, that are important for mathematical achievement. But the precise relation between music and math-whether musical training promotes mathematical ability, or mathematical skill influences musical ability, or whether these skills simply develop in parallel-remains unclear.

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There are studies show a correlation on how it might benefit students struggling to keep up with their peers. In fact, Einstein used to sit and play music when he was stuck on a mathematical problem. By concentrating on the problem at hand (left brain) while playing the piano or violin (right brain), he was able to strengthen the communication between the two hemispheres of his brain and increase brainpower. Exactly how much students benefit may depend on the type of music they listen to and whether they choose to learn how to play instruments.

Where Math and Music Meet in the Brain

Some research finds that music activates the same areas of the brain that subjects use while solving spatial-temporal reasoning problems. Based on extensive research and knowledge that certain types and frequencies of sound are processed by the two hemispheres of the brain differently, using specific music and sounds may help to stimulate one hemisphere more than the other and possibly create more balance in the brain. As such, listening to music could improve a student's cognition and ability to learn math skills. As such, listening to music could improve a student's cognition and ability to learn math skills. As recently as 2012, one study showed that listening to music during a math test could improve performance by 40 percent .

Listening to Music May Improve Math Skills and Cognition

A considerable amount of research suggests that listening to music may improve cognitive skills. More recent studies show that the Mozart Effect , as it is known, has very little to do with listening to Mozart and more to do with listening to music that activates a certain portion of the brain. Classical music and minor tones for the right side, upbeat and major tones for the left side. Over the years, Dr. Robert Melillo has worked with a composer to develop a line of music that specifically addresses strengthening each hemisphere.

Performing Music Teaches Valuable Lessons to Students

While listening to enjoyable music may improve cognition and math skills, performing music offers more advantages. Learning music improves math skills because, at some level, all music is math. It's about time signatures, beats per minute and formulaic progressions. Performing music, therefore, reinforces parts of the brain used when doing math. Studies even show that children who play instruments are able to complete complex mathematical problems better than peers who do not play instruments.

Students who commit themselves to learning an instrument may also learn other skills that help them perform better in school. It takes a considerable amount of patience to practice scales, and children who apply similar patience to doing schoolwork will have an advantage over those who don't. Fine motor skills are also improved by playing musical instruments.

Taking time to appreciate music is a reward on its own. For the teachers and parents trying to help children succeed, that time could also improve math and academic skills.

Contact us today to schedule an assessment. You can also view the research and results of the program on the website.

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Correlation Between Math and Music Ability

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There are studies show a correlation on how it might benefit students struggling to keep up with their peers. In fact, Einstein used to sit and play music when he was stuck on a mathematical problem.