Our schools be alive with sound of music

Everybody and their uncle have an opinion on what should be taught in schools. But never is there a suggestion that kids should be taught music - in particular, taught to play a musical instrument. In the 1990s, two studies on the impact of music on cognitive abilities in children and young adults sparked interest in the West, where systemic learning of music is more rampant.

The first showed that listening to Western classical music, Mozart in particular, improves test scores and spatial reasoning, the ability to imagine things in 3D. The second showed that kids who listened to Britpop band Blur while completing a test did better than those who listened to classical or no music.

While both studies were later challenged, it has been subsequently established that music - especially playing an instrument - makes a difference to one's cognitive abilities in one's formative years. New research published in Frontiers in Neuroscience shows that learning to play an instrument could be good for a child's brain and lead to greater creativity.


Forty children between 10 and 13 were tested on their attention and working memory. Half of them played a musical instrument. Researchers found those musically trained had better attention spans and working memory tasks. Early music training may have increased the functional activity of brain networks.

In India, musical education in schools is usually treated as an 'additional' subject. There is no curriculum and assessment framework. The good news is that the National Education Policy 2020 accepts that the 'arts... are well known to enhance cognitive and creative abilities in individuals and increase individual happiness'. Schools must realise this too and integrate music education in primary schools.