On the SAT, students who participated in music scored an average of 31 points above average in reading, 23 points above average in math, and 31 points above average in writing. ~ College Board SAT, 2012 College-Bound Seniors: Total Group Profile Report. (See table 18.)

Researchers have demonstrated a strong relationship between individuals who participated in school arts experiences and higher academic success as demonstrated by grade point averages, scores on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT) and math and verbal portions of the SAT exam. ~ Kelly, S. N. (2012). Fine Arts-Related Instruction’s Influence on Academic Success

We believe that music training is a particularly potent driver of brain plasticity that influences the biological processes important for listening, language, and learning. ~ Neuroeducation: From the Lab to the Classroom,” School-Based Music Summary, Northwestern University.

Students who take music in middle school score signifcantly higher on algebra assignments in 9th grade than their non-music counterparts. ~ Helmrich. B. H. (2010). Window of opportunity? Adolescence, music, and algebra. Journal of Adolescent Research. 25 (4).

Students who study music tend to have larger vocabularies and more advanced reading skills than their peers who do not participate in music lessons. ~ Arete Music Academy. “Statistical benefits of music in education.” Arete Music Academy. Accessed July 17, 2014.

“Students of all ages – that includes adults – generally find that music helps them focus more clearly on the task at hand and puts them in a better mood for learning.” ~ Chris Brewer, founder of LifeSounds Educational Services, quoted in “Boost Memory and Learning with Music,” pbs.org, Cheri Lucas.

Research indicates the brain of a musician, even a young one, works differently than that of a nonmusician. “There’s some good neuroscience research that children involved in music have larger growth of neural activity than people not in music training. When you’re a musician and you’re playing an instrument, you have to be using more of your brain.” ~ Dr. Eric Rasmussen, chair of the Early Childhood Music Department at the Peabody Preparatory of The John Hopkins University, quoted in “The Benefits of Music Education,” pbs.org, Laura Lewis Brown.

The cognitive structures developed through music instruction “exposed and illuminated more general organizing structures relevant for multiple disciplines. ~ Portowitz,P., Lichtenstein, O., Egorova, L., & Brand, E. (2009). Underlying mechanisms linking music education and cognitive modifiability. Research Studies in Music Education, 31, 107–29

An analysis of data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 demonstrated a significant correlation between participation in school music groups and achievement in math and English. ~ Broh, B. A. (2002). Linking extracurricular programming to academic achievement: Who benefits and why? Sociology of Education, 75(1), 69-95

“A broad education in the arts helps give children a better understanding of their world…We need students who are culturally literate as well as math and science literate.” ~ Paul Ostergard, Vice President, Citicorp

A Columbia University study revealed that students in the arts are found to be more cooperative with teachers and peers, more self-confident and better able to express their ideas. ~ Burton, J., Horowitz, R., Abeles, H. Champions of Change, Arts Education Partnership, 1999

Children from “arts-rich” public schools score higher on expression, risk-taking, creativity-imagination, cooperative learning, and academic self-concept than children in “arts-poor” systems. ~ “Learning In and Through the Arts: The Question of Transfer,” Judith M. Burton, Robert Horowitz, and Hal Abeles, Studies in Art Education, 2000, 41(3): 228-257

“An elementary school that treats the arts as the province of a few gifted children, or views them only as recreation and entertainment, is a school that needs an infusion of soul. That arts are an essential element of education, just like reading, writing, and arithmetic.” ~ William Bennett, Former US Secretary of Education

A study examined the influence of music education on nonmusical abilities, the effects of music lessons on academic performance, and cognitive abilities. The study revealed that students who participated in music lessons showed statistically higher intelligence quotients. ~ Glenn Schellenberg, Music Lessons Enhance IQ, Psychological Science, Vol. 15, No. 8, 2004

“GE hires a lot of engineers. We want young people who can do more than add up a string of numbers and write a coherent sentence. They must be able to solve problems, communicate ideas and be sensitive to the world around them. Participation in the arts is one of the best ways to develop these abilities.” ~ Clifford V. Smith, President of the General Electric Foundation

The vast majority —96 percent— of the school principals interviewed in a recent study agree that participation in music education encourages and motivates students to stay in school. Further, 89 percent of principals feel that a high-quality music education program contributes to their school achieving higher graduation rates. ~ Harris Interactive Poll, 2006

“I believe arts education in music, theater, dance, and the visual arts is one of the most creative ways we have to find the gold that is buried just beneath the surface. They (children) have an enthusiasm for life a spark of creativity, and vivid imaginations that need training – training that prepares them to become confident young men and women.” ~ Richard W. Riley, Former US Secretary of Education

“To be the next great inventor of something we haven’t dreamed of yet, you need to have creative skills. Music really fosters those creative skills.” ~ Illinois Lieutenant Governor Sheila Simon

“Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around them – a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.” ~ Gerald Ford, Former President of the United States

“Whoever has skill in music is of good temperament and fitted for all things. We must teach music in schools.” ~ Martin Luther