Increased instructional minutes and learning an instrument
At Dibber International Schools, music abounds. DIS believes in the relationship between academic excellence and arts education and therefore, all students are provided with additional music instruction beyond the requirements set out by the ministry of education. Not only do students receive additional instructional hours in music, but music classes are also small for more individualized instruction because all students at DIS schools learn to play an instrument from grade one and continue throughout their schooling. Each year students participate in concerts, play for their local community and even join in flash mobs organized by their teachers both in school and in the greater community.
It is so rewarding to see students develop their skills playing an instrument. Students develop a pride and satisfaction with their progress that shines in their eyes when they master a new musical piece or technique that they thought impossible only a few weeks before.
Why is playing an instrument such a good thing?
Researchers have consistently found that few things stimulate the brain as much as playing a music instrument. Research have looked at MRI scans of individuals who play musical instruments and they indicate that multiple parts of the brain are activated during instrument play. Both sides of the brain while playing music and work together to build bridges ultimately strengthening the brain’s overall function. Individuals who play an instrument regularly develop deeper synapses in learning pathways and processing functions as well as memory are enhanced. There is a strong and significant correlation between students who play instruments and academic success.
What concrete evidence is there to support that students attain higher academic results when they play an instrument?
- Students working memory is strengthens when they practice music
- Students’ coordination is developed
- Students who regularly play an instrument have shown a more robust language development (e.g., larger vocabulary).
- Student who play an instrument develop a better spatial reasoning
Sources:
John Hopkins university (retrieved, September 20, 2021)
Psychology Today (retrieved September 20, 2021)