In March 2017, University of Sussex research revealed that nearly 60% of teachers from state schools believed the controversial English Baccalaureate (EBacc) was having a negative impact on the numbers of students choosing to study music.
Category: Secondary 12-18
‘Music education is now only for the white and the wealthy’
Charlotte C Gill’s opinion piece in The Guardian says schools in England need to stop teaching music in such an academic way.
New research shows music ‘could face extinction’ in England’s secondary schools
New research from the University of Sussex reveals that the controversial English Baccalaureate (EBacc) is having a negative impact music in schools, and researchers suggest that music could be facing extinction.
Playing a musical instrument has a positive effect on attainment
The findings of a recent study in England show that young people playing a musical instrument enjoy greater progress and better academic outcomes than those who do not, with the greatest impact for those playing the longest.
Our beliefs in musical ‘talent’ may hold back budding musicians
New music education research from the USA claims that children who have confidence in their own musical abilities are more likely to continue their music education than those with a poor ‘musical self-concept’.
New York City school with music as core subject sees students score highly
Some of New York City’s highest-performing students spend much of their time studying music.
Music in Mind evaluation report published
Music in Mind is Rhythmix’s innovative music making programme which aims to enhance the life chances of young people aged 11-to-18 years with mental health needs.
Danish experiment to see how music affects memory
Danish researchers have just started testing a hypothesis that children with musical skills such as rhythm and melody also develop stronger memories.
Music lessons can help children to concentrate
Researchers at the Dutch-speaking university, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, in Brussels, Belgium have discovered that music lessons can help children to concentrate.
The impact of music on educational attainment
Research by Philip Yang at Eberhard Karls University, Tübingen, Germany used a survey of German teenagers to investigate the relationship between educational attainment and playing a musical instrument, either in early childhood or during one’s teenage years.
Researchers link ability to keep a beat to reading and language skills
The findings of a Northwestern University study in 2013 demonstrate that accurate beat-keeping involves synchronization between the parts of the brain responsible for hearing as well as movement.
Musical training and executive functioning
Professor Nadine Gaab has shown that people who play a musical instrument regularly have higher executive function (EF) skills than non-musicians.
