The report describes and evaluates the work of the world’s first disabled-led youth orchestra – essential reading for music educators looking to develop their understanding of inclusive music-making.

The report describes and evaluates the work of the world’s first disabled-led youth orchestra – essential reading for music educators looking to develop their understanding of inclusive music-making.
A new study by the University of Bath shows that learning to play the piano can improve the brain’s ability to process sights and sounds, and can help to improve mood.
Music, with its playful, spontaneous, affective, motivational, temporal, and rhythmic dimensions can be of great help for studying the aspects of time processing in ADHD.
Engaging in musical activities such as singing and playing instruments in one-on-one therapy can improve autistic children’s social communication skills and increase brain connectivity in key networks.
According to a team of researchers led by Florida International University, listening to music while studying may help some children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Drumming for just 90 minutes each week can improve the life quality of young people diagnosed with autism, according to a study published in 2022.
Research by The University of Edinburgh shows that taking up a musical instrument in childhood and adolescence is associated with improved thinking skills in older age.
The latest research digest from the Centre for Cultural Value explores the role of arts and cultural programmes on young people’s mental health and wellbeing during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Researchers from the University of Dundee have evaluated the impact of the Big Noise Douglas (BND) programme in the city and found that ‘BND is having positive impacts on children, families and the community’.
Anita Holford, co-editor of Music Education Works, looks at eight ways music can support young people’s wellbeing and learning.
Researchers in Germany have found that instrumental music lessons have an impact on specific executive functions in children.
A study by staff at the University of Illinois, Northwestern University and the University of Texas, raises the possibility that musical training may help offset age-related declines in brain volume in older adults.