Music instruction appears to improve brain and language development in young children, according to initial results of a five-year study by neuroscientists at the University of Southern California (USC) - among them professors Antonio Damasio and Hanna Damasio, who recently participated in our seminar Brain and Culture II.
The Brain and Creativity Institute (BCI) at USC Dornsife began the project in 2012 in partnership with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Association and the Heart of Los Angeles (HOLA) to examine the impact of music instruction on children’s social, emotional and cognitive development. The study, led by Assal Habibi, involved 37 children from underprivileged neighborhoods of Los Angeles. One group of children had musical training, according to the el sistema method; the two control groups played soccer or had no specific after-school program.
The study finds "significant differences" between the three groups: Researchers find that children’s brains develop faster with music training