The Value of Music Education for Child Development and Wellbeing in the Post COVID-19 Landscape

This chapter discusses the value and importance of music education in maximising student wellbeing and development in the post COVID-19 learning landscape. The importance of participatory music-making, including ensemble performance, is explored, acknowledging research pointing to the value of this area of music education. The rapid development of the neuro-musical field of research over the past twenty years has enabled understanding of the significant benefits of music towards physical, cognitive, and socio-emotional child development. Learning a musical instrument involves the whole brain, including motor networks, auditory processing, linguistic networks, working memory and visual cortices. The landmark longitudinal population-sized study of 112,000 public school students in British Columbia showed that participation in school instrumental music is directly related to higher exam scores (Guhn et al., J Educ Psychol 112:308–328, 2020). This chapter also examines how participatory music education increases child wellbeing and strengthens their sense of social cohesion. There is a growing body of research on the wellbeing and cohesion outcomes of music education programs delivered in low socio-economic communities, modelled on Venezuela’s El Sistema (Osborne et al., Music Educ Res 18:156–175, 2015). These findings have relevance for school communities of all demographics. In the post-COVID-19 landscape music’s ability to build social cohesion, allow for emotional release, and provide proven cognitive development will be pivotal in assisting students to rebuild connections and counteract developmental delay due to interrupted learning.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Subscribe and save

• Get 10 units per month
• Download Article/Chapter or eBook
• 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
• Cancel anytime

Buy Now

eBook EUR 117.69 Price includes VAT (France)

Hardcover Book EUR 147.69 Price includes VAT (France)

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Similar content being viewed by others

Practices of Music Education and Learning Across the Lifespan: An Exploration of Values and Purposes

Best Practices for Preschool Music Education: Supporting Music-Making Throughout the Day

Scottish Education: A Model for Strengthening Mental Health—A Case Study in Inclusive Scottish Primary Schools

References

• Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. (n.d.). Silos and symphonies. https://www.aso.com.au/events/silos-symphonies/
• Baker, G. (2014). El Sistema: Orchestrating Venezuela’s youth. Oxford University Press. Google Scholar
• Baker, W. J., Forbes, A. M., & Earle, J. (2020). Youth Orchestra participation and perceived benefit: A pilot study of the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra. Australian Journal of Music Education,53(1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.3316/informit.382236791017167ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Bowling, D. L., Gahr, J., Ancochea, P. G., Hoeschele, M., Canoine, V., Fusani, L., & Fitch, W. T. (2022). Endogenous oxytocin, cortisol and testosterone in response to group singing. Hormones and Behaviour,139, 105105. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.105105ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Caldwell, & Vaughan, T. (2012). Transforming education through the arts (1st ed.). Routledge. Google Scholar
• Calvo, K., & Bejarano, E. (2020). Music, solidarities and balconies in Spain. Interface,12, 326–332. Google Scholar
• Chiu, R. (2020). Functions of music making under lockdown: A trans-historical perspective across two pandemics. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 616499–616499. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.616499
• Clift, S. (2012). Singing, wellbeing, and health. In Music, health, and wellbeing (pp. 114–124). Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199586974.003.0009
• Clift, S., & Hancox, G. (2010). The significance of choral singing for sustaining psychological wellbeing: Findings from a survey of choristers in England, Australia and Germany. Music Performance Research,3, 79–96. Google Scholar
• Clift, S., Hancox, G., Staricoff, R., & Whitmore, C. (2008). Singing and health: A systematic mapping and review of non-clinical research. Canterbury Christ Church University. Google Scholar
• Clift, S., Manship, S., & Stephens, L. (2017). Further evidence that singing fosters mental health and wellbeing: The West Kent and Medway project. Mental Health and Social Inclusion,21(1), 53–62. https://doi.org/10.1108/mhsi-11-2016-0034ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Collins, A. M. (2012). Bigger, better brains: Neuroscience, music education and the pre-service early childhood and primary (elementary) generalist teacher [PhD thesis]. Melbourne Graduate School of Education, The University of Melbourne. URL: http://hdl.handle.net/11343/38146
• Collins, A. M. (2013). Neuroscience meets music education: Exploring the implications of neural processing models on music education practice. International Journal of Music Education,31(2), 217–231. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761413483081ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Collins, A. M. (2014) How playing a musical instrument benefits your brain. TED Ed URL: https://www.ted.com/talks/anita_collins_how_playing_an_instrument_benefits_your_brain?language=en
• Collins, A. M. (2020). The music advantage: How learning music helps your child’s brain and wellbeing. Allen & Unwin. Google Scholar
• Collins, A., Dwyer, R., & Date, A. (2019). Music education: A sound investment Alberts. The Tony Foundation. https://www.alberts.co/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Alberts_Music-Education-Report_A4.pdf
• Custodero, L. A. (2002). Seeking challenge, finding skill: Flow experience and music education. Arts Education Policy Review,103(3), 3–9. https://doi.org/10.1080/10632910209600288ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Czikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper Collins. Google Scholar
• Daffern, H., Balmer, K., & Brereton, J. (2021). Singing together, yet apart: The experience of UK choir members and facilitators during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology,12, 624474–624474. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.624474ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
• Dollman, E. (2015). Orchestral education programs: A study of Australian and British models [PhD thesis]. University of Adelaide. Google Scholar
• Dweck, C. (2007). Mindset: The new psychology of success. Ballantine Books. Google Scholar
• Education Scotland. (2017). A review of Sistema Scotland Big Noise program in Raploch, Govanhill and Torry. https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/files/8915/0653/4528/SistemaScotlandVol280917.pdf
• English National Opera. (n.d.). ENO Breathe. https://www.eno.org/breathe/
• Fiske, E. B. (Ed.). (1999). Champions of change: The impact of the arts of learning. Co-commissioned by the Washington DC Arts Education Partnership and the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. Google Scholar
• Gibbs, J., Midalia, J., & Genovese, K. (2021). Crescendo: Music education program case study (2015–2020). Culture Counts. https://www.waso.com.au/files/resources/WASO_Crescendo_Case_Study_2021_FINAL.pdf
• Glasgow Centre for Population Health. (2015). Evaluating Sistema Scotland—Initial findings report. GCPH. https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/files/3415/6802/2015/Sistema_findings_report2015.pdf
• Glasgow Centre for Population Health. (2017). Evaluating Sistema Scotland—Big Noise Torry: Initial findings report. GCPH. https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/files/2914/9748/5984/Big_Noise_Torry_Evaluation_Report_FINAL3.pdf
• Gordon, R. L., Fehd, H. M., & McCandliss, B. D. (2015). Does music training enhance literacy skills? A meta-analysis. Frontiers in Psychology,6, 1777–1777. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01777ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
• Gouzouasis, P., & Henderson, A. (2012). Secondary student perspectives on musical and educational outcomes from participation in band festivals. Music Education Research,14(4), 479–498. https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2012.714361ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Grebosz-Haring, K., Schuchter-Wiegand, A. K., Feneberg, A. C., Skoluda, N., Nater, U. M., Schütz, S., & Thun-Hohenstein, L. (2022). The psychological and biological impact of “in-person” vs. “virtual” choir singing in children and adolescents: A pilot study before and after the acute phase of the COVID-19 outbreak in Austria. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 773227–773227. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.773227
• Guhn, M., Emerson, S. D., & Gouzouasis, P. (2020). A population-level analysis of associations between school music participation and academic achievement. Journal of Educational Psychology,112(2), 308–328. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000376ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Habibi, A., Damasio, A., Ilari, B., Sachs, M. E., & Damasio, H. (2018). Music training and child development: A review of recent findings from a longitudinal study. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,1423(1), 73–81. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13606ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Hallam, S. (2010). The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people. International Journal of Music Education,28(3), 269–289. https://doi.org/10.1177/0255761410370658ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Hallam, S., & Himonides, E. (2022). The power of music: An exploration of the evidence. Open Book Publishers. https://doi.org/10.11647/OBP.0292
• Hansen, N. C., Wald-Fuhrmann, M., & Davidson, J. W. (2022). Editorial: Social convergence in times of spatial distancing: The role of music during the COVID-19 pandemic. Frontiers in Psychology,13, 910101. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.910101ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
• Harkins, C., Garnham, L., Campbell, A., & Tannahill, C. (2016). Hitting the right note for child and adolescent mental and emotional wellbeing: A formative qualitative evaluation of Sistema Scotland’s “Big Noise” orchestral programme. Journal of Public Mental Health,15(1), 25–36. https://doi.org/10.1109/JPMH-11-2015-0047ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Harkins, C., & Moore, K. (2019). People change lives: Consolidating five years of evaluation learning from Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise centres in Stirling, Glasgow and Aberdeen. Glasgow Centre for Population Health. https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/files/3415/5231/4056/People_change_lives_March_2019_FINAL.pdf
• Hille, A., & Schupp, J. (2015). How learning a musical instrument affects the development of skills. Economics of Education Review,44, 56–82. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2014.10.007ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Holochwost, S. J., Bose, J. H., Stuk, E., Brown, E. D., Anderson, K. E., & Wolf, D. P. (2020). Planting the seeds: Orchestral music education as a context for fostering growth mindsets. Frontiers in Psychology,11, 586749–586749. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.586749ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
• Hunter, M. A., & Australia Council. (2005). Education and the arts: Research overview: a summary report prepared for the Australia Council for the Arts. Australia Council for the Arts. Google Scholar
• Ilari, B., Fesjian, C., & Habibi, A. (2018). Entrainment, theory of mind, and prosociality in child musicians. Music and Science, 1, 205920431775315. https://doi.org/10.1177/2059204317753153
• Jaschke, A., Honing, H., & Scherder, E. J. (2018). Longitudinal analysis of music education on executive functions in primary school children. Frontiers in Neuroscience,12, 103–103. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2018.00103ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
• Jefferson, M., & Anderson, M. (2017). Transforming schools: Creativity, critical reflection, communication, collaboration. Bloomsbury. Google Scholar
• Jindal-Snape, D., Asi, D., Robb, A., Barrable, A., Murray, C., Ross, E., & Austin, H. (2021). Sistema Scotland—Evaluation of Big Noise Douglas. University of Dundee. https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/files/8416/3765/8895/Big_Noise_Evaluation_Report_Final_23-11-21.pdf
• Koelsch, S. (2011). Toward a neural basis of music perception—A review and updated model. Frontiers in Psychology,2, 110–110. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00110ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
• Kreutz, G. (2014). Does singing facilitate social bonding? Music and Medicine, 6(2), 51. https://doi.org/10.47513/mmd.v6i2.180
• Kronberg, J. (Chair). (2013). Inquiry into the extent, benefits and potential of music education in Victorian schools. Commissioned by the Education and Training Committee. http://parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/committees/etc/Music_Ed_Inquiry/Music_Education_Final_041113.pdf
• Lee, J., Krause, A. E., & Davidson, J. W. (2017). The PERMA wellbeing model and music facilitation practice: Preliminary documentation for wellbeing through music provision in Australian schools. Research Studies in Music Education,39(1), 73–89. https://doi.org/10.1177/1321103x17703131ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Listernick, Z., & Badawy, S. M. (2021). Mental health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic among children and adolescents: What do we know so far? Pediatric Health, Medicine and Therapeutics,12, 543–549. https://doi.org/10.2147/PHMT.S315887ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
• Loades, M. E., Chatburn, E., Higson-Sweeney, N., Reynolds, S., Shafran, R., Brigden, A., Linney, C., McManus, M. N., Borwick, C., & Crawley, E. (2020). Rapid systematic review: The impact of social isolation and loneliness on the mental health of children and adolescents in the context of COVID-19. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry,59(11), 1218-1239.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2020.05.009ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
• Los Angeles Philharmonic. (n.d.). Youth Orchestra Los Angeles. https://www.laphil.com/learn/yola/youth-orchestra-los-angeles
• Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. (n.d.). The pizzicato effect. https://www.mso.com.au/learning/schools-and-teachers/the-pizzicato-effect
• Osborne, M. S., McPherson, G. E., Faulkner, R., Davidson, J. W., & Barrett, M. S. (2015). Exploring the academic and psychosocial impact of El Sistema-inspired music programs within two low socio-economic schools. Music Education Research,18(2), 156–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/14613808.2015.1056130ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Pascoe, R., Leong, S., MacCallum, J., Mackinlay, E., Marsh, K., Smith, B., Church, T., & Winterton, A. (2005) National review of school music education: Augmenting the diminished. Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training, The Centre for Learning, Change and Development, Murdoch University. Google Scholar
• Patel, A. (2007). Music. Oxford University Press. Google Scholar
• Petrova, I. E. (2012). What makes good music programs in schools? A study of school music across Australia and a comparison with England and Russia [PhD thesis]. Faculty of English, Media and Performing Arts, University of New South Wales. https://doi.org/10.26190/unsworks/15417
• Philip, K. E. J., Owles, H., McVey, S., Pagnuco, T., Bruce, K., Brunjes, H., Banya, W., Mollica, J., Lound, A., Zumpe, S., Abrahams, A. M., Padmanaban, V., Hardy, T. H., Lewis, A., Lalvani, A., Elkin, S., & Hopkinson, N. S. (2022). An online breathing and wellbeing program (ENO Breathe) for people with persistent symptoms following COVID-19: A parallel-group single blind, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine,10(9), 851–862. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2213-2600(22)00125-4ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
• Phillipson, K. (2018). “We don’t sound as good without you”: Teacher’s understanding of the benefits of music education for wellbeing [Honours dissertation]. School of Psychology, University of Adelaide. Google Scholar
• Rickard, N., Vasquez, J. T., Murphy, F., Gill, A., & Toukhsati, S. R. (2010). Benefits of a classroom based instrumental music program on verbal memory of primary school children : A longitudinal study. Australian Journal of Music Education,1, 36–47. https://doi.org/10.3316/aeipt.185578ArticleGoogle Scholar
• Sachs, M., Kaplan, J., Der Sarkissian, A., Habibi, A., & Verguts, T. (2017). Increased engagement of the cognitive control network associated with music training in children during an fMRI Stroop task. PLoS ONE, 12(10), e0187254. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187254
• Schladt, T. M., Nordmann, G. C., Emilius, R., Kudeilka, B. M., de Jong, T. R., & Neumann, I. D. (2017). Choir versus solo singing: Effects on mood and salivary oxytocin and cortisol concentrations. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience,11, 430. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00430ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
• Schlaug, G. (2001). The brain of musicians. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,930(1), 281–299. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.2001.tb05739ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
• Schlaug, G. (2005). Effects of music training on the child’s brain and cognitive development. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,1060(1), 219–230. https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1360.015ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
• Schlaug, G. (2009). Music, musicians and brain plasticity. In S. Hallam, I. Cross, & M. Thaut (Eds.), Oxford handbook of music psychology (pp. 197–207). Oxford University Press. Google Scholar
• Schlaug, G., Forgeard, M., Zhu, L., Norton, A., Norton, A., & Winner, E. (2009). Training induced neuroplasticity in young children. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences,1169(1), 205–208. ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar
• Schlaug, G., Jäncke, L., Huang, Y., Staiger, J. F., & Steinmetz, H. (1995). Increased corpus callosum size in musicians. Neuropsychologia,33(8), 1047–1055. https://doi.org/10.1016/0028-3932(95)00045-5ArticlePubMedGoogle Scholar
• Scottish Government. (2011). GEN social research evaluation of Big Noise Youth Orchestra. https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/files/5514/9749/1161/0114922.pdf
• Seligman, M. E. P. (2011). Flourish: A visionary new understanding of happiness and wellbeing. Free Press. Google Scholar
• Sistema Scotland. (n.d.). Big Noise. https://www.makeabignoise.org.uk/funding/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIxYG38s_U-wIV-pJmAh3-vwtjEAAYASAAEgKGyfD_BwE
• South Australian Government Department for Education. (n.d.). https://www.education.sa.gov.au/department/strategies-and-plans/music-education-strategy-and-music-innovation-fund
• South Australian Government Department for Education. (2019). Music education strategy. https://www.education.sa.gov.au/sites/default/files/2019-2029-music-education-strategy.pdf
• Tunstall, T. (2013). Changing lives: Gustavo Dudamel, El Sistema and the transformative power of music. W.W. Norton and Co. Google Scholar
• Tunstall, T., & Booth, E. (2016). Playing for their lives: The global El Sistema movement for social change through music. W.W. Norton and Co. Google Scholar
• University of Tasmania. (n.d.). https://www.utas.edu.au/research/projects/music-resilience-project
• Vaughan, T., Harris, J., & Caldwell, B. (2011). Bridging the gap in school achievement through the arts: Summary report. The Song Room, Australia. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/215203/
• Zuk, J., Benjamin, C., Kenyon, A., & Gaab, N. (2014). Behavioral and neural correlates of executive functioning in musicians and non-musicians. PLoS ONE,9(6), e99868. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0099868ArticlePubMedPubMed CentralGoogle Scholar

Acknowledgements

With thanks to Associate Professor Mathew White and Professor Faye McCallum for your leadership and vision on this project. Deep thanks also to the music educators, researchers, performers and students whose activities are explored in this chapter; collectively your efforts are renewing and strengthening music education.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

1. Elder Conservatorium of Music, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, Australia Emily Dollman