However, scientific research has found that every one of us has the ability to be musical. 

Newborn babies’ brains understand music the same way as adults (“Newborn babies process pitch intervals”, Stefanics et al 2008), recognize whether something is in tune or out of tune (“Functional specializations for music processing in the human newborn brain”, Perani et al 2010) and they have a basic understanding of rhythm (“Newborn infants detect the beat in music”, Winkler et al 2008). 

And the reason why some people perform better musically than others does not come from something quite as glamorous as “talent” but rather something more mundane – plain old practise.

Science shows that musical expertise is directly linked to the amount of hours that each musician or performer practices. And many studies have shown that adults who had labelled themselves as “tone-deaf” and “not able to sing” were successfully taught to sing in tune with just a little bit of encouraging teaching.

All children love music, and many parents want their children to take up music learning. However, because of the myth that you “have to have musical talent”, many families give up before their child has had the chance to develop their musicality to the degree where it becomes obvious that they have it. All of us are musical, and all it takes is practice to bring it to life.

It can be hard to motivate a small child for music learning. But the benefits of music are outstanding: children who engage in early learning of music gain increased intelligence, better reading skills and emotional well-being, to name just a few of the benefits. 

Research shows that this is because early music learning engages practically every area of the child’s brain – more than any other activity. And the early years are crucial for forming the neural connections that give the brain its structure. Everyone can learn music, but to gain the benefits outside of the study of music, you need to start early. The cut-off point for the wide range of brain benefits is generally shown to be around the ages of 7 to 8. 

And the earlier a child starts learning music, the bigger benefits that gain! Toddlers who study music are shown to develop crucial life skills such as the ability to self-regulate their emotions, wait and be more patient. They also have a bigger vocabulary and unbelievably, they are also happier:  they are measured to smile more than toddlers who do not learn music! (see The Science)

And babies who are less than 6 months old are shown to develop better musical understanding when their parents play different types of music to them. This is one of the reasons why Moosicology works even for babies – it features an extensive amount of over sixty tracks that help babies develop a wide “musical vocabulary” – an understanding of different areas of notation, rhythm and melody.

Imagine if schools said that only a selected few people can learn to read, and wouldn’t even try and teach reading skills to most children! 

In fact, this is how it used to be. Not that many generations ago it was considered “a waste” to give schooling to most people, because people thought that only a selected few people would benefit from skills such as reading, writing and counting. 

These days, all children are expected to develop skills in literacy and numeracy. As a result, all children learn these skills – but they wouldn’t learn if they weren’t taught! 

It’s the same with musicality. Just like we all are born with an ability to learn a language and a basic understanding of mathematics, we all are born with the ability to learn music. 

So the singer who sings off-key is not “tone-deaf” or “musically untalented” – but rather, lacking the practice. Nerves come into play too, as anyone who performs in public knows well. Again, there’s only one cure for stage fright: going out there and doing it more. In other words: practice.

But if we believe in the false myth that only some people have got musical talent and most haven’t, we will never even try and practise. These days, famous scientists even recommend music as a cure for old-age memory problems and other brain-related problems (“Music making as a tool for promoting brain plasticity across the life span”, Wan & Schlaug 2010).

So let’s remember that our brains are wired for music learning and even though the most miraculous brain benefits of music learning only apply to small children, it is never too late to learn music! And if you have a baby or a small child, investing in their musical development is indeed a no-brainer to boost the growing brain.

Liisa Henriksson

Their common criticism is that the schools are still stuck in an old world where it’s enough to specialize in a narrow area of expertise. For instance, Robinson says that the school system is only designed to develop university professors. Everyone else is trained to become workforce.

Yet our children are born with amazing potential. When you look at your child and see all the imagination, creativity and natural intelligence, doesn’t it wrench your heart to think that this human being would be trained to become a cog in the wheel for society?

But there’s an upside to the “failing school system”. 

Because in today’s world, the school system is not only failing the children, but it’s failing the society too. Concentrating on developing just a few skills rather than supporting the child to fulfill their potential was never serving the child – but in the old days, it served the society.

These days, the demands of society have completely changed. The world is changing so fast that the narrow areas of expertise are dying. In the beginning of the new millennium, there was more information produced within just two years than in the previous 5000 years combined. New professions are replacing old ones – and within a few years, those new professions will themselves be replaced.

The good news is that the society cannot justify designing children to be cogs in the wheels anymore. Because by the time those kids are grown, the wheels have been changed and the cogs won’t fit. 

The only way for a person to secure his place in today’s world is to invest in his full development. There’s no excuse anymore not to allow our children to develop their full potential.

Some parents have sensed this, panicked and signed their child up to a million different classes since the age of 0. By the power of numbers, they try and ensure that at least one of the skills that their child learns will still be relevant by the time they grow up, so the kids are shuttered to classes in Japanese, Chinese, French, Extra-Curricular Mathematics, Dance, Sports, Music, Art and Drama. This phenomenon has been labelled “hot-housing” or “pushy parenting”.

They are all wonderful hobbies by the way! And nothing beats early learning. It’s just that experts are worried that children miss out on developing their most important assets – namely, their character, emotional well-being, and ironically, learning skills, if they continuously miss out on the most important component of a healthy childhood (besides parental love): free imaginative play. Because free play allows children to learn on their own terms.

Child development experts from Rousseau, Dewey and Montessori onwards have always emphasized that children should be allowed to develop their full potential. But rather than meaning that everyone has to become experts at everything, this means that we all have our own unique capabilities (as well as flaws), and that our multiple talents cannot be graded as easily as the old-fashioned and partial school grade system implies. Howard Gardner’s famous idea of multiple intelligences emphasizes that what the schools are focusing on is indeed a narrow slice of human abilities. A bit of mathematics, a bit of reading and writing (for secretarial purposes rather than expressive).

Interestingly, Howard Gardner says that there are at least 9 types of intelligences and that out of these, the school system only focuses on a mere two: Logical-Mathematical and Linguistic.

Howard Gardner’s famous list of intelligences includes these types of intelligence: Logical-mathematical, Spatial, Linguistic, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Musical, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Naturalistic, Existential/Spiritual.

What I find fascinating is that not only is “musical intelligence” considered as its own type of intelligence, but that according to a growing number of scientific research, music learning boosts almost all of these other types of intelligence!

Let’s have a look at the intelligences again:

*Logical-mathematical intelligence. Early music learning is shown to increase mathematical skills and IQ, the standard measure for logical intelligence and reasoning abilities.

*Spatial intelligence. An array of research by Frances Raucher and her research team shows evidence that early music learning in childhood boosts spatial-temporal intelligence (this is measured by spatial-temporal IQ).

*Linguistic intelligence. Nothing boosts linguistic abilities, language development and reading skills like early music learning. Children, even toddlers, who study music, develop a bigger vocabulary, better linguistic intelligence and better reading skills. Brain research has even shown that this is because music and languages reside in the same brain networks. Lack of sufficient awareness of pitch is even linked to reading difficulties such as dyslexia, and music learning counteracts this!

*Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence. Instrument playing is shown to boost motor skills. And early rhythmic learning and coordination, before a child is even old enough to learn an instrument, is shown to boost the child’s all-round development and even intelligence.

*Musical intelligence. Ditto, musical learning boosts musical intelligence.

*Interpersonal intelligence. This is “social intelligence”. Children who study music are shown to be, in general, better adapted socially, have better social skills and even have more friends!

*Intrapersonal intelligence. This is “self-awareness”. Toddlers who study music are shown to have better “self-regulation skills” – they are more patient when waiting and have better control of their emotions because they are more able to calm themselves down in a stressful situation.

*Naturalistic intelligence. I must admit, I haven’t come across any research that says that music learning boosts natural intelligence. Outdoor play is the only way!

*Existential/Spiritual intelligence. Every musician knows – although they may vary the terms that they use – that making music, and even listening to it, could often and easily be labelled as a “spiritual” experience. For me, music has always been the innocent place where I can return to, where everything is well – that world of childhood happiness and imagination. Although scientists could say that it is because music has the same euphoric effect on the brain as some infamous drugs! (Which I have personally never experienced, but these scientists have done brain scans and shown that music activates the same “intensely rewarding” brain regions as cocaine.) Music learning also boosts scientific thinking, thought to play a part in existential intelligence.

So, in this day and age, schools should take heed and focus on nurturing each child’s unique gifts – and give a wide opportunity for them to develop.

And if you are a parent and want to boost your child’s overall development, remember that the scientists say that the school system boosts only 2 types of intelligences in your child, and music learning boosts an unbelievable 8 out of 9! As for Sir Ken Robinson’s views on schools that kill creativity – nothing fosters creativity better than the full development of self and investing in one’s multiple intelligences – for true “lateral thinking”!

Liisa Henriksson