Practicing a Musical Instrument in Childhood is Associated with Enhanced Verbal Ability and Nonverbal Reasoning

Summary

Background In this study we investigated the association between instrumental music training in childhood and outcomes closely related to music training as well as those more distantly related. Methodology/Principal Findings Children who received at least three years (M = 4.6 years) of instrumental music training outperformed their control counterparts on two outcomes closely related to music (auditory discrimination abilities and fine motor skills) and on two outcomes distantly related to music (vocabulary and nonverbal reasoning skills). Duration of training also predicted these outcomes. Contrary to previous research, instrumental music training was not associated with heightened spatial skills, phonemic awareness, or mathematical abilities. Conclusions/Significance While these results are correlational only, the strong predictive effect of training duration suggests that instrumental music training may enhance auditory discrimination, fine motor skills, vocabulary, and nonverbal reasoning. Alternative explanations for these results are discussed.

Key Points

• 1Instrumental music training enhances auditory discrimination and fine motor skills
• 2Children with music training outperformed control peers in vocabulary and nonverbal reasoning
• 3Duration of music training is a predictive factor for cognitive outcomes
• 4No significant improvement was noted in spatial or mathematical skills
• 5Results suggest that music training may have broader cognitive benefits but evidence for transfer effects remains mixed.

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