Classical Music Study Improves SAT Scores for Teens

Young people who are involved in making music in their teenage years score 100 points higher on the SATs than those who don't play music, according to the American Music Conference. Does this make a case for parents to encourage music study past the early years and into the teen years? As a former piano student and teacher myself, this would buck the current parenting trend of giving in to your pre-teen child’s request (or should I say screaming tantrums) to let them quit lessons before entering junior high. Even though we’d like to believe this doesn’t happen, it is the norm not the exception.

As a parent and teacher, I've often heard teens say that they wish they had stuck with the piano past grammar school. They were amazed at the proficiency and improvement of their peers who kept on going and are now playing intricate, classical pieces or improvising and composing on their own. If you find yourself in this lucky position or just want to get your teen started in a solid musical program, check out our amazing piano products – Learn Piano Online and Piano Software review sites.

Unscientifically, anyone of us can ask the parents of teens who study musical instruments and play at least on an intermediate level about their child's grades in school and how well they scored on SATs and ACTs. If there is evidence pointing to the fact that student musicians score better on college-entrance exams, maybe we need to take a deeper look at the importance of continuing our own children’s musical education into their teen years. Numerous studies mentioned in our previous learning center articles have substantiated the fact that music students of all ages master math and reading subjects with more ease and at higher proficiency levels.

Recent findings in The College Board's Profile of College Bound Seniors National Report show that the SAT scores of students who took part in music instruction surpassed those of students with no music training. Students who studied music while in high school had average scores ranging anywhere from 40 to 60 points higher than their non-musical counterparts. These results further emphasize the correlation between music study and academic test results; however, it is important to note that most studies either imply or state that references to music studies apply to the most common form of musical lessons – studying a classical music repertoire. Do playing and listening to any type of music produce the same results?

Further emphasizing the classical study theory, a recent survey took a more backdoor approach to validate this premise. Virgil Griffith compiled a study and chart, using Facebook, to determine the favorite music of students at different colleges in the U.S. and then combined that data with the average combined SAT scores of students from these colleges. On his Music That Makes You Dumb website, he concluded that test scores follow a pattern based on musical genre, with the lowest test score participants listening to Lil’ Wayne and the highest test score participants listening to Beethoven. The musical-taste SAT score chart maps the 133 most popular (out of 1,455) musical genres from 1,352 schools. Even though this study may be considered entertainment more than scientific research, it does raise important questions regarding musical preferences. No matter their musical preference, choosing classical music for your preference around the house and through teaching opportunities for your teen just may get them on the track to musical proficiency and improved academic abilities.

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