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Learning a musical instrument is beneficial for children’s behaviour, memory and intelligence, a government-commissioned study suggests. Research found that learning to play an instrument enlarges the left side of the brain, enhancing pupils’ power of memory by almost 20 per cent.

Susan Hallam, of the University of London’s Institute of Education, carried out the research as part of a drive to encourage more children to take up a musical instrument.

The study revealed that over time music lessons increased pupils’ IQ by seven points, compared with 4.3 points for drama lessons.

Several US studies have also found that playing an instrument improves children's behaviour. According to Professor Hallam this is because working in small musical groups requires trust, respect and compromise.

The Government aims to double the number of opportunities for children, aged from seven to eleven, to learn an instrument for free by 2011.

Over half of primary-aged (UK) children currently learn an instrument.

No surprises here, really, Susan Hallam et al are only reiterating what Plato observed and building up on the great mountain of similar works that have been published out of cognitive sciences in the past few years. Meanwhile, back at Sauble Beach and the Bluewater District School Board, there is a new bass clarinet for the grade schoolers, but not enough instruments to go around, and music classes cut back 50% from last year so as to make room for more math, and I hear tell that the highschool in Wiarton is or is soon to drop the music program entirely. Likely due to executive decisions from a generation of administrators educated by a system that deprived them the benefit of that extra 20% of their brain ...