Does Music Make You Smarter? STP Research Results

Overview & Synopsis

This report examines the relationship between the academic performance of students who completed music courses in high school with their grade 12 graduation and post-secondary education outcomes. Do students with music experience achieve higher education achievement than students without music experience? This study was motivated by the recent research results revealed by Peter Gouzouasis, a UBC professor in the Faculty of Education. He found that "… music has a significant and measurable impact on academic achievement, and the more of it kids do, the better they do in their academics." This study was conducted by the Student Transitions Project (STP), a collaborative research partnership involving B.C.'s education and advanced education ministries and post-secondary institutions.