Music affects a child's intelligence. At what age to start and which instrument to choose?

Mozart's sonata and rats in the maze

Neuroscientists around the world had long believed that listening to Wolfgang A. Mozart's Sonata for Two Pianos in D Major leads to improved spatial imagination. The excitement was caused by an experiment by neuroscientists from the University of California, who in 1993 played various recordings to students and then had them assemble three-dimensional objects from paper. The best results in the test were achieved by the students after listening to the piano sonata.

Although the effect ended after 15 minutes, Frances Rauscher's scientific team continued their research, this time on rats. Mozart was able to improve the ability of rats to get out of the test maze, even of those rats which were exposed to the sonata while still in their mother's body.

The sensation turned into a myth

Immediately after the publication of the experiment, the authors themselves drew attention to the need to carry out further tests and wanted to investigate the effect of other musical compositions on cognitive abilities. However, the sensation surrounding the Mozart effect was already out there and could not be stopped. The then governor of the US state of Georgia even ordered that every new mother receive a CD with classical music from the state.

Other experiments were conducted, but none of the studies could reliably confirm the results of the original research, so it was subjected to a fair amount of criticism from all sides. The legendary Mozart effect even made it to the sixth place of the greatest myths of contemporary psychology. By the way, the well-known theory that we use only 10 percent of our brain capacity has taken the lead among the biggest myths.

The secret of children's intelligence finally revealed

However, the influence of music did not let the scientists sleep, and they decided to investigate it in more detail. Neuroscientist Sylvain Moreno from the Rotman Research Institute in Ontario, Canada found that music in general accelerates thought processes in the brain and also has a positive effect on children's speech ability. The secret is said to lie in the similarity of the sounds of musical instruments and human speech. Therefore, scientists believe that the human brain does not distinguish much between musical and verbal information.

Can young musicians somehow benefit from this ability in school? Also, this puzzle has been finally solved. Martin Guhn's scientific team from the UBC University in Vancouver, Canada, tested more than 112 000 local students, 13 % of whom were engaged in some kind of musical activity. This group excelled in various subjects such as English, mathematics and science.

The result confirmed one interesting connection. Pupils engaged with music more intensively had better grades than others. The positive effect was especially evident in students who played a musical instrument. It is said that singing itself did not have any significant effect on academic results.

Which instrument is the best for a child? It depends on the age

The positive influence of music on a child can be seen at any age. First, the child can try percussion instruments. Even a preschooler already has a developed natural sense of rhythm, and simple instruments, reminiscent of toys, are an ideal entry into the world of music.

With instruments that require more complex motor coordination, the child can start between the age of 3 and 5 years. Keys with reduced keyboard are an ideal start. They have a lot of fun sounds, they are light, easy to use, and their versatility can serve as a good basis for mastering other instruments later. Classical Guitar, recorder or violin will require more serious practice under the supervision of a music teacher. For stringed instruments, especially guitars, a 6 to 9-year-old should still use smaller versions- quarter, half or three-quarter versions of these instruments. Nowadays, drums or ukulele are getting more and more popular.