5 Benefits of Music Lessons for Kids, Backed by Science
There are plenty of reasons kids love music lessons.
They get to play their favourite songs, experiment with new sounds, discover an instrument they love and experience the excitement of finally mastering something they've been working on.
But what happens while they're learning goes beyond simply making music.
Researchers have spent years studying how musical training relates to childhood development, from attention and working memory to language, confidence and social skills.
At JamLab, we believe music lessons should first and foremost help kids discover a genuine love of music. The fact that learning an instrument may support other areas of their development? That's a pretty great bonus.
Here are five science-backed benefits of music lessons for kids.
1. Music Lessons Can Strengthen Focus and Executive Function
Learning an instrument asks the brain to do a lot at once.
A student might need to read or remember a note, listen to the sound they're producing, coordinate their hands, maintain a rhythm and decide what comes next — all within a few seconds.
These processes involve what's known as executive function, a group of mental skills involved in attention, working memory, self-control and flexible thinking.
A systematic review of 29 studies found evidence suggesting that music training benefits children's executive-function performance, with the strongest findings involving inhibitory control and additional evidence for working memory and cognitive flexibility.
More recent research has strengthened that connection. A 2025 meta-analysis covering 46 studies and 3,530 children ages 3–12 found a significant positive effect of musical training on executive function, with inhibitory control showing the largest improvement.
In everyday life, these are skills children use when they need to concentrate, remember instructions, resist distractions or switch between tasks.
And music gives them a pretty fun way to practise.
2. Music Training May Support Memory
Remembering which note comes next.
Holding a rhythm in your head.
Learning a chord progression.
Listening to your Musical Mentor's instructions and then trying them yourself.
Music constantly asks students to use their memory.
Research involving preschool-aged children has found encouraging evidence here. A systematic review and meta-analysis of 10 studies found that music training was associated with significant improvements in working memory, along with inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility.
That doesn't mean playing piano is suddenly going to make memorizing a spelling test effortless.
But regularly learning and practising music provides another opportunity for kids to exercise the mental processes involved in holding and working with information.
3. Music Can Support Language and Listening Skills
Music and language have more in common than you might think.
Both require us to recognize patterns in sound, distinguish between subtle auditory differences and understand rhythm and timing.
Researchers have therefore investigated whether musical training can transfer to children's language and literacy development.
A meta-analysis of controlled studies involving 901 children found that music training produced modest improvements in phonological awareness — the ability to recognize and work with the sounds that make up spoken language. However, researchers did not find an overall improvement in reading fluency, highlighting why it's important not to exaggerate music's academic effects.
Long-term research has also identified changes in children's auditory processing following music training. A longitudinal study comparing children receiving music training with children participating in sports or no systematic after-school training found differences in musically relevant auditory abilities and related brain development after two years.
The NIH has similarly highlighted research connecting active music-making in children with more precise sound processing and differences in brain development.
In other words, learning music is also an exercise in learning how to listen.
4. Learning Music Can Help Build Confidence
Anyone who has learned an instrument knows the feeling.
At first, something seems impossible.
Then you practise it.
You get it wrong.
You try again.
And eventually…
You play it.
Those little moments of progress can be incredibly rewarding for kids.
Research on music education and self-esteem is encouraging, although the evidence isn't as strong as it is for some executive-function outcomes. A 2025 systematic review of 22 studies found that music learning was generally associated with enhanced self-esteem among children and adolescents, while also noting limitations in the existing research and the need for stronger longitudinal and experimental studies.
A large study involving more than 6,000 children also found an association between arts engagement — including listening to or playing music — and higher self-esteem at age 11.
And beyond the research, music naturally creates opportunities for kids to experience progress.
Learning a first chord.
Playing a song from beginning to end.
Performing for someone else.
Mastering something they couldn't do a month ago.
At JamLab, we think those moments deserve celebrating.
5. Making Music Can Support Social and Emotional Development
Music doesn't always have to be a solo activity.
Students can play together, listen to one another, perform, collaborate and share something they've created.
Research suggests these experiences may support children's social development.
One study following third- and fourth-grade students through 10 months of group music lessons found greater increases in sympathy and prosocial behaviour among children who began the program with lower prosocial skills compared with a control group.
Other research has explored connections between musical training, empathy and sociability, although researchers caution that more longitudinal research is needed before strong causal conclusions can be made.
Music gives kids another language for expressing themselves — and an opportunity to connect with people through something they enjoy.
But Does Music Actually Make Kids Smarter?
You've probably heard this claim before:
“Music lessons make kids smarter.”
The science isn't quite that simple.
Some individual studies have found associations between musical training and cognitive or academic abilities. However, a large meta-analysis examining 54 studies and nearly 7,000 children found no reliable overall improvement in general cognitive ability or academic achievement once stronger study designs were taken into account.
And that's okay.
Kids don't need to learn piano because it's going to magically improve their math grade.
Music has value on its own.
They're learning a skill.
They're creating something.
They're challenging themselves.
They're discovering new music.
And they're doing something they can potentially enjoy for the rest of their lives.
How to Help Your Child Get the Most Out of Music Lessons
The benefits of music don't happen because a child simply has a weekly lesson on the calendar.
Active participation and consistency matter.
Research into executive function has found that factors such as the duration and frequency of musical training can influence outcomes.
For parents, that doesn't mean turning music into another homework assignment.
Instead, help make music easy to incorporate into everyday life.
Keep their instrument somewhere accessible. Encourage short, regular practice sessions. Let them play music they actually enjoy. Celebrate progress instead of perfection.
And perhaps most importantly, find a teacher your child connects with.
The Right Music Teacher Can Make All the Difference
At JamLab, we don't call our teachers teachers.
We call them Musical Mentors.
That's because learning an instrument is personal.
Some students need structure. Some need encouragement. Some want to master technique. Others are desperate to learn the song they've had on repeat for the last month.
A great Musical Mentor can meet a student where they are while helping them build the skills to keep moving forward.
JamLab's personalized in-home music lessons also mean kids can learn where they're already comfortable.
No rushing to another studio after school.
No sitting in traffic.
Your Musical Mentor comes directly to you, making it easier for music to become a consistent part of your child's week.
Give Your Child the Opportunity to Make Music
Focus.
Memory.
Listening.
Confidence.
Connection.
Science gives us some fascinating reasons to explore what learning music can do for developing minds.
But there's another benefit that's much harder to measure:
The joy of being able to make music yourself.
Whether your child wants to learn piano, pick up a guitar, sing their favourite songs, play drums or explore music production, JamLab helps make learning personal, engaging and convenient.
Our Musical Mentors offer personalized in-home music lessons for kids across Toronto and the GTA, bringing the experience directly to your family.
Ready to get them playing?
Visit jamlabmusic.com to learn more about JamLab's in-home music lessons and find the right Musical Mentor for your child.
