How Learning a Musical Instrument Affects the Development of Skills

Abstract

Standard-Nutzungsbedingungen:Die Dokumente auf EconStor dürfen zu eigenen wissenschaftlichen Zwecken und zum Privatgebrauch gespeichert und kopiert werden.Sie dürfen die Dokumente nicht für öffentliche oder kommerzielle Zwecke vervielfältigen, öffentlich ausstellen, öffentlich zugänglich machen, vertreiben oder anderweitig nutzen.Sofern die Verfasser die Dokumente unter Open-Content-Lizenzen (insbesondere CC-Lizenzen) zur Verfügung gestellt haben sollten, gelten abweichend von diesen Nutzungsbedingungen die in der dort genannten Lizenz gewährten Nutzungsrechte. Terms of use: Documents in AbstractDespite numerous studies on skill development, we know little about the effects of extracurricular music activities on cognitive and non-cognitive skills. This study examines how music training during childhood and youth affects the development of cognitive skills, school grades, personality, time use and ambition using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP). Our findings suggest that adolescents with music training have better school grades, are more conscientious, open and ambitious. These effects are stronger among adolescents from lower socio-economic status. In order to address the non-random selection into playing music, we take into account detailed information on the child and its parents, which may determine both the decision to pursue music lessons and educational outcomes. While lacking truly exogenous variations in music activities, our results are robust to a large range of sensitivity tests. We thereby approach causality better than previous observational studies.JEL classification: I21, J24, Z11

(Un)equal from the start? A quantitative analysis of preschool children’s participation in organised activities in Germany

“…My analysis indicates that families' social position matters most for attending music lessons. Playing a musical instrument has been shown to exert strong effects on school grades and cognitive development (Hille and Schupp 2015). Accordingly, future research should take into account not only material constraints but also cultural understandings in order to inform policymakers.…”

“…These activities could potentially diminish disparities (Vandenbroeck and Lazzari 2014). A case in point are music lessons that have been shown to exert positive effects on school grades and cognitive skills (Hille and Schupp 2015;Mühler and Spieß 2008). However, organised activities could also be 'building blocks in class care strategies' (Stefansen and Farstad 2010, 121) and hence constitute 'a mechanism through which social inequalities are maintained and reproduced' (Bennett, Lutz, and Jayaram 2012, 131).…”

Predicting success in the performing arts: Ballet and music

“…Although, the incremental contribution of personality has not been subject to extensive empirical investigation, the few relevant studies indeed showed that certain traits could be valuable predictors of artistic excellence. Specifically, research has shown that openness generally predicted achievement in arts (de Manzano & Ullén, 2018;Kaufman et al, 2016) as well as musical expertise, training, and practice (Butkovic, Ullén, & Mosing, 2015;Hille & Schupp, 2015). Moreover, there is evidence that student's perceptions of self-efficacy play an important role in the music exam performance (McCormick & McPherson, 2003).…”

Transmission of cultural capital and status attainment – an analysis of development between 15 and 45 years of age

“…In a newer DIW (German Institute for Economic Research -Deutsches Institut für Wirtschaftsforschung) study (Hille & Schupp, 2013), it was shown that youth between the ages of eight and 17 who practiced playing musical instruments did better by a quarter of a standard deviation on cognitive language tests than students of the same age lacking this practice, and their average grade was one-sixth of a standard deviation better. Furthermore, they were a quarter of a standard deviation more conscientious and more open, and the probability that they would graduate from a gymnasium (secondary school leading to university study) and want to attend a university was 15% higher than in a comparison group (Hille & Schupp, 2013, p. 23).…”