Why music matters

We have created a range of resources to explain why music matters to children and young people. Browse the pages in this section to download PDF leaflets for parents and schools.

Watch our Why Music at KS4 film below:

Most people know that music is a ‘good thing’. Research proves again and again that it is so important to children and young people’s lives and futures.

Why? Because music education …

• increases confidence and self-esteem – which has a knock-on effect in all areas of their life and learning
• improves health and wellbeing – reducing stress, increasing a sense of wellbeing and happiness
• provides important life and social skills – such as listening, concentration, working as a team
• develops creativity and self-expression – helping young people to think differently and develop their power of imagination
• improves cognition, literacy and numeracy – recent neuroscience research has shown that children who learn an instrument have higher levels of cognitive capacity, specifically in their language acquisition and numerical problem-solving skills
• can be the key to unlocking potential – particularly for young people who are strongly creative, or who struggle to engage with other areas of learning