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Abstract
This study was designed to fill a need to explore the hypothesis that students who participate in middle school bands and or chorus have higher math cognitive functioning
than their non-music peers. Using the Measure of Academic Progress (MAP), this study
identified specific math domains that middle school music students showed higher
functioning than their non-music peers.
Participants were students enrolled at a middle school in Georgia with a total
enrollment of 1066. Students continually enrolled in band or chorus from Fall 2020 –
Spring 2023 were matched to non-music students for gender, F20 Overall Math score on
MAPS, and math course enrollment. The total sample of students (N = 156) was nonmusic students (n = 78) and music participants (n = 78). Within music participants,
students were in band (n = 46), chorus (n = 24), and some participated in both band and
chorus (n = 8).
A two-sample t-test and repeated measures ANOVA was applied to data sets for
each participant group and then compared to each other. The math scores of music
participants (band, chorus, and both) were individually compared to non-music
participants for the Fall 2020 assessment through the Spring 2023 assessment.
TIME was a significant factor for non-music and music participants. The nonmusic participant group’s baseline F20 OVERALL score was higher than music
participants; however, music participants outperformed in terms of mean average in
OVERALL math and all domain tests over non-music participants. Band students (p <
.05) outperformed non-music participants in the domain of Statistics and Probability
(StPr). Operations and Algebraic Thinking (OAT) approached statistical significance (p <
.06) within the band participants. Furthermore, the music participant group did not
demonstrate summer regression as did non-music participants
Study findings were consistent with Helmrich (2010), band students outperformed
chorus students and students participating in both band and choir. This finding is
consistent throughout the study and supports student enrollment in music courses are
showing benefits affecting math cognitive functioning from participating in music.