Surprising discovery: music changes teens' lives - and it's proven!

This is the conclusion reached by researchers from Edith Cowan University (Australia) after analysing dozens of international research papers on the impact of music education on young people's well-being. Their findings are published in the journal Research Studies in Music Education.

Read more: Jason Goopy et al, Music learning and school-aged children's and adolescents' wellbeing: A scoping review, Research Studies in Music Education (2025). DOI: 10.1177/1321103X251323562

Lead author of the study, Dr Jason Goupy, emphasises: school music education is much more than just playing an instrument or music theory.

"It builds self-confidence, emotional intelligence and social inclusion," he says. - "Music helps children learn how to express themselves, interact with others and overcome challenges."

He says music lessons not only promote self-actualisation and emotional stability, but also strengthen bonds with classmates and increase motivation to learn.

"Music learning creates a space for co-operation, self-expression and goal achievement - all of which contribute to a child's harmonious development," Gupi emphasises.

The team studied 30 academic publications, and almost all of them demonstrated the positive impact of music learning on pupils' wellbeing. The study highlighted three key areas: individual development, social connections and educational engagement.

Among other things, children who learn music are more likely to demonstrate high self-esteem, cope better emotionally and feel satisfied with their learning. They also have higher motivation to learn and a desire for achievement.

According to the researchers, with the growing number of mental health problems among adolescents, it is important to consider music education as one of the key tools to strengthen psycho-emotional well-being. Forms of learning that include collaborative music-making, creating musical products, achieving an artistic outcome in a given context, and a comfortable and safe classroom environment are particularly effective.

Despite the positive findings, the authors note the lack of extensive research in this area. Most of the existing work is limited in scope and needs further development.

Gupi emphasises that music should be an integral part of the school curriculum:

"Music is not just a creative outlet. It is a powerful resource that helps children become resilient, open-minded and healthy. Quality, consistent and lasting music education should be available to every child, regardless of the type of school."

It also calls for interdisciplinary collaboration to develop common standards for assessing wellbeing within music education.

Study authors Dr Jason Goupy (Edith Cowan University) and colleagues hope their work will form the basis for recognising music as an important part of educational and social policy.

"Music is not a luxury, but a necessity for the development of the whole person," Dr Gupi concludes.