Filipinos are known for their love of music. Just count the videoke machines on any street, or in our own homes. For most of us, music is a way to relax, to celebrate, or to make a living. But over the years, many parents have also heard bigger promises: that music can raise a child's IQ, sharpen memory, and boost grades.
When I first wrote this article in 2007, I repeated some of those promises. Since then, much better research has been done, and it is only fair to parents to update what I said.
What the research really says
"Listening to Mozart makes children smarter"
The famous "Mozart effect" came from a small 1993 study of college students, and the effect lasted only minutes. A 2010 review of about 40 studies with more than 3,000 people found little evidence that listening to Mozart improves thinking skills.
"Music lessons raise IQ"
A well-known 2004 Canadian study gave six-year-olds a year of keyboard or voice lessons. They gained slightly more in IQ than children in drama or no lessons, but the researcher himself described the effect as small. A 2020 review of the best-designed studies found that, overall, music training has little measurable effect on children's IQ or school grades.
In other words, music is not a shortcut to a higher IQ. Background music will not turn homework into straight A's, and no single kind of music puts the brain into a special "learning state."
So why does music still matter?
Because music was never mainly about IQ. It is valuable for what it is, and for what learning it builds in a child's character:
- It may be your child's gift. For some children, music is not a tool for learning something else. It is the gift. My cousin Jose taught himself piano on a friend's instrument and grew up to train and conduct a choir that has performed at the royal palace in Thailand. Read his story →
- It builds discipline. Learning an instrument or a dance means practicing, failing, and trying again, week after week. Those habits carry into everything else.
- It builds teamwork and confidence. Singing in a choir or dancing in a troupe teaches children to listen, move as one, and stand up in front of others.
- It helps children remember. A song is one of the easiest ways to hold onto words, from the alphabet and multiplication tables to Bible verses.
- It brings joy and worship. "Sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth" (Psalm 96:1, BSB). Music is one of God's good gifts, worth enjoying for its own sake.
Bringing music into your home
- Sing together: in the car, at bedtime, in family worship.
- Watch for interest. A child who keeps humming, tapping rhythms, or drifting to the piano may be showing you a gift.
- Offer lessons for the love of it, not as an IQ booster, and let your child help choose the instrument.
- Celebrate practice, not only performances.
- Take them to hear live music: a church choir, a school program, a concert.
How Eastbridge sees music
At Eastbridge, musical intelligence is one of the nine intelligences we watch for in every child, and we honor it with recognition awards just as we do academics. Music and movement also come together in our folk dance troupe, which won the national championship at NAPSPHIL in 2026. Read the story → · See the nine intelligences →
— Pastor Gerry Limoso, Founder and President, The Eastbridge School. First written in 2007; revised in 2026.
Sources: Pietschnig, J., Voracek, M., & Formann, A. K. (2010). Mozart effect–Shmozart effect: A meta-analysis. Intelligence, 38(3). · Schellenberg, E. G. (2004). Music lessons enhance IQ. Psychological Science, 15(8). · Sala, G., & Gobet, F. (2020). Cognitive and academic benefits of music training with children: A multilevel meta-analysis. Memory & Cognition, 48(8).
Every child has gifts worth discovering.
Visit Eastbridge, meet our teachers, and see our classes in action.
Mas gusto n'yo po bang mag-message?
