The evidence has been there for many years: Students who participate in high school music programs have higher SAT scores. The ability to keep a beat is directly related to language and reading skills. Young children who take music classes improve their math and spatial temporal reasoning skills more their peers who don’t. Study after study shows that arts education supports children’s academic success. Now the evidence behind the research has taken on a new dimension. Watch the TEDed lesson linked below and see the synapses fire in the brain while these people participate in music. The most fireworks happen when they are playing an instrument!