Music lessons associated with improved test scores for Science, Maths and English

This research was conducted by Martin Guhn, Scott D. Emerson, and Peter Gouzouasis at The University of British Columbia, Canada

Summary

This study is based on data from more than 110,000 public school students in Canada. It examined the relationships between music education, which included ‘any participation, type of participation, …

How the creative and cultural sector can adopt anti-oppressive practice

This research was conducted by Miranda Campbell at Ryerson University, Canada

Summary

This paper examined a youth arts project in Canada and identified how the wider cultural sector might adopt ‘anti-oppressive practices’. These can help generate ‘more sustainable and more equitable livelihoods’. The author sketches out ‘what the working practices of …

Three barriers that hold back the use of public art to provoke debate

This research was conducted by Meghan Robidoux and Jason F. Kovacs at Queen’s University, Canada and the University of Seoul, Korea

Summary

This article is based on conversations with artists and leaders at arts organisations in Toronto, Canada that produce public art intended to provoke thought about the environment. The paper …

The role of geography in determining crowdfunding success

This research was conducted by Shiri M Breznitz and Douglas S Noonan at the University of Toronto, Canada and Indiana University-Purdue University, USA

Summary

This paper studied crowdfunding in the US and Canada. The researchers wanted to understand the effects of geography on the likelihood of getting funded. They chose to …

How art-making aids recovery from mental health challenges

This research was conducted by Karen Gallant and four others at Dalhousie University and the University of Manitoba, Canada

Summary

This paper addressed the question of how art-making and exhibiting impacts recovery from mental health conditions. It asked artists themselves to reflect on their experiences. The study found that the arts …

The impact of dance and music training on our brains

This research was conducted by Chiara Giacosa and four others at the Université de Montréal, Canada.

Summary

Dance and music are universal forms of human expression that have common and distinct features. Dance engages the whole body and requires the integration of visual, auditory and motor information. Music engages specific parts …

By | 19 March 2018 |

The positive impacts of active music participation for infants

This research was conducted by David Gerry, Andrea Unrau and Laurel J. Trainor at McMaster University, Canada.

Summary

To understand the developmental impact of active participation in music, this study worked with two groups of six-month old infants who attended music-based sessions with teachers and their parents. One group participated in …

By | 10 August 2017 |

Musicians react faster than non-musicians

This research was conducted by Simon P. Landry and François Champoux at the Université de Montréal, Canada.

Summary

This study aimed to investigate whether long-term musical training improves unisensory (audio or tactile) and multisensory (audio and tactile) processing capacities. It found that musical training improves ability for both single and multiple …

By | 3 July 2017 |

The different effects of group singing on middle-class and marginalised people

This research was conducted by Betty A. Bailey and Jane W. Davidson at the University of Sheffield, UK

Summary

Singing in a group can bring profound positive emotional results, though the exact nature of the benefits may vary with the singer’s background. This study examined the experiences of Canadian singing groups, …

By | 4 July 2016 |

Group music training improves children's pro-social skills

This research was conducted by E. Glenn Schellenberg, Kathleen A. Coriggall, Sebastian P. Dys and Tina Malti at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada

Summary

This study investigated whether group music training in early childhood is associated with improved pro-social skills. The researchers followed 38 Canadian eight- and nine-year olds over …

By | 14 January 2016 |