Abstract:

Related topics to music and student performance that have emerged from scholarly research will be discussed in this article. Specifically, the field of study that involves how the physiology and neurology of the brain is affected by music will be explored. The effect of music and musical training on emotion and cognition will be examined, with Brofenrenner’s (1979) ecological systems theory and Bandura’s (1986) social cognitive theory utilized as theoretical frameworks to provide a context for music and student achievement. Specific to this article, the history of standardized testing, as well as standardized testing in Texas, will be considered. Studies will be described in which race and gender were identified as mediating factors in academic achievement. Because the focus of this article is related to how musical training in a public high school might affect or improve academic achievement, the music curriculum in Texas public schools will be overviewed. This review also includes a brief discussion of the history of public school music in the United States, as well as a description of Texas public school music courses. Finally, extant studies of the impact of music education on academic achievement are reviewed. This article concludes with a description of gaps in scholarly literature, which may be addressed by future research.

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