Does the Mozart effect exist?

Not really. Passively listening to Mozart briefly boosts arousal, which slightly improves spatial task performance – but any exciting music does the same, and the effect fades within minutes.

Does learning an instrument raise IQ?

Several years of active music training is associated with 2–7 IQ point gains in children, especially on verbal tasks. The effect is small but consistently replicated.

Is it too late to learn an instrument as an adult?

No. Adult musicians show improved working memory and auditory processing. The IQ effect is smaller than in children but real.

BackgroundPublished July 21, 20265 min read

Music and the Brain: Does Musical Training Make You Smarter?

Musical training in childhood changes brain structure and improves working memory, language and spatial ability. Here's the real effect on IQ.

Does music really have the power to raise IQ? The answer is nuanced: passively listening to Mozart does little, but years of active training produce small but measurable brain changes.

The Mozart myth

A 1993 study showed college students performed briefly better on spatial tasks after ten minutes of Mozart. The media coined the "Mozart effect". Later research showed the effect was short-lived and driven by arousal, not Mozart.

Active training

In contrast, learning an instrument for several years changes structure in the corpus callosum, motor cortex and auditory regions. Children with music training score 2–7 points higher on full intelligence tests, mainly on verbal tasks.

Spatial ability and maths

Sight-reading and rhythm training activate the same networks as spatial reasoning. This partly transfers to mathematical problem solving.

Does it work for adults?

Adults who learn instruments improve working memory and hearing. The IQ effect is smaller. See also can you improve your IQ?

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FAQ

Does the Mozart effect exist?: Not really. Passively listening to Mozart briefly boosts arousal, which slightly improves spatial task performance – but any exciting music does the same, and the effect fades within minutes.
Does learning an instrument raise IQ?: Several years of active music training is associated with 2–7 IQ point gains in children, especially on verbal tasks. The effect is small but consistently replicated.
Is it too late to learn an instrument as an adult?: No. Adult musicians show improved working memory and auditory processing. The IQ effect is smaller than in children but real.