Parents ask us a version of the same question almost every week: does music education actually make a difference. It is a fair question, and it deserves a real answer, not a slogan. So we pulled together the most current, independently verified data on music education in North America – who gets access to it, what parents and teachers believe about it, what the research says about academic outcomes, and which instruments families are actually choosing. This page is the flagship overview in our full Music Education Research hub, where we break the data down further by instrument. Below, we start broad.
How many kids and teens actually get music education
The most complete national picture comes from the Arts Education Data Project, a joint effort between state arts education directors and Quadrant Research. Their analysis covered more than 30,000 schools across 17 states, representing 18 million students, or roughly 36 percent of the total US public school population. The finding: 92 percent of public school students have access to music education as part of their school day. That sounds high, and in one sense it is. But the remaining 8 percent works out to about 3.6 million students with no music access at all.
That gap is not spread evenly. Students without access are concentrated in large urban districts, in schools with the highest rates of free and reduced-price meal eligibility, and in schools where the majority of students are Black, Hispanic, or Native American. Charter schools showed lower access rates too. In other words, where a child happens to go to school still has a real effect on whether music is part of their education at all. For families outside the school system, private and community programs are often what closes that gap, which is part of why enrollment in outside lessons has stayed strong even as school budgets get squeezed.
What parents and teachers actually believe
The most detailed survey of attitudes toward music education is still the NAMM Foundation’s “Striking a Chord” study, which polled 1,000 teachers and 800 parents nationally. The numbers are consistent and, frankly, not close. Seventy-seven percent of teachers and 64 percent of parents said music and arts education are extremely or very important. Eighty-seven percent of teachers and 81 percent of parents believe children should have the chance to learn an instrument starting in elementary school. And 83 percent of teachers and 73 percent of parents said cutting music programs actively hurts students.
One detail from that survey is worth sitting with. Among parents whose schools already offer music classes, 76 percent of Black parents and 75 percent of Hispanic parents enroll their kids, compared with 67 percent of white parents. Where the opportunity exists, families of color use it at a higher rate than white families do. That lines up with the access data above: the demand for music education is there across every community. Access is the thing that is uneven, not interest.
What the research says about music and academic performance
This is the part parents usually want most, and the research here is more solid than a lot of the internet claims about it. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, led by researchers at the University of British Columbia, analyzed more than 112,000 student records. About 13 percent of those students had taken music courses in grades 10 through 12. The researchers found that students who studied instrumental music performed, on average, about one full academic year ahead of their peers in English, math, and science exam grades. That gap held up even after the researchers controlled for gender, ethnicity, and family income, which is what makes the finding worth taking seriously rather than dismissing as a side effect of wealthier families choosing music lessons.
A separate 2017 study in Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts followed 265 children, ages 6 to 14, most of them in an intensive after-school music program running five days a week. Compared with a control group, the students in the program scored higher on standardized tests, earned better English and math grades, and showed measurable gains in memory and executive function – the mental skills involved in planning, focus, and self-control. The effect grew stronger the longer kids stayed in the program, with the biggest gains showing up after two to three years.
Neither study proves that a few months of lessons will change a child’s report card. Consistency over time is what the data actually supports, which tracks with what we see in our own studios: the kids who stick with an instrument for a couple of years are the ones whose focus and confidence visibly shift, in lessons and, by their parents’ accounts, outside of them too.
Which instruments families are actually choosing
According to the NAMM 2025 Global Report, the industry’s main annual data release, fretted instruments – guitars, basically – grew 38 percent in US sales over the past decade. That kind of sustained growth is part of why both acoustic guitar and electric guitar options for beginners are more affordable and more widely available than they used to be.
Digital and electronic instruments grew even faster: 36.5 percent over the same 10-year period, with digital pianos and electronic drum kits among the biggest gainers. That trend fits what we hear from parents directly. A digital piano or keyboard takes up less space than an upright, needs no tuning, and can be played with headphones, which matters a lot in a condo or a house with more than one kid trying to practice at once. Drums have followed a similar path, with electronic kits making the instrument realistic for apartment living.
Beyond the sales data, two starting instruments keep coming up as first choices for young beginners, for practical reasons rather than trend reasons. Voice requires no equipment at all, which makes it a natural first step for a four or five year old before they commit to an instrument. And the ukulele is small enough for young hands, forgiving on the fingers, and inexpensive enough that a family can try it without a big commitment. Both show up constantly as entry points before kids move on to piano, guitar, or drums.
What this means for Toronto families
The national data lines up with what we see across our four Toronto-area locations, in Lawrence Park, St. Clair West, Dufferin Grove and Oakwood, and Brampton. Interest in music education is high, access is the real bottleneck, and starting early with the right format matters more than starting with any one specific instrument.
That is why our programs are built in stages rather than a single one-size-fits-all class. Music Together (R) is our program for babies and toddlers up to age 3, built around group singing, movement, and simple instruments with a parent or caregiver in the room. Music Together is a registered trademark of Music Together LLC, and ABC Academy of Music is an authorized Music Together center. From there, Rhythm Kids takes children ages 4 to 7 into a more structured, still playful, group setting that builds toward reading music and keeping a steady beat. At age 5 and up, kids can move into Private Lessons on piano, guitar, voice, drums, ukulele, or another instrument, working one-on-one with a teacher at their own pace.
You can see our full class offerings and current rates and payment options on our site, or contact us directly if you would rather talk through which format fits your child.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age should my child start music lessons?
There is no single right age, but the data on early access supports starting sooner rather than later. Group programs for babies and toddlers, like Music Together, introduce rhythm and listening skills well before a child can hold an instrument. Most children are ready for structured private lessons on an instrument like piano or guitar by age 5 or 6, once they can sit, focus, and follow simple multi-step instructions.
Does playing an instrument actually improve grades?
The strongest available research, a 2019 study of more than 112,000 students published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, found that students who took instrumental music performed about one academic year ahead of non-music peers in English, math, and science, even after accounting for income and demographics. The effect is an association built up over sustained study, not a guarantee tied to a single semester of lessons.
Is group music education as effective as private lessons?
They serve different purposes rather than competing on effectiveness. Group formats like Music Together and Rhythm Kids build listening skills, rhythm, and social confidence in a lower-pressure setting, which suits younger children well. Private lessons allow more individualized pace and technique once a child is ready to focus on a specific instrument. Many of our families move from group classes into private lessons as their child gets older.
How much do music lessons cost in Toronto?
Costs vary by program format, instrument, and lesson length. Group classes like Music Together and Rhythm Kids are typically priced per term, while private lessons are usually billed by lesson length and frequency. Our current rates and payment page has up-to-date pricing across all our programs and locations.
Where to go from here
The data is consistent on a few points: most kids have some access to music education, millions do not, families across every community want more of it where it is available, and sustained study is linked to real academic gains. What the data cannot tell you is which program is the right fit for your specific child. That is where a conversation with a teacher, not a spreadsheet, actually helps.
If you are weighing Music Together for a toddler, Rhythm Kids for a young grade-schooler, or private lessons for an older child, we are happy to talk it through. Explore our classes across Lawrence Park, St. Clair West, Dufferin Grove and Oakwood, and Brampton, or contact us to find the right starting point. And for a closer look at the data behind specific instruments, visit our full Music Education Research hub.
SOURCES:
- “Millions of U.S. Students Denied Access to Music Education, According to First-Ever National Study,” Arts Education Data Project, 2022, https://artseddata.org/millions-of-u-s-students-denied-access-to-music-education-according-to-first-ever-national-study/
- “Striking a Chord: The Public’s Hopes and Beliefs for K-12 Music Education,” The NAMM Foundation, 2015, https://www.namm.org/news/press-releases/new-namm-foundation-study-shows-parents-and-teachers-harmony-about-students
- Guhn, M., Emerson, S.D., and Gouzouasis, P., “A Population-Level Analysis of Associations Between School Music Participation and Academic Achievement,” Journal of Educational Psychology, American Psychological Association, 2019, https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/06/music-students-score-better
- Holochwost, S.J. et al., “Music Education, Academic Achievement, and Executive Functions,” Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 11(2), 147-166, 2017, as summarized by ArtsEdSearch, https://www.artsedsearch.org/study/music-education-academic-achievement-and-executive-functions/
- “Industry Insights: Key Takeaways From the 2025 Global Report,” The NAMM Foundation / NAMM.org, 2025, https://www.namm.org/blog/industry-insights-key-takeaways-2025-global-report