Summary: A new scoping review from Edith Cowan University reveals that structured music learning significantly supports children’s and adolescents’ social, emotional, and educational wellbeing. Beyond casual listening or occasional participation, ongoing music education fosters confidence, emotional awareness, and a stronger sense of belonging—benefits that researchers argue should make music a core wellbeing strategy in schools.
The review highlights that learning music offers more than artistic skills: it strengthens relationships, improves classroom engagement, and helps young people develop resilience. With rising concerns about youth mental health, the authors recommend equitable access to quality music programs for every child, regardless of school or background.
Key facts:
- Wellbeing benefits: Evidence links music learning to increased self-confidence, better emotional regulation, and stronger social connections.
- Essential in schools: Researchers say music education should be treated as a central wellbeing strategy, not merely an extracurricular option.
- Call for equity: The study calls for all children to have access to continuous, high-quality music programs taught by capable teachers.
Source: Edith Cowan University
Overview
A systematic review led by researchers at Edith Cowan University examined international studies to assess how music learning influences wellbeing among school-aged children and adolescents. The authors synthesized findings from 30 studies and found consistent positive outcomes when young people engaged in structured music learning over time.
While previous research has documented the mental health benefits of music listening and informal participation, this review emphasizes that deliberate music learning—such as classroom instruction, ensemble rehearsal, and sequential skill development—amplifies wellbeing outcomes. The authors argue that music education actively contributes to children’s capacity to thrive, academically and personally.
Not just extracurricular
Lead author Dr Jason Goopy explains that music education extends well beyond basic music appreciation or hobby-level involvement. According to the review, school-based music programs can enhance self-esteem, build social bonds, and boost motivation for learning. These effects support the case for integrating music into the core curriculum as part of whole-child development strategies.
The review found that music learning commonly promotes three interrelated wellbeing outcomes: individual, social, and educational. Individually, students reported gains in confidence, emotional awareness, and personal fulfillment. Socially, music fostered stronger peer relationships, collaboration skills, and a sense of belonging. Educationally, participation in music correlated with improved engagement and a greater willingness to persist with learning tasks.
Effective approaches to building wellbeing
The research identified program features that most effectively promote young people’s wellbeing: shared and active music-making, opportunities to create musical products (recordings, performances), context-sensitive artistic excellence and empowerment, and safe, enjoyable learning environments. These elements encourage self-expression, teamwork, and achievement—key contributors to positive mental health and academic engagement.
Despite the overwhelmingly positive findings, the authors note a gap in large-scale quantitative studies. Most existing research is qualitative and smaller in scale, often conducted in Australia and the United Kingdom. The review calls for interdisciplinary research and the development of standardised instruments to measure wellbeing outcomes tied specifically to music learning. Such tools would enable more robust, school-based evaluations of music education’s impact.
Dr Goopy and colleagues conclude that music learning should not be dismissed as an optional extra. Instead, it should be recognised as a practical, evidence-informed strategy to support mental health, social development, and educational engagement among young people. Ensuring every child has access to sequential, high-quality music education delivered by confident teachers would make these wellbeing benefits widely available.
About this research
Author: Hayley Butler
Source: Edith Cowan University
Contact: Hayley Butler – Edith Cowan University
Image: Image credited to Neuroscience News
Original research: “Music learning and school-aged children’s and adolescents’ wellbeing: A scoping review” by Jason Goopy et al. DOI: 10.1177/1321103X251323562 — published in Research Studies in Music Education (open access).
Abstract summary
This scoping review used PRISMA-ScR methodology and a registered protocol to identify and analyse literature on music learning and wellbeing. From 423 sources retrieved across multiple databases, 30 studies met inclusion criteria. The authors found that most studies did not adopt a clear theoretical definition of wellbeing and that qualitative methods predominate. Nearly all included studies reported that music learning supported wellbeing, which the review grouped into individual, social, and educational themes. The authors recommend interdisciplinary approaches, clearer wellbeing frameworks, and the development of quantitative measurement tools to support larger-scale research and to guide practical implementation of music-based wellbeing strategies in schools.