Students who take music courses in high school tend to perform significantly better on math and science exams than their non-musical peers, no matter what their socioeconomic backgrounds, according to a large Canadian study published this week in the Journal of Educational Psychology . The effect was observed among all types of high school music students, although it was stronger among those who played an instrument than among those who sang. The findings suggest that schools should be encouraging rather than eliminating music programs, the study’s authors say. “In public education systems in North America, arts courses, including music courses, are commonly underfunded in comparison with what are often referred to as academic courses, including math, science and English,” says Peter Gouzouasis , the study’s senior author and a professor of music education at the University of British Columbia, in a released statement . “It is believed that students who spend school time in music c...