The benefits of learning Indian Raga music for kids: what we know so far  

Learning Indian raga music has benefits in many facets of life

The benefits of learning Indian classical music are well-mapped. As a holistic artform, it can help reduce anxiety, alleviate depression, increase emotional resilience and bolster creativity. But do any of these benefits cross over directly to more traditional domains of education?  

Emerging research says yes.  

Music from across a range of genres has a pronounced and long-term effect on general cognition and intelligence. Yet certain aspects of Indian raga music, in particular, help give students an edge.   

Learning Indian raga music has been shown to improve concentration among students. Slowing down, looking inward and sitting with a task to see it through to completion is a perfect antidote to our multiple-tabs-open, frenzied pace of life. instead of immediate gratification, Indian raga music has a slower payout, but in many ways, that ability to focus and concentrate is what children need most to thrive in an over-stimulated world. This, in turn, helps with core subject areas such as numeracy and literacy.  

How learning Indian classical music helps children improve maths skills 

Both the North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian (Carnatic) forms of Indian classical music help students improve their numeracy skills.  

Research from 2021 has shown a statistical improvement in mathematical ability of 5-8 year olds following lessons in  Carnatic music. When Carnatic training – the fundamentals of which include extensive training and guided exercises to a well-structured format – supplements a conventional school curriculum, students are better able to excel in the mathematical realm. This is especially true for spatial reasoning, where the ability to manipulate and understand objects in relation to each other helps us visualise solutions like pieces of a puzzle fitting together.  

Listening to Carnatic music also activates different parts of the brain  and can improve brain function with high beta activity. Further studies suggest that being trained in Carnatic music may improve working memory. That’s important, because it helps process and manipulate information – an essential skill in mathematics.   

Indian Raga music can help with language, too  

That’s not to say that only mathematically inclined students benefit from training in the Indian classical arts.  

Students trained in music score better in verbal intelligence tests. And research from 2023 posits that music can improve phonemic awareness. In literacy, at least, simply playing music in the background isn’t enough and integrating learning and music (such as through singing) yields the best results.  

Another study published in the International Journal of Research in Ayurveda and Pharmacy found students who listened to Indian classical music for just 15 minutes before studying performed better on memory and attention tests than those who didn’t listen to any music. 

Additionally, by reducing cortisol and reducing attention bias, music can also help improve language processing and receptivity. Essentially, students with the musical context, syntax and grammar may just be more primed to learn. And perhaps most excitingly, studies demonstrate that musicians have increased brain plasticity – an enhanced ability to change, adapt and process new experiences.  

This means that when researchers compared the brains of musicians and non-musicians to see how quickly they could adapt to new sounds, musicians’ brains adapted more quickly – even when they weren’t actively paying attention – suggesting that musical training could have long-term benefits for brain plasticity.  

Increased plasticity, malleability and flexibility leads to improvements in cognitive flexibility and the ability to switch between tasks, a skill that can be especially useful in academic settings. 

Growth mindset  

Research has also shown that exposure to Indian classical music can have a positive impact on mindset. At its core, growth mindset is simply the belief that abilities and intelligence can be developed through dedication and hard work. Though reframing beliefs like “I can’t do this” in the context of “I can’t do this…yet” seems simplistic, the mindset is associated with greater motivation, resilience, and achievement.  

A study published in the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology found that exposure to Indian classical music was associated with a greater belief in the idea that abilities can be developed through effort. 

With the emphasis on improvisation, experimentation and risk-taking while venturing deeper and deeper into the waters of this ancient artform, students become more curious, driven and growth-mindset oriented.  

Like a workout where the afterburn helps you keep torching calories, the benefits of learning Indian raga music extend far beyond the music lesson or time dedicated to riyaz (practice) itself. It leads to a new lease on life and an altered paradigm of learning that stays with students all day, every day.