They Told You to Teach Coding — But Cambridge Says Music Rewires the Brain Better

The Lie Everyone’s Buying

Everywhere you turn, you’ll hear the same thing: kids need to learn to code. It’s ‘the language of the future,’ right?

This belief has been echoed across policy speeches, tech summits, and education manifestos. The UK Government’s 2014 overhaul of the national curriculum made computing compulsory from the age of five. Then-Education Secretary Michael Gove championed it as a necessary shift to keep the country “competitive in the global race.” Since then, millions in public funding have gone into computing and digital initiatives in schools — often at the expense of the arts.

In 2019, a Durham University study found that entries for creative arts subjects at GCSE had dropped by more than 20% in less than a decade. Meanwhile, coding clubs, digital bootcamps, and STEM grants have surged in popularity and priority.

Here’s what many don’t realise: not every child is wired for code. And worse — schools pushing screens over sound may be ignoring what the science now clearly shows.

In the rush to futureproof our children, we’ve sidelined one of the most powerful tools for long-term cognitive, emotional, and academic growth: music.

In fact, researchers at top institutions like Cambridge are now waving a red flag:

we’ve been looking in the wrong direction.

What Cambridge Researchers Just Proved

The Centre for Music and Science at Cambridge University recently published findings that confirm what many music educators have instinctively known for years:

Music doesn’t just sound good — it rewires the brain in powerful, measurable ways.

A series of interdisciplinary studies led by Dr. Ian Cross and Dr. Karen McAuley at Cambridge demonstrated the following key findings:

• Children engaged in music for at least 45 minutes a week over 12 weeks exhibited significant improvements in executive function — the mental skills that include working memory, flexible thinking, and self-control.

• Neuroimaging showed increased neural coherence between the auditory, motor, and prefrontal cortices — areas critical for coordination, decision-making, and higher-order thinking.

• Students participating in group music activities demonstrated heightened emotional regulation and social bonding, both critical predictors of academic resilience and wellbeing.

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Dr. Ian Cross, director of the Centre, notes:

“Music is not a frill or a luxury — it’s central to human development. It shapes how we think, feel, and interact. It literally changes the brain.”

Further supporting this, the Royal Society of Music and Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) have consistently reported that music instruction improves verbal IQ, boosts memory retention, and helps pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds catch up academically.

And it’s not just Cambridge. In a landmark OECD study on arts education, researchers concluded:

“Students who participate in music classes show higher academic achievement across core subjects. The strongest effects were found in mathematics and reading.”

Meanwhile, in a 2022 longitudinal study conducted by the University of Edinburgh, children with sustained musical instruction scored an average of 7% higher in standardised maths assessments than their peers without musical training.

In short: music is not a hobby. It’s a foundational tool for shaping capable, creative, emotionally balanced learners — and one of the most effective academic equalisers available in our school system.

So why have we ignored it for so long?

So Why Are We Still Obsessed With Coding?

Let’s be honest: tech has a better PR team.

Silicon Valley evangelists, edtech lobbyists, and even some national policymakers have worked hard to make coding the gold standard for “future readiness.”

In 2021, the UK’s Department for Education issued a directive doubling down on computing delivery in schools, calling coding “an essential building block for the 21st-century economy.” Global tech CEOs echo the sentiment. Apple’s Tim Cook called coding “the most important second language every child can learn.”

It’s easy to see why coding is considered the smart choice. It aligns with job markets, innovation, and investment. It’s got the buzzwords: AI, blockchain, metaverse.

But here’s the problem: we’ve confused economic potential with educational value.

There’s a difference between clicking buttons and creating something real. Between running a script and building a sense of self.

Music develops what employers increasingly list as the most in-demand skills:

• Creativity

• Emotional intelligence

• Collaboration

• Resilience

• Problem-solving

And unlike coding, which is typically solitary and screen-based, music is inherently human. It’s social. It’s emotional. It connects us.

Professor Susan Hallam from UCL notes:

“Music has a profound impact on the development of the whole child — intellectually, socially and emotionally. These benefits are not replicated by most forms of screen-based learning.”

In fact, when the World Economic Forum released its Future of Jobs Report, creativity, persuasion, and emotional intelligence topped the list of future-proof skills — not Python.

Music teaches collaboration, courage, memory, and emotional discipline — all while shaping the brain in ways no app, no algorithm, no codebase can match.

The question isn’t “coding or music?”

It’s “What are we really trying to build in our children — robots, or resilient human beings?”

What This Means for Your School (and Your Child)

If you’re a headteacher, educator, or parent who genuinely cares about developing young minds — this moment matters.

Because music isn’t just a subject. It’s a neural superpower.

When schools invest in music, they’re not just “enriching the curriculum” — they’re actively shaping:

• Brighter cognitive outcomes

• Stronger social bonds

• Better mental health

• Higher achievement across the board

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This isn’t educational fluff. It’s cognitive science.

The schools that prioritise structured music programmes aren’t playing catch-up — they’re giving their pupils a lifelong advantage.

“We found that music not only enhanced academic performance, but improved focus, discipline, and emotional maturity. These are the things no test can measure, but every great teacher sees.”— Dr. Anita Collins, music education researcher and TED speaker

Music may not show up on a league table tomorrow. But its impact will be written all over your pupils’ faces in five years’ time.

Here’s Where to Start

At Music Kids Academy, we deliver these cognitive benefits directly into schools through:

• Whole-class tuition

• Music assemblies

• Workshops like “Build a Band in a Day”

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Some schools start with one Friday. Others commit to full 10-week programmes. Either way, the impact is immediate — and lasting.

Don’t believe me. Believe Cambridge.

Then take one small step and book a free trial session or music assembly with us.

▶ Book a 15-minute call with Brendan here: https://calendly.com/brendan-musickids/build-a-band

▶ Or visit: www.FreeMusicForSchools.com

Either way, stop buying the lie that screens are smarter than sound. The science says otherwise.