Universal music programs build self-discipline, teamwork, and social skills that prepare youth for today’s workforce
The move from childhood to adulthood is a pivotal stage of life. Success today depends not only on academic performance but also on a set of personal and social skills, such as emotional intelligence, resilience, and adaptability. While experts agree on the importance of these skills, there is still debate about how best to help children develop them.
Recent research points to a surprisingly powerful tool: access to professional music and orchestra classes during childhood. Far from being “just” a cultural enrichment, music education can have a profound and lasting impact on young people’s emotional intelligence and mental health.
In a recent IZA Discussion Paper we examine the causal effect of musical training on these essential life skills. A key challenge in this area is self-selection: children from more privileged families are more likely to play an instrument, making it hard to separate the effect of music from family background. To solve this, we took advantage of a unique natural experiment: the staggered rollout of a universal school orchestra program, Orchestra in Classe, in a municipality in Tuscany, Italy. The program offered free, high-quality instrument and orchestra lessons to all pupils in participating primary schools. This setup provided a quasi-experimental environment that allowed the study to identify the true causal impact of music education.
The results are striking. Sustained musical engagement during adolescence improves emotional intelligence and reduces symptoms of poor mental health as individuals enter adulthood. More specifically, music training was shown to increase self-motivation, optimism, happiness, and adaptability. At the same time, it significantly lowered the risk of depression, anxiety, and stress. These benefits were especially strong for boys and second-generation migrants.
The policy implications are clear. In a world where employers increasingly value non-cognitive skills, investments in music education can generate substantial benefits well beyond the arts. Universal music programs foster self-discipline, cooperation, and relational skills that prepare young people for the demands of modern workplaces. They also improve mental health outcomes, which in turn contribute to higher productivity and better quality of life.
The collaborative nature of ensemble playing, for example, teaches active listening, teamwork, and how to balance personal expression with group harmony are abilities directly transferable to professional and social life. Meanwhile, the patience and perseverance required to learn an instrument instill a sense of goal-setting and the value of delayed gratification.
In short, this research provides a strong economic and social case for supporting publicly funded, universal music education. Far from being an optional extracurricular such programs represent a cost-effective investment in human capital. By cultivating both cognitive and non-cognitive skills, they help prepare the next generation for success and well-being, while also reducing social inequalities.
© Lucia Mangiavacchi, Luca Piccoli, and Giulia Gambardella
Lucia Mangiavacchi is Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Perugia, Italy, and IZA Research Fellow
Luca Piccoli is Associate Professor at University of Trento, Italy, and IZA Research Fellow
Giulia Gambardella is Junio Researcher at the University of Perugia, Italy
Please note:
We recognize that IZA World of Labor articles may prompt discussion and possibly controversy. Opinion pieces, such as the one above, capture ideas and debates concisely, and anchor them with real-world examples. Opinions stated here do not necessarily reflect those of the IZA.
Related IZA World of Labor content:
https://wol.iza.org/articles/the-role-of-cognitive-and-socio-emotional-skills-in-labor-markets by Pablo Acosta and Noël Muller
https://wol.iza.org/articles/does-education-strengthen-the-life-skills-of-adolescents by Stefanie Schurer
https://wol.iza.org/articles/do-skills-matter-for-wage-inequality by Stijn Broecke
https://wol.iza.org/articles/youth-sports-and-accumulation-of-human-capital
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