I was recently asked about the Mozart effect by some parents. A quick recap is that parents were told that listening to Mozart's piano sonatas had a long term effect on intelligence. This was something that caught the imagination and was widely reported. Some say this was the start of educational resources and educational toys. This is an example of mis reporting becoming an urban myth. There is no Mozart effect the studies concluded "evidence suggested that Mozart's music might have a small and short term effect on one aspect of intelligence".

The Mozart effect maybe false but there is a musical effect that parents should consider seriously. Studies are starting to prove that taking music classes does have a real effect. It is simlar to the effect of playing board games in a previous post. The results by Schellenberg showed clear improvements in IQ. It is believed that learning music involves key learning skills such as paying attention, practising and memory. This is similar to the way that educational puzzles and toys work.