We know music does good things, but it will be years before we know the long-term implications. As the research unfolds, it is likely to have significant ethical implications for the public schools. If the finding on piano keyboard instruction holds true over time, schools will have to address the learning disparity between those who have access to private lessons and those who do not. Poor children do not usually receive piano lessons. Research tells us that music lessons in the school can help narrow the gap.
Music is an equalizer, and that makes it a good investment.
This kind of investment means more than sending students home with a classical CD, it means more than giving them piano training in kindergarten. And it requires a long-term commitment to a rigorous, sequential arts curriculum based on standards which define what every student should know and be able to do. When that little kid comes to us on the first day of kindergarten, we need to promise that every single year, there will be a full educational program. And that decisions will be based on solid research. And that the most important consideration will be what is good for kids.