Reading, writing, arithmetic and … music? A growing body of research is suggesting this once-thought luxury in the broader classroom setting should have a higher placement in what is and what is not considered a core subject.

While music has traditionally been taught as a class once or twice a week in elementary grades, the subject has also been vulnerable to budget cuts in some school systems when reductions to the expense side of the ledger are made.

But the chorus of advocates making the case for music in all its forms has grown louder as arguments its role in a well-rounded education can play a part in higher achievement in academic classes that are seemingly far removed — at least on the surface — from music.

Music might help students stay in school

The National Association of Music Merchants, or NAMM, has been shining a spotlight on the virtues of music education and annually has recognized districts that have made the subject a focal point of school curriculum.

“The facts are clear,” Mary Luehrsen, executive director of the NAMM Foundation, said in a news release. “When students have a chance to play an instrument, sing in a chorus or participate in other musical activities, they are more likely to stay in school — more likely to perform better in English, math, science and second languages.”

A study from the University of Kansas is among the academic pieces of research that assert music can play a positive role in attendance. According to the study’s findings, graduation rates are 20% higher for students with at least one year of music and 30% higher for two or more years.

Music’s impact on the brain and memory

Decades of commercial jingles have made it clear that music can play a part with improved memory. According to a piece in Edutopia, that same concept can have a role in classrooms as facts or information associated with a particular curricular lesson an go into a familiar tune, rhyme or song.

Music’s role in memorization is perhaps best demonstrated in lessons for very young children learning to speak and grow their vocabulary. The website Graduate Programs for Educators points out music’s role in stimulating the brain further as an accompaniment to learning a particular skill or concept — and that goes for learners of all ages.