BTYSE: Taking note of impact of music training

The individual project submitted by Dearbhla McGrath, a second year student at St Finian’s College, was entitled: ‘An Examination of the Effects of Early Musical Training on IQ’, and in researching her project, Dearbhla used survey data collected from second level students to examine whether music lessons have a positive impact on IQ performance. To do that, she compared the responses of musical and non-musical students.

Dearbhla has been playing piano since the age of nine, but her curiosity about the subject was also piqued by the fact that St Finian’s is known for its Schola Cantorum – and Dearbhla is a Schola student.

Dearbhla, who is from Delvin, was intrigued to discover that the first year of musical training has a particularly noticeable effect on IQ performance – and it is even more marked in the case of girls. Consequently, she suggests that ideally, all pupils should receive some musical training.

Also in the competition, on a Coláiste Mhuire team was Dearbhla’s brother, Killian McGrath.