Music Education in the Development of Empathy in Adolescence

Empathy, crucial for human relationships, undergoes significant development during adolescence. Empathy versus sympathy is an important distinction because empathy requires someone to feel another person’s emotions. This literature review discusses music education for adolescents to develop cognitive empathy. Through the synthesis of studies from trusted databases and academic sources, evidence shows a strong correlation between music education and the development of cognitive empathy, including taking music classes in a group setting and private music lessons. There can be limitations for adolescents to access music education based on economic reasons or if the school offers music education, but music education has many benefits. Music education emerges as a potent tool for fostering empathetic skills in adolescents, suggesting a need for its broader integration into educational curricula.