Students at Johns Hopkins University learned math in a slightly unusual way: by using music. Those enrolled in the 3-credit “Mathematics of Music” course were introduced to the ways in which music relates to number theory, intervals, logarithms and more. The class was offered as part of “Math, Science, and Music,” a project by the UNESCO-Monk Institute. Similar courses were developed and taught by educators nationwide.
Incorporating music with math can improve how your child learns.
Jazz musician (and Grammy winner) Herbie Hancock originated the idea of combining math with music. Both the teaching materials available for the classroom and online were developed after years of work. Surprisingly, Hancock took classes in Electrical Engineering, and was concerned not only about the arts, but also students’ performance in STEM classes.
In order to share the richness and beauty of mathematics with as many people as possible, we are trying to point out the mathematical links to things that excite people.
Laura Lurns · Learning Success expert
Key takeaways
- Johns Hopkins University hosted an educational course this summer for high school and college students for music and math.
- This course is teaching STEM through music as a way to help students learn effective math skills.
- Composer and jazz musician Herbie Hancock developed the idea of math and music during many years of development and study.
Take the dyscalculia test
Is your child struggling in school?
Get your free personalized learning roadmap
You describe what you see at home. We turn it into a plan you start this week.
- Answer 5 short questionnaires about what you already notice, 30–45 minutes at your own kitchen table
- Your child sits no test and gets no score: nothing to schedule, nothing for them to dread
- You do the answering, the AI does the writing, and a person reviews it before it reaches you
- Access all 40+ courses instantly: reading, math, focus, processing and more, with new ones added regularly
Why we use AI, plainly: it writes from a knowledge base our team maintains and audits. We work through it line by line and pull anything the evidence stops supporting. The roadmap you get on Tuesday reflects what we corrected on Monday, and a human still reads it before you do.
Your school district must evaluate your child free of charge if you ask in writing, whatever your income and whatever the outcome (US, 34 CFR 300.111 and 300.301(b)). That route takes time and answers a different question than you do. This one starts today, from what you already know.
Your answers stay yours. We do not sell your personal information, and we do not hand identifiable assessment data to outside AI companies to train their models.
A screener is a starting point, not a diagnosis. If your child might need formal accommodations (an IEP or 504 plan), or you suspect a vision, hearing or medical cause, pursue a professional evaluation too. That is the only route to those supports.
