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For years, students at Creative Arts High School in Camden, New Jersey, have claimed the spotlight in the arts and beyond.

Jamal Dickerson, the school’s director of bands and affectionately referred to as “Mr. D,” believes in the power of music and arts as transformative tools. He said students in his music program receive a well-rounded education. Some have gone on to successful musical careers, sharing the stage with artists such as Sting, Beyoncé and Lauryn Hill. Others have pursued careers in fields such as business, medicine and law.

“It’s scientifically proven that music develops another part of the brain,” he said. “For a long time, the instrumental majors — the band students — were valedictorian.”

The data backs him up.

A 2020 study from the University of British Columbia, led by education professor Dr. Peter Gouzouasis, found that students involved in musical training — whether band, chorus, dancing or individual music lessons — outperformed their peers academically.

Gouzouasis’ team combed through data from the Ministry of Education in British Columbia on more than 112,000 students across socioeconomic backgrounds and how they performed on provincial exams — similar to state exams in the United States.

“We can say, specifically looking at the research that’s published as of now, that it’s music that is looked at in the executive functions context, and has been determined that executive functions and music are directly linked,” Gouzouasis said. “The most surprising results of that study was the effect sizes that we found and the impressive differences in academic achievement between music and non-music learners.”

From trombone to dean’s list to a career in dentistry

Brandon Ramos picked up music in middle school. He wanted to play trumpet because of its Mexican roots.

“There was no trumpets to pick up,” he recalled.

His teacher at the time said he “look[ed] like a trombone player” and handed him the instrument. He was reluctant at first.

“I picked it up, and I was like … ‘I don’t like this. It’s slide is big, it’s ugly.’ I’m like, ‘This is horrible,’” he said.

Ramos said that interaction changed his life.

“I was a shy kid. I was very antisocial,” he said. “With music, it kind of forced me to be social.”

After graduating from Creative Arts High School in 2017, he attended Whittier College in California on a music scholarship. “Whatever I built in music, I switched it to academic,” Ramos said. “Because I built that muscle of hard work in music, then I’m able to get along with the academic part.”

In his last semester, Ramos made the dean’s list. He’s currently working as a dental assistant and preparing to get into dental school. Musically, he is looking to focus on playing a genre of regional Mexican music called corrido.

“I want to go back now, buy myself a valve trombone and actually learn how to do it, so I could maybe build band in my local area and get gigs,” he said.

He believes that his early exposure to music and the discipline it taught set him up for all the successes he now enjoys.

“If I haven’t started music in the first place, I don’t think I would be here,” he said.

For the students at Creative Arts High School, music is more than an extracurricular activity or elective — it’s a lifeline, Dickerson said. He said the program empowers students like Ramos to not only become academically stronger, but to be better human beings.

Editor’s Note: This story is part of a series that explores the impact of creativity on student learning and success. WHYY and this series are supported by the Marrazzo Family Foundation, a foundation focused on fostering creativity in Philadelphia youth, which is led by Ellie and Jeffrey Marrazzo. WHYY News produces independent, fact-based news content for audiences in Greater Philadelphia, Delaware and South Jersey.