Research has overwhelmingly demonstrated just how beneficial the study of music is for everyone, but particularly for young people. The cognitive processes that students use and develop while playing music are then transferred to learning in other curricular areas, resulting in better overall rates of success in school.
While parents may initially have concerns about their children leaving class to come to music lessons, the long term the benefits of learning musical instruments far outweigh any short term negative impacts of being out of class. Here is a short clip from the head of the Bigger Better brains project, neuroscientist Dr Anita Collins, explaining this further.