In 1993, a small study showed that college students who listened to a Mozart sonata and then took an IQ test got higher scores than those who didn’t. But this so-called “Mozart effect” wore off in less than 15 minutes and hasn’t been repeated. Blasting classical music hasn’t been shown to improve intelligence in children or adults. In fact, researchers have found that young children who watch classical music-based television learn fewer words, just as children who watch regular television do. However, learning how to play a musical instrument has been shown to enhance cognitive skills in the long term.