<b>A MÚSICA NO ENSINO MÉDIO: DESENVOLVIMENTO COGNITIVO, SOCIAL E CULTURAL DOS ESTUDANTES</b>

Music is one of humanity’s oldest cultural expressions and plays a central role in individual formation. In the context of High School education, its curricular inclusion represents a powerful pedagogical tool capable of expanding students’ cognitive, affective, and social dimensions. This article aims to analyze the importance of music in formal education, emphasizing its impact on learning, aesthetic sensitivity, and the construction of cultural and identity values. The research is qualitative, with a bibliographical and exploratory approach, based on authors such as Penna (2018), Loureiro (2014), Schafer (2011), and Swanwick (2003). It concludes that music in High School transcends mere artistic practice, becoming an interdisciplinary and formative instrument that promotes creative expression, critical development, and the humanization of the educational process.