The claims of certain reports increasingly appearing in the media suggesting that ‘music makes kids smarter’ invite critical evaluation. Several other recent studies have been re-examining the hypothesis that musical listening and learning it using methods like Kodály's may enhance spatial reasoning and social and cognitive growth. In weaving together these interrelated themes, the intention of this article is not only to sensitise music educators to an awareness of transfer's significance and singular character, but to advise discretion in the interpretation of research results. Since the mechanisms of transfer are still not fully understood, future enquiry will have to accommodate many problems facing researchers in the field for whom the formulation of a comprehensive theory of transfer is, as yet, a distant prospect.