The Benefits of Taking Music Lessons
Today’s kids have seemingly endless options for extracurricular activities. Between sports, Scouts, and even just keeping up with homework, it can be hard to imagine throwing private music lessons into the mix! But music lessons have consistently been shown to benefit kids in a multitude of ways. Read on to learn more about why your child should start learning music!
Cognitive Development
Over the last few decades, neuroscientists have published a wealth of research detailing the incredible effects of music on the brain. These studies have demonstrated that learning to play a musical instrument actually changes the brain’s structure, allowing for dramatic improvement in nearly every cognitive area. Music lessons improve kids’ working memory - that’s the type of memory that lets us remember multiple things at once, which is necessary for tasks like arithmetic and comprehension. Similarly, it increases children’s focus and concentration, since learning an instrument requires patience and attention to detail. Researchers have also shown that learning to play music increases communication between the right and left sides of the brain, which can enhance children’s creativity. Finally, learning an instrument can improve motor skills and coordination - some instruments demand communication between hands and feet, while others require different actions from each hand. In short, music lessons have amazing cognitive benefits that will help kids succeed in many different aspects of life.
Educational Benefits
Learning to read and play music helps to hone and develop crucial language and mathematical skills. For instance, learning about musical notes, rhythms, beats, and time signatures helps kids with counting, dividing, fractions, and recognizing patterns. Music lessons have also been shown to increase kids’ phonological skills - that is, they learn to read faster and have more expanded vocabularies than kids who haven’t taken music lessons. Learning to play an instrument can even introduce kids to the basics of physical science - the vibrations made by the strings of a violin, guitar, or piano or the different noises made by different sizes of drums can spark conversations about the physics behind music. Finally, learning about different instruments and styles of music helps expose kids to different cultures and traditions, fostering creativity and open-mindedness about countries and communities outside our own.
Academic Benefits
There is a wealth of evidence showing that students involved in music perform better academically than students who do not. Kids who learn to play an instrument have been demonstrated to have higher grades, higher test scores, and even higher IQs! Therefore, it’s not surprising that schools with strong music programs have higher graduation rates than schools without them - and private music lessons are a great way to supplement school programs as well!
Personal Benefits
Finally, there are several very important social and emotional benefits to learning music. Music lessons helps to boost kids’ self-esteem by demonstrating how constructive feedback can be used to create positive change. As music students see themselves improving in their lessons, their confidence will grow, and they’ll feel capable of taking on further challenges. As kids grow older and take on increased responsibilities at school and at home, music can be a great source of stress relief, helping them feel calmer and more positive. Finally, learning music helps kids develop social skills and make friends. This is especially true for kids in group classes, like a school band, choir, or orchestra, but even kids who aren’t involved in groups like this benefit socially from learning music. Talking about a favorite song or musical artist creates bonds and friendships between individuals, and a shared interest in music can form connections that will last a lifetime.
With so many positive effects, getting your children involved in music should be an easy decision! Call us today to get started!