![]() Learning to play an instrument can help your child fine-tune her ear and enhance skills needed for education and social interaction. By Angela Kwan Between soccer and scouts, your school-age kid's schedule is loaded with fun activities. If you're on the fence about adding music classes to the list, take note of the benefits that come with signing your little one up for violin or piano lessons. Maybe she won't be the next Beethoven, but she may have an easier time learning math, practicing good manners(including patience!), and becoming a team player. Read on to learn more about the benefits of music education. It improves academic skills. Music and math are highly intertwined. By understanding beat, rhythm, and scales, children are learning how to divide, create fractions, and recognize patterns. It seems that music wires a child's brain to help him better understand other areas of math, says Lynn Kleiner, founder of Music Rhapsody in Redondo Beach, CA. As kids get older, they'll start reciting songs, calling on their short-term memory and eventually their long-term memory. Using a mnemonic device to do this is a method that can later be applied to other memory skills, says Mary Larew, Suzuki violin teacher at the Neighborhood Music School in New Haven, Connecticut. Musical instrument classes also introduce young children to basic physics. For instance, plucking the strings on a guitar or violin teaches children about harmonic and sympathetic vibrations. Even non-string instruments, such as drums and the vibraphone, give big kids the opportunity to explore these scientific principles. It develops physical skills. Certain instruments, such as percussion, help children develop coordination and motor skills; they require movement of the hands, arms, and feet. This type of instrument is great for high-energy kids, says Kristen Regester, Early Childhood Program Manager at Sherwood Community Music School at Columbia College Chicago. String and keyboard instruments, like the violin and piano, demand different actions from your right and left hands simultaneously. "It's like patting your head and rubbing your belly at the same time," Regester says. Instruments not only help develop ambidexterity, but they can also encourage children to become comfortable in naturally uncomfortable positions. Enhancing coordination and perfecting timing can prepare children for other hobbies, like dance and sports. It cultivates social skills. Group classes require peer interaction and communication, which encourage teamwork, as children must collaborate to create a crescendo or an accelerando. If a child is playing his instrument too loudly or speeding up too quickly, he'll need to adjust. It's important for children to know and understand their individual part in a larger ensemble, Regester says. Music Rhapsody offers general music education classes, in which teachers split students into groups and assign each child a task. Whether a team is responsible for choosing instruments or creating a melody, students work toward a common goal. "These are the kinds of experiences we have in society," Kleiner says. "We need more group interaction and problem solving." It refines discipline and patience. Learning an instrument teaches children about delayed gratification. The violin, for example, has a steep learning curve. Before you can make a single sound, you must first learn how to hold the violin, how to hold the bow, and where to place your feet, Larew says. Playing an instrument teaches kids to persevere through hours, months, and sometimes years of practice before they reach specific goals, such as performing with a band or memorizing a solo piece. "Private lessons and practicing at home require a very focused kind of attention for even 10 minutes at a time," Larew says. Group lessons, in which students learn to play the same instruments in an ensemble, also improve patience, as children must wait their turn to play individually. And in waiting for their turns and listening to their classmates play, kids learn to show their peers respect, to sit still and be quiet for designated periods of time, and to be attentive. It boosts self-esteem. Lessons offer a forum where children can learn to accept and give constructive criticism. Turning negative feedback into positive change helps build self-confidence, Regester says. Group lessons, in particular, may help children understand that nobody, including themselves or their peers, is perfect, and that everyone has room for improvement. "Presenting yourself in public is an important skill whether you become a professional musician or not," Larew says. This skill is easily transferrable to public speaking, she adds. And, of course, once a child is advanced enough, she'll possess musical skills that will help her stand out. It introduces children to other cultures. By learning about and playing a variety of instruments, kids can discover how music plays a critical role in other cultures. For instance, bongos and timbales may introduce children to African and Cuban styles of music. Although the modern-day violin has roots in Italy, learning to play it exposes children to classical music popularized by German and Austrian musicians. Versatile instruments, such as the violin and piano, can accompany a wide repertoire of styles, including classical and jazz (which originated in the American South). It's important to familiarize children with other cultures at a young age because this fosters open-mindedness about worlds and traditions beyond the ones they know. What to Consider When Selecting an Instrument Ultimately, the instrument you and your child choose should depend on a number of factors. Here's a list of questions to consider before bringing home a new music maker:
Copyright © 2013 Meredith Corporation.
10 Comments
10/26/2017 02:48:54 pm
My nephew has been showing an interest in taking private music classes. He really wants to convince his dad to let him start these lessons and I want to help. I think his dad would love knowing that his son is learning about different cultures and cultivating open-mindedness.
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10/4/2018 02:28:36 pm
My daughter recently decided that she wants to learn how to play the piano and I am thinking about getting her music lessons, so I appreciate the information in this article. I had no idea that playing the piano actually helps you to cultivate social skills because you learn to work with the teacher and other students during group lessons. Also, I think that it would be a great way for my daughter to learn discipline and the joy that comes from working hard and achieving a goal.
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10/22/2018 01:20:33 pm
I'm glad you pointed out that when a child learns to play an instrument, it exposes them to cultures outside of their own through music. My daughter wants to learn to play the drums, so I've been doing some research about what benefits she may see. I never realized that learning an instrument exposes you to cultures where that instrument is used, so thanks for pointing that out!
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1/23/2019 04:36:00 pm
I didn't realize that music lessons could boost self-esteem. My son has pretty low self-esteem right now, seeing how he didn't make the football team. Maybe private music lessons would help my son out with how he is feeling.
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1/30/2019 07:46:25 pm
My nephew wants to learn how to play musical instruments and be a professional musician. It was explained here that music can help improve his academic and physical skills. Furthermore, it's recommended to hire professionals when planning to take music lessons.
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2/28/2019 01:09:00 am
Getting music lessons for my child might help improve his academic skills so he can excel in class. If it will develop his physical skills as well, he'll have better hand-eye coordination. Since it will cultivate his social skills, he might gain new friends so I might ask around if there are any teachers willing to teach him the guitar.
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3/29/2019 06:15:16 pm
I like the idea that it introduces kids to other cultures. This is a great thing that will make it a lot simpler to keep your kids well-rounded. My sister is thinking about putting her son into music lessons and would love knowing this.
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5/19/2019 09:08:43 pm
My niece wants to learn how to play the piano at a young age and excel as a musician. It was mentioned here that having music lessons can help her improve her academic skills as well. Furthermore, it's recommended to consult experts when planning to take music lessons.
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1/10/2020 03:11:30 pm
One point you make which I hadn't considered is that children learn about other cultures through playing different instruments. My son wants to do something different this year, other than sports. We'll have to look into music lessons.
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2/25/2021 03:02:44 pm
I love how you said that taking music lessons helps to teach a kid patience and perseverance because the students have to work for long amounts of time to reach goals. My 14-year-old son has recently taken an interest in learning how to play the guitar. My husband and I will have to find reputable private music lessons for our son to take and help refine those skills.
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