Most children are naturally attracted to the musical sounds produced by different instruments and voices. If a child moves to the rhythm of music, you may have a future pianist, guitarist, or perhaps drummer at home. Music brings enormous benefits to children. And it’s not just about listening. Learning to play an instrument is a window to a new world. Music stimulates brain activity, and it is now being revealed that musicians have functionally different brains from non-musicians, especially in the areas of the brain used in cognitive reasoning.
Here are seven super reasons why you should help your child learn a musical instrument.
1. Improves Academic Success
More and more studies show that there is a relationship between musical training and academic achievement. This is because studying music improves cognitive reasoning. Someone who is learning an instrument is stimulating parts of his or her brain that are also used in academic studies. In addition, musical training is also a fantastic way to exercise one’s memory.
2. Improves Social Interaction
Attending music classes with other children or participating in an orchestra will encourage social interaction in children, which is especially beneficial for introverts. Children in a musical group also learn to work as a team and are able to appreciate the benefits of working together as they develop their leadership and social interaction skills.
3. Boosts Self Esteem
Believing in oneself is key to moving forward in life. Encouraging your child to take the challenge of learning an instrument will teach him or her how to manage self-esteem and frustration. If the child sees that he is able to develop a skill by himself and realizes that he is improving day by day, his self-confidence will increase.
4. Teaches Patience and Discipline
Due to globalization and the influence of the internet, children are becoming increasingly impatient and less likely to value the effort involved in working toward a goal. Therefore, teaching a child to play an instrument can be a good remedy for these modern forces and can quell impatience. Moreover, when studying music with a group of children, a child will have to wait his or her turn and work as part of a team, which will make the child learn the rules of coexistence and respect.
For a child attending music classes alone is not enough, he or she also has to spend time at home. This requires discipline, an added value that will teach a child to be more organized.
5. Reduces Stress
Like adults, children need to disconnect from their daily routine. In this sense, music can be a great method of stress reduction with enormous advantages over other methods. Unlike passive activities such as watching TV or surfing the internet, music makes a child feel more alive.
6. Improves Respiratory System
When learning a wind instrument like the flute or clarinet, a child will need to take big breaths and learn how to expel the air appropriately to produce the desired sound. This sort of practice also opens a door to breathing exercises that can strengthen a child’s respiratory system.
7. Boosts Self-Confidence
If a child conquers a musical challenge, that achievement alone can give the child a great sense of pride. When a child starts learning how to play an instrument, simply hitting a high pitch seems like an amazing accomplishment. Even producing a series of pleasant sounds for the first time can dramatically increase a child’s self-esteem and boost self-confidence.
Finally, the benefits of learning an instrument are innumerable. Apart from having a positive impact on the behavior of a child, it can also improve his or her overall well-being. But, caution should be taken and the decision to learn to play an instrument should be a child’s sole decision.
Therefore, before signing up for music classes, the key is to talk to the child first to see how motivated he or she is.
Featured photo credit: Pixabay via pixabay.com
