While the obvious goal of music education is to teach your child to play and appreciate music, there are many other benefits along the way. Learning to read, play and understand music builds several important skills at once, from physical and mental dexterity to emotional maturity and social skills. Here are five important ways music can help your child grow.
Cognitive and Academic Development
Learning music is like learning a whole new language, and it engages the brain in many of the same ways. Just like learning a language teaches you to associate written words with spoken sounds, reading music requires the student to make connections between notes on a page and the pitches they hear. Learning music also strengthens memory development, which can help your child succeed in school and nearly every other aspect of their life.
Speaking of school, music covers several important subjects at once. A good music instructor can incorporate science by explaining how different instruments generate sound, reinforce math skills by breaking down tempo and time signatures, and even weave in a history lesson here and there (like that time the London Symphony Orchestra was booked to play on the Titanic but switched vessels at the last minute).
Mental Health and Emotional Maturity
Between the pressures of school, the challenges of growing up and all the other highs and lows of life, children and young adults are often under a fair amount of stress. When it comes to managing mental health, music can help in numerous ways: Playing our favorite songs can lift us up when we’re down, practicing a difficult etude can be a great way to burn off pent-up stress, and the satisfaction of nailing a performance provides a lasting, well-earned feeling of joy. Music lessons provide stability and a safe space to learn and fail, while performing helps students face their fears and build confidence.
Emotional intelligence is a critical aspect of any child’s development, and music is the perfect way to express complex feelings, build empathy and connect with others on an emotional level—just ask any parent who’s cried during their kid’s recital. Depending on your child’s needs, they might find that forming a bond with a duet partner, pouring their heart into a solo or writing their own music gives them the outlet they need to express themselves fully.
Social Engagement and Interpersonal Skills
We all know that music brings people together. It’s almost cliché to say so, but the social aspects of music education can be critical to your child’s growth. First, there’s the relationship between the instructor and the student: a rare chance to form a mentorship-based relationship with an adult who isn’t a family member, teacher or other authority figure. The mutual respect, shared enthusiasm for music, and personal bond can help students develop interpersonal skills that will benefit them the rest of their lives.
Music is also great for group socialization. In an ensemble setting, such as a school band or orchestra program, students learn to listen to each other, work as a team and make lifelong friends. Each rehearsal, recital and class trip will strengthen those bonds just like a tight-knit sports team or drama club. This kind of supportive and nonjudgmental environment will help your child develop the “soft” skills necessary to connect with others and build a healthy social life.
Physical Development and Coordination
Sports aren’t the only way for your child to participate in valuable physical conditioning. Music education is, in many ways, physical education as well. Music teaches your child to feel rhythm in their body, trains their muscle memory through repetition, instills the importance of proper form and technique, and sharpens coordination.
Just like sports, each instrument develops different areas of fitness. For example, woodwind and brass instruments strengthen the lungs while percussion develops limb strength. Learning an instrument can help younger children develop crucial motor skills.
Discipline and Patience
Children can learn the values of perseverance and discipline in different ways, but music education is one of the best channels for introducing the connection between hard work and payoff. And it all starts with practice. The first time playing through any new piece of music won’t be perfect, but by doing it over and over, your child will learn that discipline translates into real results.
The patience and discipline learned from music education will extend to every other part of your child’s life. If they don’t understand a concept in class right away, they’ll be more likely to sit down and figure it out than throw up their hands in frustration. They’ll become better at trying new things, more patient when teaching others and more confident overall. Even maintenance tasks like cleaning and assembling a flute can teach your child the value of putting in the time and effort to do something the right way.
All-Around Growth
As you can see, music can teach us so much more than how to stay on beat and in tune. Especially with an early start, music education can help your child grow in numerous ways and become a well-rounded human being. Whether your child needs an outlet for their emotions, a way to make friends or a routine to help them develop healthy habits, picking up an instrument might just be the key to unlocking their full potential.