Fall is in full
swing. Between school, homework, sports teams, and clubs there is an
overwhelming number of activities that are clamoring for your child's time and undiscovered
skills. Should you sign him up for soccer or piano lessons? Take him fishing or
to the movies? How many activities can he participate in before he--and you!--burn
out?
Given how busy our
lives our, prioritizing activities can be difficult. Each activity has the
potential to teach your child valuable skills, and may even turn into a career
or hobby later in life.
If you're debating
whether music lessons are worth your child's time and your money, here are five
reasons that may help you make your decision.
Music educates the whole child - From day one,
children learn notes, rhythms, melodies and scales. But, they're actually
learning much more than that. They are learning to interact with other people and
becoming better acquainted with themselves as well. Music stimulates the
vestibular system, which helps all the senses coordinate with one another.
According to Howard Gardner, who wrote Frames
of the Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences, music may also be
"a privileged organizer of cognitive processes in any subject, especially
among young people." In other words, music education extends beyond music
education. It affects a child's social behavior and success in other subjects
as well.
Music helps children understand
culture - According to Kimberly Balls, a junior studying music
education at Brigham Young University, "Many of the songs that have stood
the test of time are folk songs. They maintain the speech patterns, traditions
and more of any given culture. The folk songs of different countries are as
different as the countries themselves." Music from countries all over the
world can be incorporated into your music education many ways whether you're a
singer, dancer or tuba player.
Music helps establish group
identity - Anyone who has
watched a battle scene or sports movie knows this. It's the music that makes
the scene. It brings everyone together and makes that stirring speech all the
more inspiring. Participating in a choir, band, or piano duet can be a really
special experience as well. Working with someone else to create music binds you
together in a way that can't really be explained.
Music helps you express your
feelings - One reason music is so powerful is that it has the ability
to say things that you can't say in words. Some people have a difficult time
expressing feelings and rely on music to help them sort through their emotions.
I do this all the time. Whenever I'm stressed out, angry, sad or trying to make
a difficult decision, I sit at my piano and pound on the keys for an hour or
so. When I'm finished, I feel much more calm and able to tackle life's problems
again.
Music is physical - Participating in music lessons provides many of the same benefits as participating in sports. Teamwork, discipline, focus, and fun are just some of them. Music lessons will also improve your child's thinking skills and physical coordination. It's not as physical as soccer, true, but it does require you to move around. Children need all the physical stimulation they can get, which is easily accomplished with singing and practice sessions.
Your child needs more than the basics to be successful. A full and productive life also requires social skills, discipline, cooperation, and creative thinking--all learned from the training that music lessons provide. And there is one more benefit of music lessons: they can be really fun, not just for your child, but for the whole family.
Adapted from this AZCentral
article and this University
of Rochester web page.
