Whether your little one is playing a musical instrument at a school concert or singing a beautiful tune at a family gathering, there’s something endearing about watching your child show-off a skill or creative talent and it makes for a great tale to tell over and over again in the future. Music however, is not something many parents place as a priority when it comes to their children’s development, but perhaps it should be and here’s why.
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A brainy advantage
Plenty of studies show that children who are exposed to music at an early age tend to achieve better academic performance. Music has the ability to stimulate parts of the brain that are related to reading, counting and emotional development so they learn faster and easier.
Strengthens memory
Does your child tend to be absent-minded or lose things frequently around the house? Learning music can help instil discipline in a child and further strengthen their memory by stimulating different patterns of brain development. Children who undergo musical training rapidly increase their memory database and are able to recall and remember more.
Social aptness
No orchestra is complete without an ensemble of musicians who work well together as a team. Children who learn music in a group learn very quickly to rely, relate, respect and appreciate other peers. These children will also learn leadership traits as well as build (perhaps lifelong) relationships with other kids with similar interests in music.
Boost of confidence
Some children have astounding skills but they tend to shy away from attention and would prefer not to be noticed. More often than not, lack of confidence hold them back from showing the world what they’ve got. Practice is the word!
Having your child perform a musical piece (even if it is only for the exclusive listening pleasure of the pet tortoise at home) can help to boost your child’s confidence little by little. More importantly, practising music regularly teaches your child that they have the ability to master any skill as long as they keep working at it.
Music teaches patience
In a world of fast-paced video games, and dozens of apps at your child’s disposal, there’s the danger of raising a generation with a 15-second attention span. Patience is required to succeed at every level of life. Music is a good example of how delayed gratification can be much more satisfying. For instance, a child playing in an orchestra must wait for his or her turn to play their part of the musical piece, and in doing so, contributes to making the performance a success.
Encourage continuous learning
With music, one can never truly master enough of this art form. Rather than spend hours looking for the next fun app or game to play, your child could be spending that time learning as many new techniques, instruments and songs that are equally (if not more!) rewarding in the long run.
An outlet for free expression
Like drawing, painting, colouring or writing, playing a musical instrument is therapeutic as it is a great outlet for your child to voice out his or her feelings without having to worry about the consequences.
Builds discipline
To master a musical instrument, one needs to practice frequently while constantly learning new techniques or theories. This learning regime is often prolonged for several years for a child to achieve admirable competency levels – and that requires discipline as well as dedication.
