5 Reasons Why Your Child Should Take Music Lessons

 

How many times have you heard someone say “I wish I knew how to play an instrument!” or “I wish I didn’t quit taking music lessons!” We hear it all the time from people who took a year or two of  lessons. Or maybe they never had the opportunity to take lessons at all? If you’re thinking of signing up your child for lessons, we definitely recommend giving it a try! There are some pretty amazing cognitive benefits, even if it’s only for a short time!

 

1. Music Lessons Teach Your Child How to Concentrate, Work Hard and Push Themselves

 

It’s not easy to sit down and practice every day. It takes patience, focus and discipline. People who know how to persevere when things are difficult are more likely to succeed when they try new things. And the more opportunities we give our children to challenge themselves, the more likely they’ll be to push themselves in other areas of their lives.Whether it’s learning a challenging piece of music, studying for high school exams, or graduating from law school, learning how to sit down, concentrate and work hard is a skill that will benefit them their entire life.

 

  2. It Improves Speech, Reading Ability, Listening Skills, and Creativity

 

How’s that for a list!? We could go on and on about all the research that’s been done and all the benefits that music has on cognitive ability. Believe me, there’s a LOT of ways music helps the brain. It’s pretty amazing! Even if your child only takes music lessons for a short period of time, there are tons of benefits. Learning how to play an instrument is essentially the same as learning a different language, so it kind of makes sense that it would trigger similar parts of the brain.

 

  3. Children Become Better at Sensing Feelings, Emotions, and Mood

 

There are subtle changes in our voices that can indicate our moods and emotions. Similarly, there are changes in music that allow us to sense emotion. Changes in tone, changes in volume, changes in melody. It’s incredible how much “feeling” you can interpret from listening to a piece of music! Piano lessons help children learn a surprising amount about feelings and empathy. Research shows that children who have taken music lessons are better able to hear the subtle differences in tone – in both music and speech. It helps them to become better listeners and to better understand the emotions that people are trying to convey through normal conversation.

 

  4. Performing in Public Builds Confidence

 

It takes a lot of courage to sit in front of a large group of people and  perform a beautiful melody. It builds self confidence that will help your child throughout their entire life. When your child grows up  all those music performances will set them up to be confident at speaking in front of groups of people. What a great benefit that is!

 

  5. It’s a Pretty Amazing Skill to Have!

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There are cognitive benefits of taking music lessons, but one thing that everyone should know is when you know how to play an instrument, it feels AMAZING. It’s an incredible feeling to be able to create new music, read musical notes on a page and watch (and listen to) yourself play something breathtakingly beautiful.

Whether you’re a 6 year old playing a melody for the first time, a teenager conquering a challenging piece of music, or a parent playing Christmas carols for their children – it makes you feel pretty awesome to be able to make music.

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