The Lifelong Benefits Of Learning Music!
Introduction
Is learning music important for kids? Yes! There are so many great reasons to get your child into learning music from an early age. Music education has enormous benefits that mountains of research supports. Here are just some of those benefits:
-Higher Test Scores
-Better Grades
-Greater Levels of Focus
-More Self-Confidence
Beyond that, we all love music! Understanding some of the basics of how music works can be a huge key to getting even more enjoyment from music and can inspire your child to pursue learning music or an instrument throughout their life. When children learn music it also shapes the artistic side of them and fosters an interest in the arts and music that otherwise may not be there.
Can Any Child Learn Music?
Something I find so great about the way that children can approach music education is they can meet it where they are, bringing their unique gifts, talents and likes. What I mean by that is that if your child is more analytical and mathematical they can approach learning music from there. If your child is artistic and whimsical they can approach learning music from there. Almost any child can learn music!
Some of the great musicians of history wrote music on paper, hearing it in their mind before actually playing the piece. Other amazing musicians don’t read a lick of music and create from their ear, the most amazing songs, albums and improvisations.
So, children’s music education can meet your child exactly where they are and take them down a path of enjoying, playing and even creating music that can last a lifetime. So, how to get started, how can my child learn music? Most people think of taking piano, or instrument lessons as music education. While this is true, and piano lessons are great, it’s not the only way for kids to start learning music. It’s just a piece of the pie.
Can Kids Learn Music Without an Instrument?
We have been able to teach young children the fundamentals of music over the years with very little focus on instrument specific instruction. What I mean is that young children can learn aspects of music theory from a very young age. Things like recognizing notes, song forms and patterns, high and low sounds, reading music through counting, singing and clapping, recognizing the sounds of various instruments and instrument families (string, wind etc.), slow and fast, the emotions that different types of music and musical sounds evoke and much more.
Should Young Children Start Learning Music?
When a young child’s music education has a strong foundation they are set up to thrive if and when they decide to pursue an instrument. If they never play an instrument they have a deeper knowledge of music than most people ever will and will likely enjoy a greater variety of music, allowing them to experience deeper emotions inside themselves that are prompted by music.
But, this foundation of music education can also excite children enough to WANT to pursue learning an instrument. Think about what makes piano lessons, guitar lessons, ukulele lessons or any other instrument lessons valuable. It’s the students level of interest. If the child is excited about learning to play the instrument they will focus, practice, and look forward to their lessons, thus propelling the learning and ultimately making the success of learning that instrument much more likely.
This is another key benefit of learning music at an early age. The familiarity with musical ideas and concepts that creates a relationship with music that the child and student will be motivated to build upon.
Music is An Artistic Expression
Music is therapy, music is a friend that lasts throughout life. That friendship must be nurtured to reach it’s fullest potential and that’s what children’s music education is all about, setting children up for a life of musical enjoyment and more. Music education can benefit a person of any age but because music is like a language the effects of learning music for children can be more impactful and last longer. We think you’ll love My Music Workshop’s easy online learning program. Give it a try!
