Disclosure :: This post is sponsored by Music Academy of Acadiana and written by director, Tim Benson!
Why Music Lessons are Essential For Child Development
I wanted to share with you my thoughts as to why music is SO important for child development. I’ve taken my experience as a teacher of 20+ years and compiled what I believe to be the core reasons why students need music in their lives!
Music Helps With Discipline
It takes time to learn an instrument and getting into the routine of practicing, identifying strengths and weaknesses in musical playing while building up the patience to see the progress is a very strong discipline builder for students. It teaches them that things do take time and that the end result will directly be a result of the effort put in.
It also teaches them consistency – staying on schedule every day and training themselves to stick to a routine is a crucial life skill that can be used in any area!
Focus and Memory
Let’s face it – we’re in a new digital world and distractions are everywhere! It can be difficult for students to find time to focus on tasks with iphones, computers, social media – but music is a GREAT way to get away from the noise and focus their brains on a task that involves critical thinking as well as enjoyment!
One of the most cited studies is how much of an affect that the new digital age has impacted people’s attention spans. Re-focusing on music and getting away from the screens has shown to immensely improve focus.
Self Confidence
This one really hits close to home for me! Often times, when we are in our youth, we try to find our “crowd” that we fit in with. Some gravitate towards sports, others go into academy clubs. But many of us find that being a musician and learning music allows us to feel that we have a “purpose” and can fit in with like minded people. Why is this important? It is long studied that humans do need to feel wanted and we have a deep sense of needing to belong – which in turn affects our self confidence. We have noticed that students who study music and bond with other musicians tend to have a better sense of themselves and seem to carry themselves with a great sense of self worth. This cannot be understated. Music can positively impact one’s self-esteem!
Communication
One of the biggest aspects of being a musician is being aware of all of the instruments and other musicians in the group. Often times, musicians will need to communicate – sometimes in the middle of a song – about an upcoming chord change, song change or anything that may be improvised. The end result? Musicians tend to have a developed sense of awareness and communication by picking up on social cues to help them make quick adjustments.
School Grades
There are studies done over the last 100 years that have virtually proven that working on musical aspects enhances brain function. In addition to that, learning music trains students about themselves and “how they learn” best. It’s not so much about repeating back information, vs observing what makes learning new concepts the “easiest” for them. This translates directly into academics as it helps the student find different approaches and quickly adopt / evolve new mindsets to learn complicated ideas.
I truly believe that anyone can learn their favorite instrument – regardless of age, background or previous experience. We invite you to reach out, give us a call or fill out our interest form – let’s get YOU or your child on their musical path today!
