3 Important Reasons Your Child Should Take Music Lessons
Getting your children engaged in learning music will open windows to a world that will bless their lives throughout adulthood. Learning to play music or singing can be significantly important in your children’s lives in more ways than you may have imagined. Let’s take a closer look to why your child should take music lessons.
1. It brings a sense of belonging
Kids need friends, especially friends who are motivated to do something besides just hanging out. Learning music in the school band or music school, participating in the recital, or singing in the choir brings an immediate pool of potential friends like this. It’s fun to be with friends who enjoy what you enjoy. Practicing and performing together creates a comradery. Kids in these activities often work together to help each other do their best. When one does well they all do better. This can develop a sense of caring about others.
2. It brings a feeling of happiness
We all want our children to be happy. Think back to the last time your child was sick or couldn’t fall asleep. You probably sang her favorite lullaby, one that would calm her and fill her mind with happy thoughts. Many a child has fallen asleep to the soft sounds of his mother or father singing a lullaby. When children hear you sing, they learn to sing. You don’t have to be a good singer to make this happen. A mother told us of how she always sang to her two little boys at bedtime. She said, ‘I didn’t have a good voice at all, but they didn’t seem to care.” As it turned out both of those boys grew up loving music. The parents provided them with singing lessons, which gave them the desire and opportunity to perform in musical stage plays, even into adulthood. This talent has brought a lot of happiness into the homes of these now-grown children.
3. It helps develop other valuable skills
According to the Shepherd School of Music at Rice University, “While singing, children develop listening and cooperative skills, coordination of the tongue and lips, gross and fine motor skills (through creative movement and keeping the beat), self-control, concentration skills and memory. Singing fosters the growth of the imagination; that essential part of a child’s mind that is being increasingly impinged upon by the prevalence of TV, videos, computer games and busy schedules. Singing develops a child’s sense of accomplishment and self-confidence. . . While singing, children learn vocabulary and grammar, story form, math, history, geography, and science. Singing is a superb tool for learning foreign languages.”
Aside from the social benefits, students in high school music programs have higher test scores and cognitive development. A U.S. Department of Education study found that those who reported consistent involvement in instrumental music over the middle and high school years show significantly higher levels of mathematics proficiency by grade 12. (This observation holds regardless of students’ socioeconomic status.)”
Even if your child’s interests lie elsewhere, at least find a way to help him have a taste of music lessons. The payoffs last a lifetime.
