There are many benefits to a high-quality music education at a young age. In fact, there is an entire field of research dedicated to this topic. I have selected a few resources below for you to examine as you consider your child’s participation in music classes.
I do not believe that “music makes you smarter”, however I do believe that it helps hone important skills such as reasoning, communicating, focusing, problem solving, and perseverance which can all certainly result in higher academic achievement. I also don’t hope to turn all of my students into professional musicians or child-prodigies. Instead, I hope to nurture musicality in children so that they feel confident and comfortable singing or moving to the beat and can develop the skills and habits that research has shown music helps establish. Active participation in music making helps foster healthy brain development and can help your child grow into a more well-rounded individual with skills and attributes to help them in many areas of life.
If you are interested in more music advocacy resources, I encourage you to read:
Top 10 Skills Children Learn from the Arts, by Valerie Strauss
Published in the Washington Post, Jan 23, 2013
- Creativity
- Confidence
- Problem solving
- Perseverance
- Focus
- Non-verbal communication
- The ability to receive constructive feedback
- The ability to work with others
- Dedication
- Accountability
Review the full article here.
Twelve Benefits of Music Education (Nov 29, 2014)
- Early music training helps develop brain areas involved in language and reasoning.
- There is also a causal link between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things)
- Students of the arts learn to think creatively and to solve problems by imagining various solutions, rejecting outdated rules and assumptions.
- Recent studies show that students who study the arts are more successful on standardized tests such as the SAT.
- A study of the arts provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures.
- Students of music learn craftsmanship as they study how details are put together painstakingly and what constitutes good, as opposed to mediocre, work.
- In music, a mistake is a mistake; the instrument is in tune or not, the notes are well played or not, the entrance is made or not. It is only by much hard work that a successful performance is possible.
- Music study enhances teamwork skills and discipline.
- Music provides children with a means of self-expression.
- Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace.
- Music performance teaches young people to conquer fear and to take risks.
- An arts education exposes children to the incomparable.
Review the full article here.
