Music has always played an integral part in human life since its beginning. Different studies have proved that the comprehension of musical language can benefit a child’s mental development. Figures have shown that those who study music perform better in standardized tests and are also likely to achieve higher grades in school.
Further research has revealed that musical training develops the left side of the brain that is involved in processing language and reasoning. Irrespective of the age of your child, learning music can be challenging. However, it instills discipline and hard work in the little ones leaving them with a valuable life lesson. Let us discuss some perks of enrolling your child in music lessons:
Language Development
For children aged two to nine, one of the essential breakthroughs is language development. Music enhances a child’s ability to decode words and sounds. Growing up in a musically rich environment is advantageous for language development in children. Linking familiar songs to new information can also help in imprinting information on young minds.
Language competence helps in developing social skills in children. Music learning matches the speed and effort of language acquisition. Nursery rhymes, catchy tunes, and songs help children gain more confidence in speaking and using language easily and appropriately. It also helps in developing a sense of language rhythm and intonation in young children.
Brain Development
A lot of studies have proved that the comprehension of musical language can benefit a child’s overall mental development. It is a well-known fact that Albert Einstein was not only a revolutionary physicist but a master violinist as well. Scientists believe that his devotion towards music connected the two hemispheres of his brain and allowed his brilliance to flourish. Teaching your child can be a good way to help them grow, you can find out more at stringsguide.com.
Multiple studies are being published that prove that music learning has a positive effect on the cognitive abilities of a child. It improves memory and literacy, increases the flow of blood to the brain, and develops connectivity between different parts of the brain. It also seems that music wires a child’s brain to help him understand areas of math and languages easily.
Physical Skills
Certain musical instruments, like percussion, help children develop coordination and motor skills as they require movement of hands, arms, and feet. Such instruments are perfect for high-energy kids as they help them in boosting their physical capacity. Instruments like piano and violin require different actions from your right and left hands.
Instruments help in developing ambidexterity along with letting them be comfortable in naturally uncomfortable environments. Enhancing coordination and perfecting the timing can prepare children for other hobbies like dance and sports. Because of their enhanced brain skills, their physical skills are also improved.
Social Skills
With the introduction of music lessons, the social development of children is further polished. Research has revealed improved social cohesion among students of music lessons. It promotes a positive attitude in children and makes it easier for them to adjust to foreign environments. The effects are always more visible in children who were more lacking in social skills.
Music lessons lighten loneliness and boredom in children by distracting them from their problems. Playing music acts as a positive regulator of the mood and fosters a sense of community and belonging in the children. Even if physical lessons are not possible because of the pandemic, Skype music lessons can still help children in improving their social skills.
Patience and Discipline
Never before in history has lack of patience been so conspicuous than in the age of social media, smartphones, and networking. Not only kids but adults are also afflicted with the desire for instant gratification. With the entire world at your disposal through the screen, that desire has turned into a disease.
Fortunately, a musical instrument cannot be learned through any shortcut. One has to invest an ample amount of time and energy to master the skill. It takes time and patience to become competent enough to play the musical instrument effortlessly. Therefore, a child becomes more patient and disciplined without even realizing it.
Creative Self-Expression
This might be the most obvious benefit of learning music. Studying music helps children in finding their creative side and allows them to express their minds and thinking. There is no limitation to the extent to which the child can explore his creativity. Music becomes an avenue to finding their agency and voice irrespective of their path and choices in life.
Learning music has also proved to be a vital tool for helping children who have developmental disorders or mental health issues. In addition to ABA therapy, music therapy has shown that children with autism spectrum disorders, attachment disorders, mental retardation, and cerebral palsy have shown significant improvement in response to music therapy.
Memory
Learning music requires students to remember a huge amount of information. Whether it is the certain notes located on the instrument, the way chords are constructed, or the timing required to play the required tune. Music enables the brain to expand its capacity for all kinds of memory and facilitates you to remember things easily.
A child’s memory grows to accommodate the music they are learning and this expansion helps in improving their memory for everything else as well. All this content includes class text, lectures, and important concepts. Learning new languages and getting a grip on math also becomes possible because of music.
Conclusion
The benefits of learning music do not exhaust here; children are always capable of improving themselves in ways they wish through music. Lessons offer a forum where children can accept constructive criticism and use negative feedback to bring positive changes in themselves. In particular, group lessons make them understand that nobody is perfect and everyone has room for improvement.
Music brings acceptance in children by introducing them to new cultures. It brings the world together and instills the approval of other cultures in them. By familiarizing children with music at an early stage, you give them confidence and help in developing not only their brain but their personality as well. Enroll your child without any further delay and see for yourself the changes in him in a few days.
Image Credits: Jakayla Toney
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