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A quote widely attributed (probably incorrectly) to Plato announces “I would teach children music, physics and philosophy; but more importantly music; for in the patterns of music and all the arts are the keys to learning.”
Whether this sentiment was really spoken or written by the Greek philosopher is largely irrelevant… mainly because it’s correct regardless of who expressed it.
How music education can help your child
The benefits of a music education have been proven time and time again by research, as well as through anecdotal evidence from teachers, students and parents who actively engage in and encourage music making. Here are just some of the many ways a music education can benefit your child:
Increased happiness
Making music is fun and has long been used as a way of relaxing and relieving stress. Singing has been scientifically proven to elevate endorphins, leading to feelings of joy, pleasure and happiness. In an otherwise complicated school routine, music can be a great way of keeping anxiety in check and improving to your child’s overall health and wellbeing.
Improved memory
When students learn and practise music, even when reading sheet music, they’re relying on their memory from a previous time they’ve played the piece, with the view to improving their performance. Playing music is like exercising your memory, and good memorisation is a skill which comes in handy across all areas of education.
Brain function development
Children who have musical training will improve both the left side of their brain, which is related to language and reasoning, and the right side, which helps with the development of their spatial intelligence, allowing them to perceive the world accurately and form mental pictures.
Self-discipline
Playing a musical instrument is difficult and involves focus, patience and persistence. Your child will need to set aside time in their weekly routine to practice and commit to the challenge of improving. They’ll learn that if they don’t put the effort in, then they won’t progress, and this can be a valuable lesson in the journey to understanding and implementing self-discipline.
Success in other subjects
Research has shown that countries which place a strong focus on music education tend to have higher rates of numeracy and literacy, and studies go so far as reporting that students who learn music can even do better in exams. Music offers repetition in a fun format and this helps kids to develop their maths and pattern recognition skills.
Improved self-confidence
Learning an instrument and seeing yourself improve is a great way to build pride, self-confidence and a sense of achievement, particularly when overcoming challenges and gaining success brings encouragement from parents, teachers and other students. Performing music is also very social, which can lead to improved communication skills too.
Increased school attendance
A fun subject like music is great for keeping children interested and engaged in class. Inspirational music programmes have been shown to be particularly valuable for students who are not achieving well in other subjects, and can dramatically help improve school attendance levels too.
Enhanced team work
Learning a musical instrument often comes with opportunities to make music as part of a team, such as a band, orchestra or choir. These musical groups are fantastic ways for your child to improve their teamwork skills, learn to work with others and make new friends.
Increased coordination
Playing a musical instrument is not easy, and nor is learning to send the correct message from your brain to your body so that your fingers do exactly what you want them to do. Just like with sports and other physical activities, your child can develop motor skills when playing music, specifically improving their hand-eye coordination.
Cultivates creativity
A musical and artistic education develops the whole brain, encourages imagination and can help your son or daughter to learn to think creatively. Problem-solving comes in all shapes and sizes, and learning to think outside the box and explore a number of possible solutions is a valuable tool in any life scenario.
Honed auditory skills
Students who learn and practise music can not only develop better listening skills, which will be greatly beneficial throughout their life, but can also have improved auditory attention. They learn to pick out anticipated patterns from surrounding noise, which leads to more finely tuned auditory skills
Promotes artistry
When learning to master an instrument, students are taught to take pride in their craft. Your child will want to improve their work, creating something exceptional rather than something merely mediocre, and this life skill can be applied positively to all areas of education.
Encourages sensible risk-taking
Learning a piece of music and performing it in front of family, friends and teachers can cause feelings of fear and anxiety. But rising to the challenge can teach your child how to cope with worry first-hand, and overcoming it will show them how to take responsible risks in life in order to achieve their potential.
To find out how HCM Music Academy can benefit your child’s education, contact us today. If you still have questions, no problem, you can either complete our enquiry form and we’ll get back to you within 24 hours or alternatively you can get in touch with the team directly on 01920 460646 or by email: learn@h-c-m.co.uk – we’re here to answer all of your questions.