Have you ever wondered what your children could get from learning a musical instrument?
Well….. they could become very good at playing your instrument, but did you know that that’s just a tiny part of it?
Here’s just a little of what they can gain from instrumental lessons.
•1 Aesthetic appreciation: Music lessons help them build a sensitivity to beauty, discover how to create beauty in our lives and develop a lifelong love of music.
•2 Better brain and nervous system: Practising actually strengthens the neural circuits.
•3 Bounce back from disappointments: Learning an instrument can be difficult and frustrating. Music lessons help them have to learn to pick yourself up and start again.
•4 Cooperation: They will learn respect teachers and peers through making music together during their music lessons.
•5 Criticism: They will become better at accepting and learning from criticism. Whether you like it or not, one form or another, this is definitely a regular feature of music lessons.
•6 Dealing with frustration by learning problem solving skills: This is another ever present feature of music lessons.
•7 Enhanced coordination: Music lessons teach fine motor skills and good hand eye coordination.
•8 Focus and concentration and the ability to listen and imitate: Playing a musical instrument is complicated and requires an unusual amount of focus. They will learn strategies to empower them to do several things, with ease, at the same time.
•9 Goal setting: Managing a project effectively and developing the ability to meet deadlines are taught, by getting pieces ready for performance.
•10 Memory skills: If they are a Suzuki students, you will know what this is all about.
•11 Observation: Learning to target and improve on weaknesses is essential, if you want to improve your ability.
•12 Patience: The ability to stay more calm and centered certainly helps when you are doing something as complicated as learning an instrument.
•13 Perseverance/Endurance: Practice teaches you that you need to keep working if you want to get results from your music lessons.
•14 Positive experiences: If you imprint the golden moments of learning and playing music on your mind, you will build a treasure chest of good memories to help you through tough moments.
•15 Problem Solving: Music lessons teach how you to break any large problems, encountered in learning, into small achievable steps.
•16 Self-evaluation: This is an essential skill which a musician needs to learn.
•17 Self confidence: Playing an instrument will give them poise and a power to present themselves and to capture attention in public:
•18 Self discipline: During music lessons and practice sessions, they will learn how to work, even if they don’t particularly feel like it:
•19 Self expression: You will develop their unique voice.
•20 Self worth: This is linked linked to undertaking and successfully reaching targets.
•21 Working together: Because of their music lessons they will be able to make music and work with a peer group who will remain friends for life.
•22 Sensitivity to Feeling & Emotions: This is what making music is all about.
•23 Values: Music lessons and focussed practice will teach them to learn to strive for mastery.
•24 Widen horizons: As they continue to grow through music practice they will learn to recognize possibilities and opportunities develop an “I can do it” mindset.
•25 Music creates noble human beings: It was Suzuki’s intention not just to produce able musicians, but to produce noble human beings, fine, mindful and compassionate young adults who will do much for the planet on which we live. Who wouldn’t want this for their children?
In listing 25 reasons for learning an instrument, I haven’t even mentioned that making music is actually great fun. If you are thinking of music lessons for your children, you will be getting much more than you ever bargained for.
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