When I was younger, my parents signed me up for piano lessons. I honestly don’t remember why. Some of my earliest memories include sitting at the piano practicing with my mom, working for a sip of coffee from her cup as a reward. Fifty years later (yikes!) here I am: a musician playing regularly, teaching music, working in the music industry and hopefully encouraging other parents to give their children the amazing experience of music!
Here’s the thing: neither of my parents were musicians. My dad was a blue-collar machinery operator and my mom was a nurse working the night shift. Their decision to make music a part of my childhood was life-changing and the fact that neither of them had strong musical backgrounds didn’t stop them.
Thankfully, there are thousands of children from “non-musical” families whose parents reached outside of their own experiences to give their children skills that will last a lifetime.
Here are three critical reasons why music should be a priority in every child’s educational plan:
1. Music Grows the Brain
Children’s brains develop at a rate faster than any other time in their life. The experiences and stimulation they receive during the early years have a huge impact on their cognitive abilities in the future! Much like learning a new language to integrate into a foreign country, music unlocks a whole world of learning and discovery. And everyone knows that learning a language comes easier the younger you are! Tap into your child's natural curiosity to learn and ability to absorb information and give them the chance to develop musical skills that will stick with them for years to come.
In a 2022 article for Edutopia, Holley Korbey shared:
“Consistent exposure to music, like learning to play a musical instrument, or taking voice lessons, strengthens a particular set of academic and social-emotional skills that are essential to learning. In ways that are unmatched by other pursuits, like athletics for instance, learning music powerfully reinforces language skills, builds and improves reading ability, and strengthens memory and attention, according to the latest research on the cognitive neuroscience of music.”
2. Music Provides Social Structure
Providing safe places for our children to grow is one of the key roles of parenthood. Musical experiences and the groups that are involved have the ability to provide a healthy social structure that is consistent as a child grows.
The earliest musical social structures can include classes for parents and toddlers to experience together. A small group setting provides fun, positive musical experiences with parents close by. In elementary school, music performance groups give children the chance to belong, express feelings and explore who they are.
In the middle school years and later, music students experience positive social developmental benefits and feelings of positive well-being. In a study by USC Thornton, researchers found that music students had experienced strong levels of competence and confidence, which can guard against engaging in risky behaviors later in life.
3. Building Music Skills Develops Confidence
Everyone knows how good it feels to be good at something. Imagine the confidence boost it gives a child when they have a skill that sets them apart from their peers! Even if they never become a professional musician, being able to play an instrument can be a huge confidence boost.
Be warned here. The confidence that comes from studying music is earned through consistent and persistent effort. That’s what makes this confidence so genuine. Learning how to consistently apply effort toward a goal is a skill-building life lesson that music study provides. When advancement is made, it has been 100% completely earned by the student, due to their hard work. There is no short-cut to this achievement. And having consistent support of the parent, (coffee incentive or not) can make all the difference. When children accomplish a musical goal, they experience a satisfaction that is hard to duplicate through any other means. They know in their heart they have earned it and they have felt the moments of struggle that lead up to it. It develops character. This gift of humble, genuine confidence is one of the most rewarding parts of studying music.
Well, if you have read this post to the end - thank you! I hope that you have found it to be encouraging and maybe even a little inspiring. I think every child should be given musical experiences and want to provide tools to help parents give this gift to their children.
Here’s to a musical future - a good one!
