The love of music is a cornerstone of human existence and an intricate part of how we have developed over time. No matter which country or culture you examine you will find that each has a tradition of music that is intertwined with their history and accomplishments.
Music gives us a chance to express ourselves and to have our emotions touched in a unique and powerful way. The truth is that music is not just enjoyable entertainment, it is also something that has a large positive impact on the heart and brain.
For those who play music, there are also many positives. They include increased self-assurance and poise. When young people study a musical instrument they gain many benefits that are helpful to their development. Here are some of benefits of music lessons for kids, and why you should give your child music lessons.
It Improves Your Child’s Focus and Control
A major part of a young person being successful in life is getting their brains accustomed to focusing on a single task for long stretches. The completion of every important job requires focus and attention to one specific subject or actions. These can be for work, or even doing things like filling out important long documents, preparing meals, or repairing an appliance at home.
Too often kids today do not focus on a single task well. They spend lots of time multitasking which is great for video game playing and chatting online, but the cost is that their ability to concentrate on one specific thing suffers greatly.
Learning an instrument trains the mind to focus for long stretches of time on one thing only. It is proven that when you learn music new pathways are built in the brain allowing for greater focus and control of that focus.
Your Child’s Mind Gets Sharper
Music is multi-sensory and since all of the senses are controlled by the brain, it utilizes this heightened activity to increase its sharpness. When you learn a new language which is what music is, there is a constant stressing of the brain, and in turn it must become stronger. This benefit is not only useful for learning the language of music, it is also useful for other subjects including math. Kids who study a musical instrument tend to do better in math and at other school work.
It Boosts Your Child’s IQ
IQ is a measure of intelligence in a person. People with higher IQs tend to do better in life and on difficult jobs requiring intense concentration and reasoning. Music increases a child’s cognitive ability and as a result their IQ increases. This has been proven time and again and is a great benefit for any child.
The best part of giving your child musical instrument lessons is that they learn to play a beautiful instrument and gain the confidence and ability for self-expression that comes along with it. There are also the benefits that occur to the child’s brain. These benefits stay with your child for a lifetime and are transferable to all of their other endeavors.