Sponsored by: Lexington School of Music and Columbia Arts Academy
Parents can’t help but beam when their daughter completes a flawless violin recital or when their son masters a complex piano solo. They have every right to be proud. Learning a musical instrument is part skill and part discipline. It takes practice and devotion to confidently play an instrument – whether as a soloist or part of an orchestra or high school marching band.
The benefits of music lessons reach far beyond a round of applause or selection as first chair in the school’s orchestra. Music lessons build confidence and poise, and improve academic and cognitive skills.
Even if your child only does a couple years of piano lessons or trades the saxophone for a soccer ball in middle school or high school, those early musical lessons will pay off for many years to come.
If you’ve been thinking about music lessons for your child, consider these 3 important benefits:
1. Music strengthens children’s brains
Science backs up the premise that students who study music reap cognitive benefits. A 2014 Time article points to a study from Northwestern University that found children who were fully engaged in a music class benefited the greatest. In fact, the study found students who actively participated in lessons “showed larger improvements in how the brain processes speech and reading scores than their less-involved peers.”
Some research also has found children who take music lessons have higher IQs and better test scores than their non-music learning peers.
Another 2013 study published in Frontiers in Neuroscience, shows that children who take musical training have “better verbal memory, second language pronunciation accuracy and reading ability.”
2. Music develops auditory and fine motor skills
A Harvard-based study found that children who receive training on a musical instrument for three years or more outperform their peers in fine motor skills as well as melodic and rhythmic discrimination abilities.
3. Musical training teaches key character traits
Children learning to play an instrument realize the importance of practice and repetition (scales, scales, scales!) as they experience an important life lesson first hand – perfection takes hard work.
Children also learn patience and how to manage frustration when their music performance isn’t turning out the way they want. And if your child participates in band or chorus, he learns the importance of teamwork towards a common goal.
These traits will not only help them in musical study, but throughout life as they continue their education and eventually enter the workforce.
Looking to enroll your child in music lessons? Check out the Columbia Arts Academy. The award winning music school, along with the Lexington School of Music division, is the largest music school in South Carolina with more than 1,275 students. Lessons are open to students ages 4 and up, including adults.
To learn more about Columbia Arts Academy, visit ColumbiaArtsAcademy.com or call (803) 787-0931. For students interested in the Lexington School of Music, visit LexingtonSchoolofMusic.com or call (803) 996-0623.
