How Children can Achieve Success through Music

Music is universally appreciated by all children across the globe, and it’s common for children to take an interest in learning a musical instrument because of their creativity and natural desire to learn. Many parents and educators are aware that music lessons are required for children who want to pursue music professionally in the future.

However, many parents aren’t aware of the large-scale benefits that will be cultivated through music lessons. Musical training is an excellent way for children to teach themselves skills necessary for success in all areas of their lives, not just the area of music.

 

Here are some ways children can achieve success through learning music:

• Time Management
• Improved Neural Processing
• Increased Stamina
• Collaborative Skills

Time Management

Learning a musical instrument requires sophisticated time management skills. If a child is taking lessons outside of school, he or she will need to learn to balance school homework with practice time. The ability to manage time will benefit a child in all areas of life throughout their development. Children with the ability to prioritize what’s important, plan ahead, and dedicate certain times in their day to practicing an instrument will do better in school in general.

One study found that time management skills, among other study skills such as note-taking and reading skills, were related positively to a student’s GPA. If children learn that they are capable of balancing their music lessons with their school lives and performing well in both areas, then they will feel more confident in pursuing demanding projects, such as obtaining a university degree, in the future.

 

Improved Neural Processing and abstract thinking

Musical training can also improve a child’s neural processing, which can lead to improvements in all subjects at school. A popular study completed at Northwestern University found that children who played an instrument had higher neural processing abilities than students who just listened to music. Other studies have found that music lessons can increase a child’s ability to think abstractly.

Increased Stamina

Learning a musical instrument may also improve a child’s stamina. Music is a performing art, and children who perform frequently will be more accustomed to playing in front of an audience. Public speaking is an important skill to excel in many school assignments, such as class presentations, as well as presentations throughout one’s career. By allowing a student to learn the feeling of sharing their thoughts or creative work with other people, they’ll be much more prepared to do so at important milestones during their lives, which can help them form important connections. Brene Brown, a researcher who studies the phenomenon of human vulnerability, has found that making oneself vulnerable will ultimately improve their lives for the better.

If a child has learned to make themselves vulnerable through playing music for others or even sharing their own songs and musical pieces, they’ll be much more prepared to do so in their future lives.

 

Collaborative Skills

Not only is music a soloistic art, it’s an art that can be enriched through collaboration with other musicians. Through musical engagement children can teach themselves to stand by their own creative ideas, while also compromising and integrating the ideas of their co-musicians. These skills will transfer to other areas of their lives, such as when they’re working on a school group assignment, or further down the road when they’re contributing to a group project during their careers. A study completed by Cisco found that it was more advantageous for employees to work together and combine their diverse streams of thinking than to not collaborate. This is because collaboration was found to lead to idea propagation.

If your child is enrolled in music lessons, ask their music instructor if they know another student who might be able to play a duet with your child. Not only will collaboration teach children how to find a middle ground and build rich ideas, it may also result in the creation of friendships, which are extremely important for healthy social development.

 

In Conclusion

Music lessons will allow children to cultivate life skills that they must learn through their own experiences, rather than from a textbook. Through playing an instrument, a child will develop sophisticated time management skills and learn to think abstractly.

Additionally, frequent performances will give children the stamina needed to excel in future situations that require vulnerability. Music engagement may also allow children to teach themselves how to collaborate effectively with other musicians. Learning to compromise while still standing by your ideas will ultimately lead to a successful school and work life in the future. If this article has sparked your interest and you’d like to learn more about the cost of guitar lessons, take a look at this article.