Why Would I Send My Child To Music Lessons?
Every parent is the primary educator of their own child. They want the very best for them that life has to offer. The burning question is how do I make the best choice for my child?
When a child is born each one of them comes with the gift of different intelligences. Then they go to school and the only two intelligences usually appreciated or evaluated are linguistic and logical/mathematical intelligence. The other six intelligences as identified in Howard Gardner’s well-known theory of multiple intelligences are spatial, musical, interpersonal, intrapersonal (knowledge of self), kinesthetic/bodily (think of Georgie Best) and naturalist intelligence (e.g. David Attenborough).
Everybody in every country in the world, from every walk of life, is exposed to music of one kind or another throughout their whole life.
So, your child could be born with a very high musical intelligence and should be given the opportunity to develop it. Even if a child does not have a great natural ability for music there are many other good reasons for sending them for music lessons. Firstly, music is the international language. Everybody in every country in the world, from every walk of life, is exposed to music of one kind or another throughout their whole life. Virtually all cultures, from the most primitive to the most advanced, make music.
Music can be enjoyed on your own, just playing for yourself for your own entertainment. It can also be enjoyed hugely with others in a band or as a group, as a member of a choir or as part of an orchestra. It can even be enjoyed as a pastime as a listener. There are huge numbers of people whose hobby is going to the National Concert Hall on a Friday night just to listen. So no matter what your interest is: rock, pop, classical, folk, electronic, jazz or choral singing, an education in music is a gift for life. Like anything else, the more knowledge you have the greater the enjoyment.
The question is do you leave this education to your child’s school? Is music not taught at school? Is it not taught as part of the curriculm? If you are lucky and your child goes to a school with a particular interest in music s/he will do well. There are many such excellent primary shools in the country. But unfortunately this is not the case everywhere. And we have to keep in mind that all children are entitled to a proper education in music.
At music lessons we learn about rhythm, the pitch of notes, how to read music and how to sing the notes. We learn about the different types of music and how to interpret different styles while later we study the history of music throughout the ages. We can also get the opportunity to write or compose music ourselves. This is all in addition to the skill of learning to play an actual instrument. For this we need a good teacher.
Sometimes parents will say ‘they didn’t like practising so I let them give it up’. I often wondered did the same thinking apply to homework?
A child can join a choir if they can sing in tune. The decision to learn an instrument is an exciting one for any child. Like any other skill, learning to play an instrument takes some commitment from both the parent and the child. This means making a decision that practice will be done every day. I have met numerous people who started music as a child and then as an adult regretted giving it up. Sometimes parents will say ‘they didn’t like practising so I let them give it up’. I often wondered did the same thinking apply to homework? The trick is to make it fun and attractive.
In order to learn an instrument you firstly need a qualified teacher of the instrument who knows the structured stages of teaching the skill. Make sure to check out the experience and qualifications of the teacher before you start. The relationship between the child and teacher is key and should always be very positive. Acquiring a skill takes work but the most important element for parents to keep in mind is ‘encouragement all the way’. Above all else, it should be fun. Every now and then, ask your child what tune they themselves would like to play and buy that music for them so they can learn it. This can be as an aside from the structured lessons or grade exams that are taking place.
Another good reason for sending a child to study music is the opportunities music gives to a young person to meet other students of the same age. There are numerous group classes for string teaching e.g. violin. Traditional music is also taught in groups. During the summer there are music courses (some residential), youth orchestra courses where young people make great friendships for life and youth choirs that provide great opportunities for fun for young people.
The benefit of the study of music and the concentration it brings has been shown to have positive effects on students’ general learning. Scientists have found that music stimulates more parts of the brain than any other human function (Elena Mannes, The Power of Music). A 2010 Harvard review reported that learning to play an instrument may enhance the brain’s ability to master tasks involving language skills, memory and attention. A Stanford study of 2015 shows that music engages areas of the brain which are involved with paying attention, making predictions and updating events in our memory (Baker, Mitzi).
There is also an extraordinary connection between music and our memory that is evident in some patients who have serious memory disease. When these patients have lost the ability to recognise people or even the ability to speak, they can still sit down and play the piano or indeed sing songs from the beginning to the end.
Music education should start early but it’s never too late to begin. It’s great fun. It can be undertaken, experienced and enjoyed at any stage of life. Give yourself a gift – take the first step today.