When it comes to selecting an extracurricular activity for your child, music lessons should be at the top of your list. Sure, we may be a bit biased, but the data is there: music lessons can help your child become more autonomous and self-confident, and it’s also a pretty awesome skill to have later in life. Over 50% of households have at least one person that plays an instrument, but if you look at all the reasons why taking music lessons is so important you’ll probably think the number should be higher.
Teaches Delayed Gratification
In a world of instant messages and instant popcorn, it’s important for children to know how to be patient and persevere. Learning how to read music, let alone play a musical instrument, is not quick and requires tons of practice and dedication. How is this helpful to children? It teaches them delayed gratification. At first, music may be difficult and your child may be tempted to throw in the towel and focus their attention on something that’s easier. But once they attend their first recital or play their first song by heart, they’ll learn that patience is a virtue and that hard work pays off. And as a parent, this is one of the best lessons you could possibly teach your child.
Builds Self-Confidence
Overcoming obstacles that seem impossible to overcome is one of the best ways to boost self-confidence, and it’s also pretty prevalent when learning music. For example, once your child understands music theory and knows how to read music, they’ll likely stare at a that first piece of sheet music and want to cry. It’s overwhelming. But a couple months later, after hours and hours of practice, they’ll have that piece memorized and will be onto the next. This will only help them later on in life. When faced with a problem or an obstacle as a teenager or young adult, not making the strides to overcome that problem won’t even be an option, and they will have learned this lesson from music.
It’s an Awesome Hobby
What do you do in your free time? If you do something productive like gardening or volunteering, studies show that you’ll feel more gratified than if you sat around and watched TV. The same goes for kids and music–your child will feel accomplished and satisfied if they’re able to sit down and play their instrument in their free time than they would if they don’t have any real hobbies. Plus, they’ll meet new friends and be exposed to performing in front of an audience. Remember how scary speech class was when you had to get up in front of your classmates and make a speech? Now think about how less scary that would have been if you had 10 or 20 music recitals under your belt.
The “Better Grades/Improved Test Scores” Factor
You’ve probably heard this a million times (so we won’t spend too much time on it), but musicians tend to be better at reading and math and have higher SAT scores to boot. It’s important to remember that correlation isn’t the same as causation, so enrolling your child in music lessons won’t turn them into a genius overnight. It might not even have any effect on their test scores. BUT, the studies are out there and many of them show that students enrolled in music lessons tend to perform better in the classroom. Don’t believe us? Here’s just one of them for you to check out.
Playing Music Makes for a Great Side Gig
Forget driving for Uber or performing odd jobs on TaskRabbit. Teaching music or performing at weddings and other special events is one of the best side gigs on the market–and those who have spent time taking music lessons as a child are highly qualified! Even better, it’s highly rewarding. Most jobs students get in college aren’t very stimulating and only pay minimum wage, so it’s always nice to have music to lean on. The same can be said for making extra spending money once they do have a solid career.
Speaking of music lessons, The Lesson Studio at Music & Arts is the premier music lesson facility in the country. We’re committed to exceptional music education, with customized lesson plans, highly qualified instructors, and a diverse and exciting program that caters to all ages and abilities.
For more information on The Lesson Studio at Music & Arts, visit http://www.musicarts.com/Lessons
Plus, RSVP today for a FREE Guitar class at our National Lesson Open House event June 22-24 at http://www.musicarts.com/OpenHouse.
