Have you ever encountered someone who likes music but always complains, “I wish I had taken piano lessons when I was younger” or “I wish I was a lot more serious learning guitar when I was in school”? Very rarely you would encounter someone who regrets ever learning any sort of musical instruments.
As a parent, we always want the best for our children, but at the same time, we do not know what their wishes are at that point of time. But that should not deter us from giving them an avenue to explore their interests should they wish to do so.
Learning a New Instrument Requires Discipline
Learning music is not an easy task as it requires hard work and determination. What better way to teach your child the meaning of persistence than with the help of music?! Mastering an instrument requires patience and perseverance that could take a lifetime.
It is especially important now with how our society seems to have limited patience and is too accustomed to obtaining immediate gratification. Music lessons have a very balanced approach when it comes to the difference between learning an instrument and mastering one.
Children will find the motivation within themselves to pick up the instrument and play according to the tunes they listen to. Or better yet, make the musical piece as their own by playing it with a higher tempo or different note variations.
Music Helps Them Express Their Innate Creativity
The world’s greatest inventions always come from an unlikely person or source. Think of how all modern mobile phones nowadays come with a high powered camera equipped from the get go. We take these gadgets for granted nowadays, but 20 years ago people would probably think you are crazy for suggesting something so absurd.
Now, how does this have anything to do with music, you ask? Creating something out of nothing is something that you can train yourself to do by learning music. By exposing your children to a multitude of musical notes and sounds, you are allowing their imaginations to take flight!
Music Helps with Early Childhood Brain Development
There are various studies that have associated music learning to enhanced language and mathematical skills in children. The response has been positive for the most part; comparing children who have undergone musical training to the ones who have not.
A recent study from JRSM indicates that children aged 3–6 years old who have undergone keyboard music lessons, recorded 30% better performance in visualising spatial patterns compared to children who have not.
Visual Spatial is a term best described as a person with the ability to learn by associating an image to the words they are thinking about rather than the word itself. Children with high visual spatial intelligence have a higher ability to remember fine details that are usually associated with images.
How Do I Know Which Instrument My Child will Like?
We have established how music can benefit children for their future endeavors. But how do parents identify which musical instrument is suitable for their child? For this, we should consider their age, as well as their physicality.
You cannot expect a 3-year-old to play a trombone just yet, so picking the right initial instrument is key to instilling a love for music in a child. A violin or a piano is a good starting point for any child that is 6 years old and below and both will help them build a solid foundation to explore other instruments in the future.
The violin is a good starter choice for young children to familiarise themselves with different musical notes without having to fiddle with different frets and keys. It is a good introductory instrument to expose your children to the world of music by solely focusing on creating sounds. The physical body of the instrument is also suitable for children of all sizes as it comes with a small or large option.
The piano, on the other hand, teaches children to multitask, as both the melody and harmony of a piano piece need to be played simultaneously – thus, teaching children perceptual musical skills. This can be further enhanced by training them in proper music theories should they want to explore different instruments in the future.
What If My Child Does Not Have Innate Musical Talent?
Musical talent cannot be forced. It can only be cultivated if your child is interested in it. Once they find it boring, they will just stare at the walls or ceiling while waiting for the lesson to end. Parents should take note of how their children respond to these lessons and react accordingly.
The most important part of the learning experience is for them to enjoy the learning journey. If your child is not interested in music, you can let them explore other avenues to express themselves. There are hundreds of other extra classes that parents can choose from – ranging from languages, science experiments, to the arts.
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