So it turns out that the earlier you start, the better. Many parents may not be aware, but your child can start learning the piano from age four! The recommended age for guitar and drums is 7 years. Here are some of the skills your child may develop when they take music lessons from Gallery House!
1 Musical training develops both LANGUAGE as well as REASONING
You may think that music is mostly a right brain activity. Scientists and psychologists have always known that music develops so much more than just creativity. As a matter of fact, music training engages the whole brain, and specifically the parts associated with language and critical thinking, aka, reasoning. It may therefore be beneficial to the student who is struggling with maths and/or language.
2 Mastering Memory
Music teachers have to develop certain detective skills themselves, as many students mimic the position of the hands on the instrument and then merely memorize the music. But even playing with sheet music helps your child develop useful memory skills. Knowing where the notes are on the staff paper and then practising them physically develops memory in a young child.
3 Hand – eye coordination and posture
How wonderful to know that your child will learn how to sit up straight? It may sound mediocre, but to my parents it was always something they would point out and judge. Children who walked sombrely and slouched, were always told to stand up straight. Music students are told to straighten their backs in class, whether it is piano or drums or guitar, you cannot get the most out of a practice session if you slouch. Sitting up straight opens the airways, most importantly, which in turn gives the brain more oxygen, and then the brain can optimally learn how to make music. Your child’s hand – eye coordination as well as many other physical skills will be improved with music lessons.
4 Learning how to improve
Music students learn how to develop a certain piece of music over time. We start with the hands separately, and later together. We then add rhythm, and lastly, we add feeling. This is a wonderful journey but it depends on the participation of the child. Children soon learn that they are in charge of how quickly they learn a piece, or even an instrument altogether. Improving on a piece can teach a child so many valuable lessons. With hard work comes success!
5 Sense of achievement
We are very motivated at Gallery House and we teach by example. We are proud of our students, whether they can play a new scale perfectly or even just play a short piece. We create a sense of importance in even the smallest areas, so that our students may be encouraged to practice even harder and play even better pieces. If someone is proud of you, you tend to work extra hard in order to feel that beautiful feeling of accomplishment and achievement again. We feel that giving positive attention is a great motivator.
6 Students of music are more likely to perform well in school
Did you know that a student who enjoys their music lessons are more likely to achieve better marks overall in school? The sense of achievement mentioned boils over to school subjects as well and children studying music have been noted to be better achievers in all other areas of development.
7 Ability to be successful in society
Did you know that students who are part of a marching band or orchestra are less likely to abuse substances in their lives? There is a link between group musicians and less substance abuse cases. No one knows what may happen in your child’s future but with music lessons, you will give him/her the best chance they have.
8 Better at coping with anxiety and more emotionally intelligent
Many of us suffer in silence with anxiety. Music students tend to deal with anxiety better,. They also happen to have better self – esteem. Do not deny your child the opportunity to be more emotionally ready for life after school.
9 Pattern recognition
Now this is a skill so many jobs require. A talented musician will have this ability from the start, but it is also something that may be developed over time in child. Music develops your child’s maths ability by emphasizing pattern-recognition.
10 Auditory skills
Can you pick out the emotion in a baby’s cry? Can you recognize predictable patterns in the noise that surrounds you daily? Most musicians can, and so much more. They tend to be aware of dangerous situations before the situation becomes volatile, by listening with trained ears to the emotion behind words. A student of music will often be a better listener in general.
11 Natural curiosity: a good thing to encourage
At Gallery House we often encourage song writing and exploring different paths with the same piece of music. It turns out that creating an environment where children can play around and ask questions, makes for more imaginative adults. Children are naturally curious. We try to not let our students lose their child-like curiosity as this makes for the best composers and songwriters.
12 Relaxation
Pupils today have more stress than ever before, and life is only getting more competitive. Stress is a killer and most men die of heart related illnesses, which in turn may be blamed on stress. Music students have the wonderful opportunity to be creative in the way they relax. Playing a musical instrument can be wonderful to work against stress. This is something we need as adults, but let’s not forget that self-harm statistics among young girls have been on the rise. More than 40% more selfcharm hospital visits have been reported since the beginning of 2018, compared to the amount of cases admitted last year. Students who practice music are less likely to abuse substances, have a better self-image and can deal with anxiety better (points 9 9 9) We can therefore logically conclude that students of music tend to self-harm less.
13 Discipline
Children who don’t practice soon find that they cannot play the pieces they really want to. And we tend to tease them by playing it, so they can be inspired to practice. Even just five minutes a day can make a large difference in a beginner’s development.
14 Creative Careers
We have self-driving cars, and soon many jobs may be replaced with machines. We are going to need creative thinkers in the future and music students may be at the top, since they are encouraged to be creative from a young age.
15 Spatial Intelligence
Does your child want to become an architect? Encourage them to take music lessons! Spatial reasoning is responsibel for forming mental pictures, so music may help a child in a variety of careers.
16 Teamwork
When performing a duet or in a group, students will learn valuable skills. We often have to work with people we don;t like, and music students will know how to deal with difficult work situations better than children who did not perform in a group as children.
17 Responsible risk taking
Dealing with fear and taking calculated risks will be developed in children who study a musical instrument. Performing when a crown is listening to you, or playing in front of an exterminator will greatly increase a child’s ability to deal with stressful situations. Every time you perform, you learn something new. The end goal is to promote overcoming fear and to help students reach their full potential.
18 Better self-confidence
So it turns out that most children who self-harm, have low self-esteem. Learning a musical instrument may be vital in turning this around and creating children with healthy self-esteem. This is a deciding factor for many parents when deciding on extra-mural activities.
19 Excellent problem solvers
How do you make it rain using violins? Ask Vivaldi. How do you celebrate your 25th marriage celebration? Ask Grieg to write you a new wedding march. Musicians and composers can bring the planets to life, and so much more. By performing or creating a piece that is meaningful to the child, can develop beautiful creative problem solvers.
20 Respect
You may find that a musician loves his/her instrument very much and will even talk to it lovingly. Children quickly learn to put the guitar away or to close the piano when the lesson is over. At Gallery House, we make sure that the students have the same respect that we do for the instruments. Showing respect for an inanimate object will create adults who are respectful towards all forms of life. I am not saying that musicians are neat people in general, but we do tend to be neat around our instruments, because we respect the instrument as a symbol of the craft we love so much. This flows over in other areas of your life.
21 Patience.
We could all use a little more patience. That is one of the core values at Gallery House. Especially beginners are often told to take deep breaths and relax. If you are new to the instrument, you need to have patience with yourself. Only patience can make you stick it out and be a great musician. There is a lot of time that goes into a final exam, and if you not prepared for it from a young age, you may find practising six hours a day impossible. However. With patience and will power, you can do your musical practice as well as still do well in school. Music teaches you to be a balanced person.
The conclusion is that we need more children to study music. More children to have better self-esteem. More children with patience, respect, and creative thinking. More children who can deal with stress better. And just more music. We need more music…
