Music is everywhere – from streaming apps to live concerts, music is a contagious feeling in which kids just love. Encouraging a love of music and learning to play an instrument in the early years has a lot of benefits from teaching patience to boosting self-esteem.

However, learning to play an instrument doesn’t mean sitting in a music class and learning the names of a few instruments and trying a few out. Learning to play an instrument means really engaging with music actively and it takes both patience and commitment. As your child starts to reach their goals, they will feel a sense of achievement and accomplishment and what starts as a hobby can turn into an impressive life skill.

Being able to play a musical instrument also opens up a lot of opportunities throughout a child’s lifetime, from school recitals to joining a band to meet new friends in their university years or just entertaining your family on a Sunday afternoon, the possibilities of musical joy are endless.

Reasons Why You Should Teach an Instrument to Your Kid

Increases Memory Skills

Perhaps the most rewarding benefit for parents is that playing musical instruments sparks brain development. Neuroscientists have found that reading and following musical instructions is key for brain development in young children. More specifically, playing music stimulates the areas of the brain that operate sound, language and speech. Children’s rapidly developing brains learn to listen carefully for notes and pitch, which results in them listening more carefully to explanations and being more focused and attentive learners.

Playing any instrument requires the brain to work at advanced speeds and research has shown that those who play instruments have improved hand-eye coordination and develop better academic results. Your child’s fingers, used to strum a guitar or to play the piano, send signals to the brain for processing, and the more they practice, the more secure these signals become. Similarly, when children learn to read music, this visual information gets sent to the brain to speed up processing. This process is similar to how language stimulates new areas of brain development.

It’ll Help Build Confidence

Learning to play an instrument provides children a safe space to practice and fail in, the skills of acknowledging feedback in order to make necessary adjustments, and a sense of belief in themselves as they start to see a positive outcome. By playing an instrument, the confidence that is created isn’t only towards their musical time, but hopefully in their daily lives.

When a child can see their hard work and progress paying off, their confidence and self-esteem will be boosted as they finally feel their sense of achievement. Maybe picking up an instrument can encourage your child to take a huge leap of faith in order to do something out of their comfort zone and act as a catalyst to boost their overall confidence.

Patience and Tenacity

Learning to play a musical instrument doesn’t come easy, it requires hours of practice and dedication. By internalizing this skill from a young age children learn the crucial skill of patience. The concept of working hard and not giving up, failing, and then trying again in order to achieve goals encourages tenacity and commitment and are important life skills learned through mastering an instrument. Setting personal goals and dedicating valuable time towards achieving that goal creates both independence and responsibility from a young age.

Music Can Improve Social Skills

Music is often referred to as the universal language, and learning how to play an instrument will enlarge your child’s social circle- they’ll be meeting new people and interacting with their peers, especially if they attend music camps or are enrolled in group lessons. Group lessons will require your child to collaborate and work with their peers as a team. If your child is playing their trumpet too quickly or too loudly, they’ll have to make any necessary adjustments – a skill that will come in handy if your child decides to join a marching band or orchestra ensemble down the line. According to experts, children who become involved in a musical group or ensemble will learn important life skills, including how to relate to others and how to work together as a team.

It’s Fun!

Finally, most children enjoy the time they spend learning a musical instrument. Whether it’s the satisfaction of finally playing a new piece without making a mistake or the camaraderie of preparing for a group recital or traveling performance, many children would describe the instrument learning experience as being fun. If you would like your child to take part in an after-school activity that’s fun, fosters creativity, and helps develop their physical and social skills, enroll them in a music class today- it’s never too early or late for your child to learn another language.

Few Final Thoughts

Whatever the reason your child has to learn to play an instrument or whatever instrument they choose, from their own voice to a ukulele or fiddle, it’s a good idea to bring music into their life. Let them experiment with many different types of instruments until they find what suits them best. Being able to play an instrument is fun and that is the important factor!