Classical Music – Benefits to Teaching Children Classical Music at an Early Age
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Classical music teaches far more than just the music itself. Children who are able to study and learn classical music from an early age not only develop an appreciation for all different kinds of music. They learn valuable life skills that they can use throughout their life. There are even studies that show a correlation between the study of music and the growth of the brain and neural pathways.
Children who are asked to learn a particular piece of music are expected to do a number of things. The first is to learn the language of music. Music has its own language. It has its own unique set of symbols and syntax. The early study of any language opens new areas of the brain and should the child go on to study any kind of new language in the future, they will have a solid foundation.
Mistakes are a part of music. There is nobody on the planet that will play a piece of music perfectly the first time. Even a child prodigy will have things to learn. The only way to get the music correct is through practice. Practice is all about making mistakes and learning from them. This repetition teaches children that it is alright to make mistakes and that in order to achieve a goal you must work and be committed.
Playing in any kind of band or orchestra teaches children all about team work. They have to learn how to play as a whole. They learn that there are many people needed to produce the final product and that all the individuals have to work as a team to achieve the desired results.
There is not skill in the world that does not require memory. Music is all about using and developing your memory. In order to play a piece well, a child will have to focus and concentrate on the subject that they are trying to memorize. Music also teaches children to use various senses when they are learning. Playing an instrument requires that a child use sight, hearing and touch in the process of learning. This sets up a whole new way for the brain to do its processing. It actually learns to use all of these senses to help it remember the information.
Attention to detail is another thing that children studying music have to master. As a child progresses in their studies, they are expected to pay close attention to every aspect of the music. They must realize the importance of every single note. Every small change can affect the outcome. By ignoring the details, or omitting parts, they will discover that they cannot get the desired result.
Music builds confidence. Bullying and low self-esteem have been hot topics in the media for a number of years. Countless children lack faith in themselves. Learning an instrument and mastering each new piece of music will build a child’s sense of self-worth. Additionally, children who are given formal music lessons are often required to play in front of other people. It is fear of failure that holds many people back from wanting to speak in front of others. The only way to tackle this is to have the opportunity to practice and gain confidence.
The value of these advantages cannot be measured, but research has been attempting to measure children and music in other ways. One research study has shown that children who received early music lessons did much better on their SAT scores. There is also the Mozart study which was done in the nineties which proved that there was a correlation between learning music and a drastic improvement in spatial-temporal tests.
These are all great reasons to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn about classical music from an early age. However, perhaps the most valuable lesson that a child can be taught from music is the ability to simply relax and appreciate the music itself.