Some children are interested in sports, others dance, some enjoy creating art, and others like listening to music. If your child loves to find new music, sings whenever their favourite song plays, or can’t get enough of the radio, it may be time to enroll them in music lessons. Music lessons are so much more than simply learning how to play an instrument. Playing music provides a multitude of skills that can be used throughout your child’s life even into adulthood!
1. Improved academic skills
One of the biggest and best reasons to encourage your kids to take music lessons is the academic benefits that come along with them. When you think of music, academic skills probably aren't the first thing to come to mind but music and math are deeply connected. To be able to play music, you have to understand beats, rhythms, scales, tempos, and more. This knowledge teaches children how to understand things like fractions, repetition, patterns, and division–all which are crucial in their math courses.
In addition to boosted math skills, music lessons teach children how to focus, concentrate, and be disciplined. When you take a music lesson, you’re focused solely on reading music and playing your instrument. This level of concentration can improve their discipline outside of lessons such as in the classroom or while they’re studying. It has even been found that people who regularly take music lessons have a higher IQ score compared to those who did not take lessons.
2. Social practice
Being a kid can be tough! You’re growing both mentally and physically every day, trying to figure out who you are and what you like, and you want to make friends that have the same interests as you. If your child is learning or practicing in a group setting, music lessons will help them break out of their shell and interact with their peers. If your kid goes on to play in a band or orchestra, they’ll have to learn how to play as one collective group instead of an individual. Also, your child’s interactions with their instructors can transcend outside of their lessons and influence how they interact with adults at school and at home.
Whether your kid chooses to learn/practice in a group setting or by themselves, they will be exposed to a world of other children who have similar interests. Music lessons can help improve social skills but they can also help make lifelong friends who all share a
common goal!
3. Boosted self-esteem
Believe it or not, learning how to play an instrument has been linked to improved self-esteem. Like we previously discussed, self-confidence can be hard to come by when you’re a child which is why it’s so crucial to boost your kid’s self-esteem starting at a young age. Music lessons require goal setting and constructive feedback that is then turned into positive actions. This helps enforce the idea that it’s okay to make mistakes, brush it off, and do better the next day. The repetition of failing and learning from mistakes turns into self-confidence. This boost of self-esteem goes beyond music lessons and can help with academic needs such as public speaking and presenting.
If your child wants to join a band or orchestra, being able to get up on stage and play in front of an audience requires a lot of guts. Getting over the fear of making mistakes in front of others will also help to improve self-esteem.
4. Increased motor skills
Many instruments such as the drums, guitar, bass, saxophone, and more all help to develop various physical skills such as motor skills and coordination. This is because to play these instruments, they require the use of hands, feet, core, arms, or usually a mix of multiple! String instruments and the piano help with hand-eye coordination and dexterity because you are using both hands for separate movements. In fact, a study done at Harvard found that children who took music lessons for at least three years had more developed motor skills compared to children who did not learn an instrument.
When you play music, you essentially have to use your entire body to keep the rhythm going. The repeated movement and posture that is required helps to strengthen muscles and gets them used to being in uncomfortable positions. This can help with long days sitting at a desk at school or for other extracurricular activities such as dancing or playing sports.
5. Flexible Music Lessons In Toronto
With school, work, social commitments, and more, life can get pretty busy. Here at Greater Toronto Music School, we pride ourselves on offering top-rated music lessons in Toronto and online music lessons that fit around your busy schedule. Unlike many other hobbies or extracurricular activities, we offer music lessons both privately in the comfort of your own home, virtually online and in our top Toronto music teachers' studios. Our Toronto music lessons are tailored to each individual student, their skill level, and personal music tastes. Our instructors are equipped to teach any student from beginners to budding experts. We love being able to get to know all of our students to create a lesson plan that works perfectly into their schedule and to fit their specific personality.
At Greater Toronto Music School, we offer lessons for the piano, guitar, drums, voice, violin, trumpet, saxophone, flute, and so much more. Give us a call today to chat about the right music lessons for your child!
And don’t forget the most important reason for your child to take music lessons in Toronto…it’s fun! There is nothing quite like sitting down and having music be your creative outlet to release any feelings from the day. Music makes us happy and is fun to play, so make sure to talk to your kids today to see if they would be interested in taking music lessons this year!
