Sports in schools gets a lot of press. And for good reason. Sports can improve self-esteem, teach kids team building skills, and keep them active for hours at a time. An important skill to have in today’s world with skyrocketing obesity rates.
Yet while value is consistently showcased on the positives of sports, the positives of music haven’t been as well publicized. And that needs to change.
Music has been a part of our lives as long as humans have been on planet Earth. Whether listenin
g, singing, or playing, music has the power to change our world. Yet despite the universal interest in music, many schools are doing away with music programs. Eliminating music isn’t just taking away an enjoyable experience from kids, it’s also taking away valuable life skills. Learning music is important on so many levels; to offer it to all kids from an early age brings a wealth of benefits not only to a child’s life, but also to the general population as a whole.
1. Music helps develop language and reasoning. Music makes kids think quicker on their feet, and enjoy exploring more about our world.
2. Music increases coordination. Playing an instrument helps kids develop hand eye coordination and improves their fine motor skills.
3. Music improves memorization skills. Even when using sheet music, a child must learn to memorize certain aspects of music to move along from note to note. This same skill carries over into schoolwork as well.
4. Music is a natural stress release. Whether you attend a concert, zone with your iTunes and favorite artist, or sit down at the piano to practice, the stress quickly begins shedding away as you hear your favorite melodies.
5. Music increases pattern recognition. Patterns are built into all STEM classes, including math and science. Music improves the skills of recognizing patterns and being able to apply it to the most complex tasks.
6. Music improves test taking skills and helps them do better on the SAT. Studies consistently show that children that participate in music activities do better with test taking skills, and SAT scores can be as much as 60 points higher on both the verbal and math portions of the tests.
7. Music builds imagination. Music, like reading, fosters a positive attitude towards learning and curiosity.
8. Music prepares for a creative careers. Employers no longer want doers, they want thinkers too. Studies show that music majors make the best medical students. And an education rich in music helps bring artistic expression to just about any job. That need will increase in our future as we face more complex tasks and higher growth into technology and the unknown.
9. Music teaches risk taking. Performing a piece of music in front of an audience allows a child to conquer their fears and take risks to prove how much talent they really have.
10. Music encourages self confidence. With encouragement from teachers and parents, students can take pride and confidence in the skills they learn.
And what’s most magical is these skills will continue to build over a lifetime. Music is something you can invest in as easily at 10 as you can at 100. And it will keep improving over time.
