I very clearly remember the day my son was fired by his piano teacher.
“Carrie, Luke doesn’t practice and he told me he wants to run instead of play the piano. I think it’s time to call it quits. Actually, it’s definitely time to call it quits! Some kids just aren’t cut out for this.”
Not cut out for this! I was a little defensive at first. My kid practices…I think. My kid has some talent…maybe. I can’t believe we’re being fired…
But, with a little introspection, she was right. He didn’t put in the effort that made it worthwhile. So why had I pushed this for so long?
Luke was my third child to take piano lessons. None of them has gone on to be any kind of great virtuoso. So were the lessons and the time and the fights over practicing worth it? Did music make any difference in their lives at all? I can say with certainty: yes!
First and foremost, music bolsters executive brain function, especially in children. Research shows that music lessons can enhance children’s cognitive abilities, including memory, attention, and problem-solving skills. These are all great skills that aren’t just applicable in music, but in so many parts of our lives. Studies have seen improvement in math, language, and social skills when exposed to music and music lessons.
Research also shows us that music enhances skills that are needed in several areas of child development.
Singing, listening, movement, using your fingers, reading: these all provide practice and benefit to children in formal and informal learning settings. Making music involves more than the voice or fingers playing an instrument; a child learning about music has to tap into multiple skill sets, often simultaneously. For instance, people use their ears and eyes, as well as large and small muscles, which develop greater neural plasticity and fine motor skills.
Did you know that music lessons can actually increase your child’s IQ?
A study first published in 2004 by E. Glenn Schellenberg at the University of Toronto at Mississauga found a slight increase in the IQ of 6-year-olds who had weekly music lessons as compared to a test group who had drama lessons and a group who did not participate in weekly lessons. Over the course of a year, the children involved in music lessons averaged 3 IQ points higher than the other groups. The group taking drama lessons did not see the same increase in IQ but they did experience increased social behaviors not seen in the music-only group.
When kids make music (or frankly, when any of us make music) their brains work harder.
When you are making music there is more neural activity taking place; you’re using more of your brain. And as kids practice music, they are training their brains to concentrate and increase their spatial-temporal skills. These skills become important as children work on solving multi-step problems one might encounter in architecture, engineering, math, art, working with computers, and even gaming.
I could probably go on and on, but one last thing I wanted to mention about music and kids is that making music can be joyful!
It can be transformative for children’s souls. So putting aside formal studies and research, think of the last time you saw a little child twirl while singing a song. Or singing a song in their carseat. Or playing ‘Chopsticks’ on the piano. I’m guessing they may have been smiling, or laughing, or just simply happy in the moment because they felt the music in their soul.
So Luke did quit the piano, or at least he quit taking piano lessons. But last night when I arrived home from work I heard something very familiar: Luke playing the piano…just for fun! And it was joyful.
Contributing Author: Carrie Athay
Carrie Athay grew up in a family that moved often, traveling and experiencing the cultural arts around the world. After hearing and seeing amazing works, she grew to understand the important role that the arts play in our lives and local communities. The idea that music, history, and art can cross boundaries and help us communicate on emotional levels has helped fuel her drive to build connections in the nonprofit sector in our area.
Carrie studied Humanities and Anthropology at Brigham Young University and has a master’s degree from George Washington University. Prior to landing in Idaho Falls, she worked for several museums and nonprofits. Carrie is the Executive Director of the Idaho Falls Symphony where she works to build bridges and connect us all through the intertwining of our hearts as we experience live orchestral music together. She has a passion for the cultural arts and believes that we thrive as communities when we experience the beautiful textures around us; specifically the textures of Idaho, as seen through our people, cultural arts, and natural surroundings.
