3 Ways Music Develops Well-rounded Children

Everyone has heard about the Mozart effect. Maybe you placed headphones on your (or your partner’s) pregnant belly with classical music playing in order to increase your baby’s future SAT scores.

Simply listening to music has been shown to increase people’s spatial reasoning skills. Science has been discovering that when children play music, the effects are even more stunning than the 8 or 9 point IQ jump achieved from listening to music.

If your parents forced you into piano lessons as a kid, it’s time to call them up and thank them.

Countless studies are uncovering that when children take music lessons they are more likely to become well-rounded, happy and successful people.

Here are just three ways music lessons will help your child become more well-rounded.

Emotionally Well-Rounded

Playing an instrument takes practice and discipline. Your child will be exercising real-life skills when they engage all of the difficult aspects of learning a musical instrument.

There will be struggles, as well as triumphs and joys. Your child will stumble through a song and feel frustrated. Then once they practice and master a new skill, they will experience joy and pride.

When your child practices their instrument, they are also practicing emotional control. If they can survive the frustration and feelings of temporary failure to reach the triumph of success at a young age, they can develop more emotional control.

New studies have shown that children who play an instrument have greater anxiety control and emotional management.

When your child plays an instrument they are trying on the stresses and joys of adult life, in a controlled and safe environment. This will only help them succeed later on.

Increased Self-Esteem

We do everything we can to increase our child’s self-esteem. Parents often end up praising everything a child does in an attempt to pad their self-esteem.

“Good job going down the slide!” “Great job tying your shoes!” Etc.

Playing an instrument is a well-rounded and holistic way to increase your child’s self-esteem.

Playing an instrument improves performance in the classroom. Higher cognitive function and better grades will make your child more confident and they’ll feel better about themselves!

Participating in the arts instills pride in a child. When your child is given a constructive outlet for self-expression they are able to feel good about themselves and the art that they make.

Enhanced Social Development

Music lessons create a safe space for your child to develop well-rounded presentational skills. When your child plays their instrument in front of people, even if it’s just their instructor, they are fine-tuning an important life skill.

The ability to present and perform an arguably vulnerable task in the presence of other people helps your child become a more well-rounded social being.

Plus, if your child is making music in a group setting like a band or orchestra, the team atmosphere greatly increases your child’s social development. Unlike a sports team, making music together has nothing to do with winning or losing, and has everything to do with group cohesion.

There are nearly countless ways that playing a musical instrument will help foster your child into a well-rounded person.

In fact, music is such a healthy hobby to partake in maybe you’ll give it a try too! Start a family band and soon everyone’s emotional, intrapersonal, and social skills will be skyrocketing.

Leave a comment below about how music lessons have helped your child become more well-rounded.