Advantages
Many parents don't realize how much music lessons can do for their children. Studying this area can improve their skills in mathematics, memorization and listening. It also helps improve motor skills and coordination.
Should I send my child to a music school?
Learning music can also improve self-esteem and teach children time management and teamwork. Playing a musical instrument or singing is a great way to relieve stress and helps children express themselves. Children who are involved in music and singing often do better in school because they learn patience and self-discipline.
Adults who learn music as children are often more successful. They will understand that they need to achieve everything themselves. In addition, they have better communication skills and are not afraid of public speaking.
Develops physical skills
Some instruments, such as drums, help children develop coordination and motor skills;
they require movement of the arms, hands and legs. This type of tool is great for kids with a lot of energy. String and keyboard instruments such as the violin and piano require different actions from the right and left hands simultaneously. Not only do tools help develop ambidexterity, but they can also help children feel comfortable in inherently uncomfortable positions. Improving coordination can prepare children for other hobbies such as dance and sports.
Improves social skills
Group activities require interaction and communication between peers, which encourages teamwork as children must collaborate to create a crescendo or acceleration. If your child plays their instrument too loudly or speeds up quickly, they will need to adjust. It is important for children to know and understand their individual role in a large ensemble.
Rhapsody of Music offers general music education classes in which teachers divide students into groups and assign each child a task. Whether the team is responsible for choosing instruments or creating a melody, the guys strive for a common goal.
It improves self-esteem
The lessons offer a forum where children can learn to accept and give constructive criticism. In particular, group activities can help children understand that no one is perfect and everyone has room for improvement.
Presenting yourself in public is an important skill, whether you become a professional musician or not. This skill easily transfers to public speaking.
Introduces children to other cultures
By learning and playing different instruments, children can learn that music plays an important role in other cultures. For example, bongos and timbales can introduce children to African and Cuban styles of music. Although the modern violin has its roots in Italy, learning to play it helps children learn more about the classical music popularized by German and Austrian musicians.
Versatile instruments such as the violin and piano can accompany a wide repertoire of styles, including classical and jazz (which originated in the American South). It is important to expose children to other cultures at a young age because it promotes open-mindedness towards worlds and traditions beyond those they know.
Attending music concerts
We advise city residents not to neglect this opportunity. It is preferable if the concert takes place during the daytime and the program includes classical music. It’s one thing to hear music heard on the radio, recorded or even on TV, and quite another thing is the atmosphere of performance in a concert hall. When music is born, as they say, at that moment, when many people listen to it attentively, a special bright and festive, so to speak, biofield of musical unity, musical empathy is created.
Many great musicians recalled that their first and most significant childhood musical experiences were associated with such public concerts. Children especially love concerts in which young musicians play. For example, reporting concerts of music schools.
At what age is it better to send a child to music school?
The music program must correspond to the age and interests of the child. Children two years old and even younger can be taught to clap to the beat of their favorite songs and identify rhythms. The younger your child is, the easier it will be for him or her to learn, so if they show interest in learning, that's when you should enroll them in school.
When can you send your child to music school?
For more formal learning to sing or learn an instrument, 5 years old is generally a good age to start. At this age, children can usually sit even longer and concentrate better. However, children who do not want to learn to sing or play a musical instrument should not be forced. Forcing your child to learn is unlikely to lead to a love of music. If your little one is fighting you every step of the way, waiting until he or she is a little older may help.
Assess the teacher's motivation
Sitting in one place for two to three hours a day at an instrument is quite difficult even for a calm child. But the teacher’s task is precisely to “ignite” children with their creative energy.
“The feeling of doing something you love should always be present,” Dmitry Nesterov is convinced. – Then there will be no talk about patience as such. It is important that the teacher himself likes what he does. And the child too. In this situation, it is very easy to turn studying into a game - children begin to enjoy learning. Of course, it's important to take breaks."
Advice for those who decide to send their child to a music school
Be sure to consider your child's age and physical limitations. Don't choose an instrument that is too heavy or too large to play correctly. The violin and piano are great instruments for beginners, especially for children under six, because they help build a foundation for other instruments. If your little one has a strong desire to learn a particular instrument, talk to their music teacher to make sure it's a good choice for their age.
Keep in mind that the house will be noisy
There are ways to avoid annoying neighbors and other family members during music practice. You can create a DIY soundproofing workout room with thick carpets and blackout curtains. Good communication can also solve a lot of problems, so talk to neighbors and family to determine the best times to practice before your child starts.
Analyze how much time your child and you have
School-age children often play sports and attend various clubs, which take up a lot of their free time. Make sure your child can fit in music lessons without becoming overly stressed or allowing their schoolwork to suffer. If he or she already has a full schedule, some decisions will need to be made about what is most important.
Although most of the time will fall on your child's shoulders, you will still need to make sure that he is practicing and attending lessons. You'll also need to drive him back and forth to classes and find something to do while he's there.
Consider the cost
Cost may be the most important factor for some people. Purchasing a tool can be expensive, but you have several options. Consider renting an instrument from a music studio or purchasing a used instrument for the first time. Schools may even have tools that your child can use for a while. Books and sheet music can often be found on the Internet. The cost of the lessons themselves is another consideration. Online lessons are often cheaper than in-person lessons, so be sure to explore this option.
Music is something that he or she will take with him or her throughout life. With some careful planning and creativity, every child should be able to learn an instrument if they are so inclined.
How does music affect a child?
Let’s be clear right away: when we say the word “music,” we mean music in its original understanding: folk melodies, classics, complex and melodic musical pieces, etc. But not the modern three-note horror that now sounds from every iron and has no there is nothing in itself except a deafening and stupefying rhythm.
So, let’s leave modern cacophony aside and talk exclusively about real music. Does it affect the child? And how! This has long been proven both scientifically and in a practical sense.
- It has long been known that a child hears music even before he is born. Sounds are the first thing a baby can experience in this world. The expectant mother needs to know this, and in the last months of pregnancy try to listen to good music more often and understand that the child can hear it at the same time. Classics, as well as light, soothing instrumental melodies are just the thing. But - not modern primitive sounds! It has been proven that if the expectant mother listens to them, the child is born weak and nervous, and subsequently develops with various deviations.
- Lullabies that a mother sings to her baby also play a very important positive role in his development - along with high-quality music and even more so, since the baby hears his mother’s voice.
- In general, a child perceives music with his whole being, directly and openly. He literally absorbs it into himself! Therefore (again!) it is very important that he listens to beautiful, true music. If from the first days of a baby’s life you let him listen to musical pieces, then very soon he will begin to distinguish one composer from another and he will develop his own musical taste.
- Babies who listen to music from birth begin to talk faster.
- It has long been irrevocably proven that real music:
- develops children's intelligence, creative thinking, imagination, hearing and memory;
- has a positive effect on the children's nervous system and psyche;
- helps cure many diseases as it strengthens the immune system.
- With the help of music, psychologists successfully treat many children’s fears and phobias, and speech therapists teach the correct pronunciation of words.
We repeat, since this is very important: all this benefit for the child is provided by real (primarily classical and folk) music. And any primitive “boom-boom”, on the contrary, depresses the child - physically, emotionally, nervously and intellectually. Moms and dads, draw the right conclusions!
Mistakes of parents who believe that they should send their child to a music school
Advice for those who decide to send their child to a music school
Starting lessons too early
Typically, 3- and 4-year-olds (and many 5-year-olds) lack the attention span, motor skills, and reading skills needed for private music lessons. We recommend waiting until five or six years in most cases.
If you are sure that your little child is ready, then promise to help him practice.
Spend too much time studying
Thirty minutes can feel like forever when you're eight years old and all you can think about is cartoons. In fact, it's the regularity that matters, not the duration.
First, make sure your teacher leaves your student with clear, practical instructions that he or she understands. Then work with your student and teacher to set practical goals. For example, play this part of the song slowly five times, and then play the song from start to finish twice.
Children will be able to practice more effectively in a shorter period of time. Or the lack of pressure may encourage them to practice even longer!
Doubt your teacher
Parents who are adamant about doing things a certain way can undermine progress and cast a negative shadow on lessons. By thinking that a child should learn this type of music, play this song, or practice for X minutes every day, you are on the wrong path. As a result, the student's attitude toward music lessons, or even music in general, may be disrupted.
Maintain an open mind and trust in your teacher's ability to do a good job. A good teacher will take into account your student's specific skills, needs and interests - and the results can be surprising!
Don't let your kids take lessons just for fun
As children get older and become more involved in school and other extracurricular activities, music lessons may take a backseat. They may still enjoy their instrument, but the requirement of daily practice and goal achievement can ruin the fun. This will add stress and ultimately lead to giving up.
If you see this happening to your child, there is another option. Change the purpose of the lessons. Sometimes a shift in perspective is required to keep a student engaged in class.
Working with one teacher for too long
If things aren't working out with your teacher for whatever reason - they're constantly late, they can't handle the repertoire - maybe it's time to address the issues directly, or even time to move on.
As with any relationship, teacher-student changes over time. If your student expresses a desire or need for change, listen. A great new teacher will add something valuable to your child's knowledge and experience.
Get your child used to the stage
One of the reasons for a child’s refusal to attend classes may be shyness and fear of public speaking. In this case, it is worth paying special attention to additional classes to emancipate yourself on stage.
To begin with, it is important that the child comes to concerts more often and carefully monitors what is happening.
Then you can gradually teach him to move and interact on stage with other children.
If your child takes piano, but is afraid to perform, then you can enroll him in additional vocal or acting classes:
“I let the kids do whatever they want, I leave big gaps so they can try clapping to the music, dancing. This is a difficult task. It takes a long time to resolve, up to a year. But nothing is impossible if the child enjoys the process,” says Dmitry Popov.
