It’s a sad reality that teaching music to children is one of the first things politicians target for cuts when school revenues come up short. Along with the public library, music programs are perceived as some sort of luxury that communities can do without. Seldom will a school system say they’re getting rid of the football or swim teams.
There are good lessons to be learned both from sports and from music, and it’s up to parents to start removing ear wax from their local leaders to help them understand the role that music education plays in overall learning. Whether they ask or not, try pointing out some of these benefits of learning music:
- It’s fun. Kids like making music, so they’re excited to learn about it.
- It teaches language skills. Music has its own language with its own set of rules. Learning how music is written helps kids to comprehend the rules of grammar they’ll learn in English and foreign language classes.
- It teaches math. All music is set to a rhythm that is based on measures and beats set out in simple mathematical formulas. Counting, division and fractions all come into play when kids learn to play music.
- It builds coordination. Good hand-eye coordination is needed to play the right notes. Music can be especially beneficial to young children, because it teaches them to use both the reasoning and motor skill sides of the brain simultaneously. It also helps to build fine motor skills in both hands.
