Music Education Has Documented Benefits
Students that receive music education – or indeed, any in the arts as well as other core subjects – tend to achieve higher test scores in classes and on the SAT. They tend to have better language development, as music uses the left hemisphere of the brain, which is also the language center.
Reasoning, pattern recognition, and memorization skills also benefit from learning music, as these skills are necessary in order to read, understand and then apply the notes on a page of sheet music to the instrument of one’s choice.
It has also been documented that these benefits are amplified by the duration of one’s music education, especially if commenced at an early stage of a person’s life. That makes music in early childhood education a subject that shouldn’t be skipped.
Studies have shown that children that receive music instruction before kindergarten tend to score higher on aptitude tests and standardized exams over peers that did not have early childhood music education. Music students are therefore able to hit the ground running a little ahead of their peers.
Einstein, after all, said a number of times that he would have preferred to have become a violinist.
Music is also a creative endeavor. Since creativity is a requisite attribute in many fields – far beyond the arts; STEM fields require great creative thinking as well – music education can help inculcate creativity at an early age. Imagination and intellectual curiosity are also stimulated by music education, which are critical components in creative thinking.
Other Benefits Of Music Education In Early Childhood
There are other benefits of early childhood music education that can extend elsewhere, beyond mere intellectual aptitudes.
Music, as a skill, requires repetition, discipline, and exactitude in order to improve on the instrument. Time has to be put in for skills to grow, which is true about any skill that one can try to acquire in life. You have to put in the practice in order to get the right performance in the concert setting. This disciplined approach to learning anything will serve a person well throughout their life.
Teamwork can also be learned through music education. When playing in an ensemble, you have to listen to what other people are doing while also concentrating on doing your job as well. There has to give and take, and all for the good of the group as a whole. Teamwork is definitely a skill, and music is a very good way to learn it.
It’s also fun! Rote memorization and dry repetitive exercises can be a serious bore; if learning is made fun though school shows and programs than the effort doesn’t really seem like an effort.
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