Articles on Musical Instruments | Topics: instruments, instrument
by Lawrence Gilmore
Musical learning at a young age improves the brains ability to progress in the areas of language and reasoning. The latest studies have demonstrated that music actually improves the left side of the brain, in particular, the part involved in language processing. By playing certain types of music while studying has been shown to increase a child's ability to focus.
Spatial aptitude, the ability to understand the world correctly with proper proportions, can be influenced by learning music. Adults who listen to complex music experience a temporary amplification in their spatial IQ scores; this is known as the Mozart Effect. If listening to complex music has this affect on the adult brain, what affect will it have on the developing brain of a child who is learning how to combine the sound of his or her instrument into the band or orchestra?
Children who learn music also learn how to differentiate between a good and a bad performance. Tiny things can shape the quality of a musical performance – a misplaced finger. By learning to concentrate on the aspects in playing a musical instrument, your child will learn to focus their attention on details in their everyday life. When they learn to play an instrument, they also learn self-control and the satisfaction of a job well done. When you extol a child for good work, or when you speak well of them and then point out places to improve, it builds self-worth and an incentive to try harder. The responsibility of taking care of a musical instrument is a powerful motivator and some instruments, like violins, can involve an unexpected amount of care, and keeping their instrument in proper condition is a great confidence builder.
Children who study music and other arts perform better overall in school, and it shows on standardized tests like the SAT. Moreover, participation in the performing arts looks very good on a college application; it is the sort of well-rounded activity many colleges target in their recruiting and admissions process. In fact, the College Board recognizes music as one of six areas essential in order to thrive in college. Music students tend to receive more academic honors and awards than non-music students, and a higher percentage of music students receive As and Bs than those who do not participate in music programs.
| Bit of History |
Both instruments are processors of information. Both appeared when nothing quite like them had existed before, and both began to make their effects felt immediately (a situation that isn’t invariable with new technology)The worth of a State, in the long run, is the worth of the individuals composing it ... a State which dwarfs its men, in order that they may be more docile instruments in its hands even for beneficial purposes—will find that with small men no great thing can really be accomplished.
| —John Stuart Mill (1806–1873) |
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Largely music is better than computer instruction for improving a child's conceptual reasoning skills. Children who become skilled at musical instruments have an edge on their peers in math, science, and other skills that require logical thinking. Children who play musical instruments demonstrate more passion, more flexibility, and more creativity than those who do not. Students are more inclined to pay attention to solving problems rather than dwelling on them. Their brains are wired for innovation, literally – the nerve fibers linking the two hemispheres of the brain, are a great deal more developed in musicians than in other people; and this is vital for creativity and intuition.
Children who take part in learning to play musical instruments develop their hand-eye coordination and their manual dexterity. It is easier for a child who plays a keyed instrument to learn how to type, a skill increasingly vital in the world. In addition, children with any kind of respiratory disorder, such as asthma, will see improvement in their breathing when they are playing wind instruments. If your child suffers from a disorder such as stuttering, learning to play a musical instrument or learning to sing can help them overcome it. Music cultivates the language part of the brain.
Children that take part in band or orchestra at school, or learning to play a musical instrument on their own at home, are less likely to be involved in risky or delinquent behavior. This is due to an array of factors, including practice time, learning self-discipline by playing an instrument, and the joy a child gets from doing something they truly take pleasure in. Playing a musical instrument inspires positive attitudes. It also encourages the desire to strive for excellence, the skill to cooperate, and learning to set goals. When you consider all the benefits of a musical education, the cost you will experience seems like a minor sacrifice.
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