The Benefits of Music

Darren Fellows @DFellowsMusic

The benefits of taking part in musical activities have long been recognised. Studies have shown that engaging in music can influence different areas of childhood development These can be categorised as aesthetic, spiritual, social, emotional, intellectual, creative and academic

Aesthetic

Music can provide the opportunity for aesthetic experiences. Through learning, creating and listening to music, a young person can combine senses and emotions to develop important critical evaluation skills and an appreciation of aesthetic forms such as music, art or drama Engagement in music can develop a child’ self-awareness and exploration of individual tastes, likes and dislikes From a young age a child can learn what is pleasing to the ear and what isn’t aesthetically pleasant and can form opinions and tastes which extend beyond music into different art forms

Spiritual

Children who engage in musical activities develop a heightened sense of spirituality and understanding of the world. Exploring a range of music from across the globe provides a glimpse of other cultures and teaches the young person to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures This development of compassion, empathy and making music with others leads to respect of other races, religions and backgrounds and a greater understanding of the world

Engaging in musical activities can develop a young person’s morals and philosophy. Playing music in an ensemble can develop personal morals such as: cooperation; responsibility; commitment and mutual support These require the development of trust and respect, learning the skills of compromising and negotiation. These skills form the basis of a young person’s self-identity and personal development of morals and philosophy

Emotional

Music has been linked to the capacity to increase emotional sensitivity. The recognition of emotions in music is directly related to what we know as emotional intelligence. This allows the child to control, recognise and regulate their emotionssomething that young children find difficult Young people with undeveloped emotional intelligence do not often realise that they are sad because they are tired, or angry because they are feeling hungry and are unable to connect these feelings and emotions in their brain Recognising emotions in music can develop the emotional part of the child’s brain and helps them to recognise their own emotions and that of those around them. Identifying the different emotions in music actually draws on many of the same skills that form emotional intelligence in everyday life Once the young person is aware of their own emotions, they can then develop the ability to recognise those of other people and develop empathy.

Creative

Music has a huge impact on the development of creativity within children and young people. Taking part in musical activities gives a child opportunity to use their imagination, express themselves, explore new sounds and instruments and make choices and decisions The development of creativity is an important aspect of a child’s intellectual growth and it is no surprise that some of the most successful people have at one time or another, studied music

Social

Music has a huge impact on personal and social development Through engaging in musical activities a child can develop leadership qualities as well as collaboration, understanding and communication skills Music connects people through sound, so that there is a sense of physical and emotional bonding over a shared experience This leads to a greater sense of understanding and communication with others, team cooperation and enhances social confidence Learning an instrument involves activities that encourage social interaction such as: going to lessons, practicing the instrument, and talking about music with others. These activities allow children to communicate effectively, socialise and build relationships with friends with similar interests.

The development of social skills through music is further enhanced by participating in musical groups. This collaborative activity promotes friendships with like- minded people and the development of social skills; social networking; team work; cooperation; mutual support and bonding to meet common goals Respect of others’ skills and learning where one fits in to the group is important and teaches the child understanding, adaptability and compromise Through playing music with others, a young person can develop their collaborative skills - an important attribute utilised throughout a lifetime.

Intellectual

Numerous studies have identified a link between music nad intellectual and cognitive development, spatial awareness, problem solving, thinking and reasoning skills. Exploring music at a young age allows children to strengthen intellectual functions, such as observing, exploring, listening, producing, comparing, and hypothesising. This enables the construction of thought and its different types of knowledge

Playing music uses and develops cognitive functions, exercising and stimulating different parts of the brain. Creating music involves an array of skills and functions to be carried out simultaneously The beating of a drum for example, requires aural, fine motor skills, spatial awareness, concentration and thinking skills Problem solving, thinking and reasoning skills are developed during this process as children have the opportunity to explore how instruments make sound and the best way to produce this Observation and listening skills are developed through watching and listening to others and visual and instructional cues from a teacher. The cumulative brain functions and thought processes all come in to play when making music and this has an impact on a child’s brain development.

Academic

Research shows that one of the most notable benefits of music for children is the strengthening of the learning process and improved academic development This can impact on a range of subjects, particularly English, Literacy and Maths Children who learn music benefit from heightened brain activity and development of the auditory cortex (the part of the brain that interprets sound) This part of the brain is vital in the action of reading and learning languages

Playing a musical instrument can offer other academic benefits It can make children more organised, develop the ability to plan tasks and improve their attention span Through playing an instrument, progress in learning ability is reflected in areas such as long-term memory, hand/eye coordination, and overall academic performance Learning an instrument improves a young person’s ability to learn and remember words associated with the instrument, notation or musical terminology thus promoting a wider vocabulary

It has long been realised that there is a strong correlation between music and maths due to the increased stimulation of the related brain areas Music can impact a child’s academic development in relation to maths through simple counting songs, copying and counting numbers and clapping rhythms Young people who play music are required to count the beats of a bar and sub-divide these beats to turn rhythmic notation into music. Most musical notation is based on mathematical processes, therefore young musicians can improve their ability to deal with numbers, algebraic functions, and geometry

Having read this article, the next time you need to explain to someone why music lessons are important, you'll have a whole host of reasons to share with them! But remember, music is also important in its own right, no matter how many extra benefits it provides.