Choosing an extracurricular activity for your child can be difficult. Fortunately, there are many options in the Metro that will help you raise a well-rounded child. One area that doesn’t get a lot of attention but has a great pay off is music.

I confess, I’m biased. I am a music mom. Since 1998, for better or for worse, there has been some form of instrumental music in our home. It hasn’t always been melodic. It hasn’t always been played with joy. But it was one of the best parenting choices we made for our children. It was well worth all the squeaks, tears, money, and recital clothes. Here are some of the skills that develop in a young musician:

• Persistence and goal setting.
Sometimes a musical piece can take months to master. It sounds horrific at the beginning, but through hard work it becomes music.
• Attention and memorization.
Breaking a composition down into its smallest units takes time and helps children learn how to focus. Listening and memory are enhanced through repeated exposure to different sequences.
• Self-discipline and patience.
Children have multiple opportunities to control their emotions as they attempt to create a string of pleasant sounds.
• Accountability.
In a one-on-one environment, it’s easy for a music teacher to tell when a student has practiced consistently or has crammed for their lesson.
• Responsibility.
Sometimes music is a “have to” instead of a “want to.” Enforcing a routine of practice and requiring children to keep track of the materials necessary to perform is a stepping
stone to other responsibilities.
• Poise.
Performers get immediate feedback about their presentation to others. Although it creates stress in many, it also
provides an opportunity to learn how to manage anxiety.
• Music appreciation.
Vocal or instrumental instruction includes an exposure to a wide range of music beyond the popular tunes or a parent’s “oldies.”
• Camaraderie and teamwork.
Middle and high school students hone cooperative skills when working with others. The synergy is obvious in a marching band, vocal music concert, or orchestral performance.
• Benefits for Life
Organized music instruction has been linked with increased verbal
memory, good grades in high school, and improved achievement scores in mathematics, spelling, and reading. In 2006, a researcher from Toronto found that the positive side effects of music lessons increase over time as a child continues taking lessons. A 2007 online survey found that 88% of people with a post-graduate education took music lessons in school, and 83% of the respondents earning over $150,000 a year had a music education.
In addition to all of these pro-academic and success-oriented experiences, your child will ultimately learn how to make
music!

If you’re not musical, don’t worry—talent and good genes are not a prerequisite to a child’s music education. All little children are drawn to sound and enjoy listening, singing, or making noise. By considering music instruction for your child, you’re providing a structure to develop that natural interest. The long term benefit
may be music to your ears!

Dr. Lisa Marotta is a Clinical/School Psychologist within the Offices of Paul Tobin and Ann Benjamin.