Many people think music lessons are a good idea for children. This post is not about the specifics of why music lessons help with language skills, cognitive development, confidence, etc. I want to focus on what music lessons do for kids who aren’t going to play in the audition orchestra – even kids who hate to practice.
When that happens, many parents say I’m not paying for lessons if you’re not going to practice or play in a group. Believe me I get that, and those concerns are real, but they don’t address many of the benefits of continuing lessons if the child wants to continue.
Weekly lessons are, in and of themselves, empowering for children. Frankly, every child does not have the self-regulation required to regularly practice, but that doesn’t mean they should lose the opportunity to play an instrument if they want to play an instrument.
There are music teachers who do not share this philosophy. Their belief is if a child isn’t practicing it’s a waste of their time and depending on how they teach, it may be. But for many children, including those with ADHD or ADD having a scheduled music lesson and a teacher who is willing to pick up lesson-wise wherever the student is that day, builds trust, confidence, and eventually musical knowledge and ability. It can be a lifelong gift as long as undue pressures and expectations aren’t forced on young children. There are enough stresses for children. Music lessons should be positive experiences.
Here are some links to the benefits music lessons provide for your child…
https://www.libertyparkmusic.com/10-benefits-of-learning-music/
https://www.letsplaykidsmusic.com/benefits-of-music-lessons/
