8 Amazing Benefits of Playing an Instrument as a Child

Playing an instrument can help a child grow creatively, physically, and emotionally. Read on to learn about 8 key benefits to consider.

Did you know that children who play an instrument have improved reading and math skills, higher emotional intelligence, and show positive physical changes to their brain? These are only a few of the incredible benefits of playing an instrument as a child. Read on to discover more on why children should play music.

1. Patience

Learning an instrument takes time and practice, and no one becomes proficient overnight. No matter what instrument your child is playing, they will have to develop several skills at the same time as they learn how to play. They will have to learn music theory, how to read music, and hand-eye coordination, as well as the ins and outs of their specific instrument.

This process will take time, and this will help your child learn to be patient with themselves and with the learning process. Continued practice over time will allow them to develop patience as they see the benefits of delayed gratification. If your child has trouble getting into a practice routine at first, try these tips for helping them adjust.

2. Emotional Intelligence

Music is an inherently emotional activity, and the best musicians are those who are in touch with their emotions and can channel them into their performances. Learning how to play an instrument can help children identify their emotions. It can also give them a constructive outlet that can help them process their feelings. Instead of reacting to a situation that makes them feel out of control, your child might choose to turn to their instrument as a way to express their emotions.

Furthermore, studies have shown that children who play instruments have increased empathy. This is because they are more aware of the slight tonal changes in someone’s speaking voice that may suggest that they are upset. This allows them to be more sensitive to the emotions of others, making them kinder and more considerate people.

3. Resilience

The process of learning how to play an instrument, like many things in life, involves failing over and over again until you finally get it right. Every musician, no matter how practiced, can always improve. Thus, your child will no doubt receive plenty of feedback and corrections during their music lessons.

This will teach them not to immediately reject corrections, but to try again and again until they finally achieve their goal. This ability to handle failures and both positive and negative feedback will be incredibly valuable to your child. This resilience can also be applied to many other areas of their lives.

4. Improved Math Skills

Believe it or not, playing an instrument can actually improve your child’s math skills! One of the main reasons for this is that there is a certain level of math involved in music theory. Whether children realize they are using math or not, learning note values, time signatures, and how to count out rhythms will strengthen the parts of the brain used for complex problem-solving.

This will allow them to solve mathematical problems with greater ease. Additionally, studies have even shown that children who play instruments may be able to solve complex math problems with greater ease than their peers who do not play instruments.

5. Confidence and Self-Esteem

As your child learns a new skill, their confidence will increase. Going from not knowing how to play their instrument to playing simple songs to mastering more complex songs will boost your child’s self-esteem as they see their hard work pay off and their practice turn into actual skill.

Furthermore, the performance aspect of music can also increase their confidence. As children become accustomed to performing music for an audience, they will become more comfortable being in front of people. This will increase their confidence as well as help them later with skills such as public speaking or leading projects and meetings.

6. Neurological Benefits

Studies have also shown that the brains of individuals who learned to play an instrument as a child are physically different from the brains of their peers. This can result in improved memory and cognition, and even greater ease in learning foreign languages. Brain scans performed on musicians and non-musicians revealed that the brains of musicians form significantly more connections between hemispheres.

These additional connections are especially found in the parts of the brain involved in processing sounds and speech. Furthermore, the earlier a person begins to learn an instrument, the more connections they will have. This improved connection could have a myriad of neurological benefits, some of which might not even be known yet.

7. Improved Language Skills

In addition to the benefits listed above, learning how to play an instrument can also improve your child’s reading and language skills. Studies have shown that children who play an instrument have increased phonological skills.

As they learn to distinguish musical notes, they begin to better be able to distinguish between phonemes in spoken language. As a result, children can develop their vocabulary at a much faster level. This helps them increase their reading level as well.

8. Other Benefits of Playing an Instrument

There are plenty of other benefits of playing an instrument that haven’t been covered yet. Children who learn an instrument at a young age also tend to have improved behavior and discipline.

What’s more, playing in a group or ensemble can result in improved social skills as children learn to adapt to a group and work together to create music. Furthermore, learning a variety of different music genres can be a great tool for exploring other cultures and their history.

Ready to Get Started?

Now that you’ve seen some of the amazing benefits of playing an instrument as a child, are you ready to enroll your child in music lessons? Boothe Music offers both individual and private lessons in Spanish Fork and Provo for a variety of instruments. Contact us today and sign your child up for a fun, beneficial, and engaging new experience!