BENEFITS OF STUDYING MUSIC
Improves Neural Activity
Research by John Hopkins University has shown that playing an instrument requires more of the brain than regular every-day activities, which, overtime, leads to musicians having a stronger, more diverse neural structure than non-musicians.
Music Builds Intellectual Curiosity
By learning an instrument or listening to a song, individuals will naturally increase their intellectual curiosity about music and perhaps even life in general. For example, after hearing a song, a student may become curious as to how that song was made and thus desire to learn an instrument. Or an advanced student may be curious as to why certain notes sound pleasant when they are played together. Furthermore, they may then become interested as to why some chords sound sad. The intellectual avenues that can be explored are about as infinite as music itself.
Fine Tunes Auditory Skills
As one may imagine, listening to music and learning an instrument fine tunes auditory skills and improves the brain’s ability to discern meaning from what it is hearing. For example, students and individuals that spend a considerable amount of time listening and playing music will often have a sharper sense of hearing and are better able to predict and follow patterns.
Develops Creative Thinking
It is widely understood that music can play an incredible part in developing critical thinking. Whether it is creating a new song from scratch or analyzing lyrics to uncover their meaning, music provides students with countless opportunities to be creative and experimental. This experimenting is greatly needed in schools as few subjects provide students with the rich creative opportunities that a musical education offers.
Increases Coordination
Generally, we tend to associate coordination with physical movement like walking, but it is also beneficial to coordinate individual body parts. It is widely known that practicing a musical instrument on a consistent basis can greatly improve hand-eye coordination.
Emotional Development
Many students have found that music education helps them with their self-esteem and anxiety.
Provides a Unique Way of Self-Teaching Discipline
Learning an instrument gives students a unique way to understand and appreciate the importance and benefits of discipline. For example, initially a student may not be very successful at playing their instrument. But if they are encouraged to keep practicing and giving an effort, they soon will realize that the more that they practice, the quicker they improve. This insight can then be carried over into other subjects as well.
Improves Efforts in Other Academic Areas
A study by the University of Kansas found that elementary students with music education performed much higher than non-music students in subjects such as English and Math. Furthermore, math is an integral part of music theory, so there are plenty of ways that music and math can be combined in the classroom.
Cultural Empathy
For thousands of years, music has been used as a cultural emulsifier. Therefore, in the classroom, music can be leveraged to promote the acceptance of cultural diversity, as well as to encourage individuals to explore another country’s music and culture.
Research by John Hopkins University has shown that playing an instrument requires more of the brain than regular every-day activities, which, overtime, leads to musicians having a stronger, more diverse neural structure than non-musicians.
Music Builds Intellectual Curiosity
By learning an instrument or listening to a song, individuals will naturally increase their intellectual curiosity about music and perhaps even life in general. For example, after hearing a song, a student may become curious as to how that song was made and thus desire to learn an instrument. Or an advanced student may be curious as to why certain notes sound pleasant when they are played together. Furthermore, they may then become interested as to why some chords sound sad. The intellectual avenues that can be explored are about as infinite as music itself.
Fine Tunes Auditory Skills
As one may imagine, listening to music and learning an instrument fine tunes auditory skills and improves the brain’s ability to discern meaning from what it is hearing. For example, students and individuals that spend a considerable amount of time listening and playing music will often have a sharper sense of hearing and are better able to predict and follow patterns.
Develops Creative Thinking
It is widely understood that music can play an incredible part in developing critical thinking. Whether it is creating a new song from scratch or analyzing lyrics to uncover their meaning, music provides students with countless opportunities to be creative and experimental. This experimenting is greatly needed in schools as few subjects provide students with the rich creative opportunities that a musical education offers.
Increases Coordination
Generally, we tend to associate coordination with physical movement like walking, but it is also beneficial to coordinate individual body parts. It is widely known that practicing a musical instrument on a consistent basis can greatly improve hand-eye coordination.
Emotional Development
Many students have found that music education helps them with their self-esteem and anxiety.
Provides a Unique Way of Self-Teaching Discipline
Learning an instrument gives students a unique way to understand and appreciate the importance and benefits of discipline. For example, initially a student may not be very successful at playing their instrument. But if they are encouraged to keep practicing and giving an effort, they soon will realize that the more that they practice, the quicker they improve. This insight can then be carried over into other subjects as well.
Improves Efforts in Other Academic Areas
A study by the University of Kansas found that elementary students with music education performed much higher than non-music students in subjects such as English and Math. Furthermore, math is an integral part of music theory, so there are plenty of ways that music and math can be combined in the classroom.
Cultural Empathy
For thousands of years, music has been used as a cultural emulsifier. Therefore, in the classroom, music can be leveraged to promote the acceptance of cultural diversity, as well as to encourage individuals to explore another country’s music and culture.