Set Your Kids Onto Music In The New Year

Now that 2017 is in full swing, there’s no better time to tackle the goal of getting you kids into music. The chaos of the holidays is finally behind us, so you have the time to add daily practice sessions and weekly lessons into your family’s busy schedule. Once you do, you’re setting your children up for success! Keep reading to learn the surprising benefits of learning an instrument at a young age.

Time is everything. You know that. Whether it’s getting everyone out of the house in time for school and work or simply getting dinner on the table, how early you start these tasks will effect just how successful you are. And just like these two examples, the earlier you can start your kids’ musical training the better chance they have at succeeding.

There’s some science to it. Recent studies suggest there’s a window of opportunity that’s considered the perfect time to get your kids interested in music. This window, from ages 0–9, is important because it indicates a time when their brains are still squishy and impressionable. They’re undergoing critical development in the areas of the brain responsible for language and mathematics during these ages. It just so happens that the same parts of the brain responsible for speaking, writing, computation, and problem solving, get a workout when they play music. When music is introduced into their studies at this time, they’re more likely to absorb all of the new skills they’re learning at school.

That’s not to say musical education is only for those 9 and under. Any kid can pick up an instrument if they believe in themselves — and yes this does include kids like you! It just means the longer we wait to learn the metre of music, the more work it will be to train our brains since we lose mental plasticity as we age. But don’t worry — your teenagers won’t have to worry about putting in extra work to learn their instrument. They’re still young enough to pick it up easily if they put their minds to it.

As a result, studies have shown kids with musical backgrounds outperform those children who don’t every time. They’re able to perform divergent thinking — or creative and critical problem solving — faster than their cohorts. As they improve their ability to understand spatial sense, math, and language, they’re also increasing their emotional fluency. Music gives them an outlet for their inner feelings, with proven benefits to their mental well-being by lowering stress and blood pressure.

Musical training can also teach your children the positive results of hard work. Learning to play an instrument doesn’t come naturally to most of us. It’s the product of deliberate practice and determination to learn. Once they surpass individual notes and are able to play their favourite songs, they’ll see the pay-off of their concentration — which is a valuable skill to have later in life. It can also do wonders for their self-confidence so they’re more likely to take on new and exciting challenges.

With so many benefits to learning, there’s no reason to delay signing them up for lessons. Since this is Canada, you’ll find help you can rely on from the sales reps at Long & McQuade, the largest and most trusted chain of music stores in the country. These professionals are experts at what they do and can recommend the best teachers and instruments for your children. Their massive inventory of musical instruments is also available online at Long-Mcquade.com. You can use their website to find out if they have music lessons at a convenient time for your family. With only a few clicks of your mouse, you can have your kids outfitted with the gear they need before they start their musical careers.

Take advantage of the new beginnings the New Year offers. Sign your children up for music lessons and see how they improve over the next 12 months. You’ll notice it isn’t just their abilities at the fret or keyboard that progress. Music will help them realize their full potential in all that they do.