We look forward to the summer months for many reasons: long, sun filled days; poolside barbeques; and trips up to the family cottage. The fact that your kids – out from school and unsupervised – are screaming boredom every few minutes is not one of them. Instead of plunking them in front of the television or signing them up for an expensive day camp, try getting your children interested in music. The benefits of picking up piano, guitar, or any other instrument your child prefers exceed far more than getting them out of your hair this summer. Music lessons have the ability to empower your children for their entire lives by improving their memory, cognitive abilities, and mood.
But first thing’s first: you need to have a talk with your children to find out which instrument they’re keen to pick up. You could make the decision for them, but that’s the fastest way to guarantee their complete disinterest in the endeavour. By giving them the freedom to choose, you’re increasing the chances that they’ll enjoy their summertime lessons.
Your son or daughter may already have an instrument in mind, which makes your job easy. If they don’t, don’t panic. If you live in the Great White North, Canada has a chain of music stores that caters to young musicians just starting their practice. Stores like Long & McQuade are available all over the country, and each location has representatives who can help your child make their decision. Knowing how quickly your children can fall in and out of interests, you may want to rent kids musical instruments at Long & McQuade to see if their initial choice is one they want to stick with.
Whatever they choose, these locations will also provide a talented musical instructor to match. Guitar lessons, violin lessons, vocal lessons, and piano lessons (to name a few) are all available. Whichever kids music lessons you enroll your children in, know that you’re opening multiple doors of opportunity for them. While the immediate benefits of going to lessons and learning a new instrument will be seen in the decreased litany of “I’m bored” heard over summer, there are lifelong improvements to their intellect and creativity.
As your children are learning to read and play music, their brain is hard at work. Neuroscientists have discovered that new pathways develop and strengthen in the left hemisphere of the brain during musical education. This part of the brain is responsible for the ability to understand and process language. Continued practice will also stimulate the areas of the brain responsible for computing mathematics and processing spatial sense. As their knowledge of the language and metre of music increases, so too do their performances in school.
Beyond their scholastic standings, musical instruction can boost their creative side. Behind the fret or before the keyboard, your children have the ability to express themselves and put their thoughts and emotions to melody. As their practice expands and their skills improve, they’ll test the limits of their instrument and develop their memory, self-confidence, and emotional well-being.
What started out as a way to occupy your children during the summer months can become a lifelong passion. Set them up for a brighter future; sign them up for music lessons and see how your children can blossom under instruction.
