Fitting music lessons into your child’s schedule can be a challenge. It takes a long time to make noticeable progress, but the experience can be very worthwhile. There are many scientific studies that measure brain activity while listening to music etc., but that is not what I am talking about. Learning how to play an instrument or participating in a vocal group requires many other skills. Here are some examples.
Concentration. Did you ever have the experience where you read a page and realize that the entire time you were thinking about what you were going to have for dinner that night? Well that happens when you are playing an instrument. Your mind can wander and you have to keep your head in the game the entire time – active concentration. This is a great skill to have.
Emotional Control. Playing an instrument can be extremely frustrating. Sometimes your ears and eyes know what to play, but your fingers keep making the mistake. You have to take a breath and keep practicing. There are times when singing with a chorus can be very emotional. It would be easy to break out sobbing which would ruin the moment for the audience. You have to keep your emotions intact. The singer has to feel that surge of emotion but maintain control. This is a pretty good skill to develop.
Of course there is the chance that you might actually develop the life skill of playing or singing which you will be able to do for a very long time. You create connections with “music friends” and become part of a community. I belong to Wilton Singers, a local community choral group. These people have become some of my very best friends. Age, marital status, political stance, and religious views are inconsequential. Our bond is first about the music. That is how we connect.
Even if your piano lessons didn’t put you on the stage at Carnegie hall, your efforts were not in vain. You can still make music a part of your life. The skills that you learned are both directly and indirectly transferrable… and lots of fun.
Check out the articles below when you have a chance. And in the meantime remember…
Music Lasts a Lifetime
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