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Although the hours spent practicing for a weekly music lesson or
preparing for a performance are well worth the obvious outcomes --
enjoyment, success and recognition -- it is now known that this training
has far-reaching personal and social benefits. When kids make music,
they:
- develop muscles -- improve small motor skills, hand-eye
coordination and poise
- find creative potential -- become aware of their capabilities by using imagination and self-expression
- develop personal and social skills -- build confidence, self-discipline
and responsibility. Kids learn to meet challenges, work for and
cooperate with others.
- prepare for the future -- kids learn time management, goal
setting, and become better communicators.
Music does make the difference, and research shows that the earlier a child
starts, the better.
Did you know?
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Thirty minutes of daily music instruction for one year was credited for
increased perceptual-motor skills and creative thinking tests on first
grade students.
Source: K.L. Wolff, University of
Michigan, 1979
Did you know?
At risk children who
participated in an arts program that included music showed significant
increases in overall self-concept.
Source: N.H. Barry,
Auburn University, 1992
Did you know?
-
Secondary students who participated in band or orchestra reported
the lowest lifetime and current use of all substances (alcohol,
tobacco, illicit drugs).
Source: Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Report,
January 1998
Did you know?
- College-age musicians are emotionally healthier than their
non-musician counterparts. A study conducted at the University of
Texas looked at 362 students who were in their first semester of
college. They were given three tests, measuring performance anxiety,
emotional concerns and alcohol-related problems. In addition to
having fewer battles with the bottle, researchers also noted that
the college-aged music students seemed to have surer footing when
facing tests.
Source: Houston Chronicle, January 11, 1998
Did You know?
- The very best engineers
and technical designers in the Silicon Valley industry are, nearly
without exception, practicing musicians.
Source: Grant Venerable, The Center
for the Arts in the Basic Curriculum, New York, 1989
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A Head Start in Life