Have you ever thought how life would be without music? A newborn child responds to the first sounds around him/her and is pacified by a mother’s soothing voice or a lullaby when older. Music evokes feelings and emotions, ties us to fond memories. But does this very important art form have a place in our schools? Or is it merely some kind of relaxing distraction? We find out more about the benefits of having music as part of an educational curriculum.
Everyone enjoys music; it is an art form that is timeless. Learning a musical instrument not only provides a child with a new skill but builds community and gives them an inherent love for music.
So why is offering music important in an educational curriculum?
Music enhances academic skills.
Schools introduce music because students who play instruments or are exposed to music do better in school than those who aren’t. There is a link between musical instruction and language development among young children. Musical training stimulates and trains the same part of the brain that deals with language. With varied sounds and lyrics, students learn a large amount of vocabulary in a short amount of time. Musical education gives them a greater understanding of tone and how different segments of speech align, which is useful for learning a second language.
Playing a musical instrument also stimulates your neural network. Compared to others who don’t play an instrument, musicians may have a larger growth of neural activity. Have you ever had songs play in your head? That’s because music is one of the easiest things to store in our memory. Catchy melodies and patterns of sounds give music a way of “sticking” with us, and it’s a powerful tool for learning if used appropriately. Learning an instrument, musical language, and the notes and lyrics that make up songs all require memory. Students must recall rhythms, pitches, and other elements simultaneously. These memory skills can transfer to their studies.
Music is also connected to other subject areas and students may find it enhances their understanding of the arts, reading, writing, mathematics, and science. Learning rhythms in music is like math, which involves observing patterns and how elements go together visually.
Music relieves stress.
Music can help anyone feel more relaxed. The same goes for playing an instrument you enjoy. Listening to music helps to calm the mind, especially ambient music with sounds of nature—the soundtrack played often in spas.
A study by Stanford University determined at 60 beats per minute, music causes our brain to synchronise and develop alpha brain waves, which are present when we’re relaxed. It can also help induce sleep after 45 minutes.
Music builds creativity and self-confidence in learning.
Music is creatively stimulating. Your child’s creativity can be sparked if they learn to create music by playing an instrument, singing, dancing, or simply engaging in their music class.
Learning to play music helps children build their self-confidence. If a child isn’t proficient in certain subjects, the musical skills they have and the ability to express themselves through music can boost their confidence and motivate learning in other areas.
Music improves hand-eye coordination.
Learning almost any instrument takes a significant amount of hand-eye coordination. Reading and interpreting musical notes and physically playing an instrument improves coordination and develops the brain. Children repeat these steps throughout any performance of a musical piece. Even the youngest of learners will develop their coordination skills through practicing music.
Those who master an instrument can apply this skill to studies (writing, art) and other areas of life, including sports. Improving hand-eye coordination in childhood benefits us as adults.
Music builds a sense of perseverance and achievement.
Mastery in music requires plenty of practice and determination to improve. Music can teach children work ethic and the powerful lesson that they have to work hard to achieve something great.
When your child achieves a musical goal like playing at a recital or concert, taking part in a competition or winning an award, they’ll receive the sense of satisfaction that comes from working hard. Because of this, performing on stage or for family members can be rewarding for children.
Music builds community and connects people across cultures.
Although children can play or enjoy music alone, your child will probably learn musical education in a group setting. Students develop listening skills when playing an instrument with others. They must listen to better gauge volume levels, rhythms and dynamics, learn to value the opinions and ideas of others, and combine their thoughts to complete tasks.
Music brings people together and allows your child to meet others and make friends. Children that take up music as an extracurricular activity will bond with like-minded children who share their interest. Music also encourages face-to-face contact in a time when children are increasingly spending more time online. As with sports, music offers the opportunity for children to learn vital life skills like teamwork. Whether it’s through a band, orchestra, or choir group, we need teamwork to create music.
As music is a universal language, it helps children connect to other cultures and understand the world around them, which fosters the knowledge learner profile attribute of the International Baccalaurates (IB) programme.
Swiss International School in Dubai is proud to offer various after-school music programmes from PreKG to G12. For more information, contact admissions@sisd.ae.
Swiss International School in Dubai
The Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai (SISD), Dubai’s first bilingual International Baccalaureate School, opened in 2015, and is the largest Swiss school outside Switzerland.
The school is a leading international day and boarding school where future generations are inspired to become confident and enthusiastic lifelong learners, properly prepared to embrace all the opportunities and challenges life presents.
With a diverse student body of 1450 pupils comprising more than 75 different nationalities, the school believes the next generation of international citizens will need to be dynamic, flexible and linguistically ambitious. With this in mind, SISD offers immersive bilingual programmes in either of the Swiss languages of French and German, but also a strong English programme with foreign languages. For students who don’t wish to pursue a fully bilingual programme, there is a unique STEAM programme for all children from age 4-11 years. SISD stands out as one of only a handful of educational establishments globally classified as an IB Continuum school, which means it offers International Baccalaureate education to pupils from age 3 to 18.
Offering day school, weekly or full-term boarding options, this leading educational institution offers state-of-the-art STEAM education, and has world-class sporting facilities, too.
Visit www.sisd.ae to know more.