Four Reasons to Play a Musical Instrument

Learning to play an instrument, whether it is a piano or a trumpet, is an excellent method to help your child in school. The benefits swell beyond simply learning how to read music, though. Playing an instrument stimulates almost the entire brain and leads to long-lasting positive benefits in learning. The Diocese of Orlando’s Catholic schools in Orlando offer varied music classes along with band instruction to allow your child to grow musically as well as mentally. 

• Brain Growth

 The benefits of young children learning music are well documented. Studies of the corpus callosum – the “superhighway” connecting the right side of the brain with the left – show an increase in the overall size of the structure, which means more signals can radiate from one hemisphere to the other more rapidly. 

• Brain Stimulation

 Playing music involves almost the entire brain. Touching the keys or strings, playing a note, recognizing if the note is correct or incorrect, reading and interpreting music, and moving both hands in various positions independent of each other stimulates myriad portions of the brain that must all work together. With practice, the human brain can stretch this capability beyond music and your child will excel in other fields where critical thinking and quick reflexes are a must. 

• Enhanced Math Ability

 The part of the brain associated with music is also closely tied to math skills. Children who learn to play a musical instrument show an increase in their overall ability to understand math. 

• Character Building

 When your child is enrolled in band in a Catholic school in Orlando, he or she learns to work as a whole to bring together a concert. Each student plays an integral part of the whole, and the band depends on each student’s musical ability. Generally, students with the same common goal form strong ties and strengthen social skills. Learning to play the piano or violin during private lessons also forms these ties as children practice for recitals. Discipline, confidence, interpersonal skills, and leadership are all demonstrated by students who play musical instruments.It may take a while before your child finds the instrument best suited to meet his or her needs. Start with a simple recorder or children’s guitar and see whether your child prefers percussion, strings, reed, or horn. Show your enthusiasm with each step, and practice together when possible. Contact the Diocese of Orlando at 407-246-4903 to learn the musical programs offered at our Catholic schools in Orlando, and read our blogs for more information on extracurricular activities that stimulate learning.