The Benefits to Children Who Learn String Instruments

Music study can lead to a rewarding career. But simply learning how to play a violin (or tuba or oboe) can positively affect development in many ways. 


We go to a concert hall and see virtuoso musicians performing some of the most adored musical compositions on some of the finest violins and cellos and pianos ever made. It is difficult to imagine that at one point, these violinists and pianists - and flautists and bassists - were once novice players, taking lessons as children, and setting the timer to assure at least one hour of practice per day. But that’s how a great number of performers begin.


A considerable body of research has developed in recent decades on the cognitive, physical, and social benefits of childhood music education. Some of those benefits accrue from any musical instrument study, and some specifically come from learning to play a stringed instrument such as a violin, cello, bass, harp, or viola.


One of the leaders in this research and reporting is Chris Boyd Brewer, whose 1995 book Music and Learning continues to be a reference source on the power of childhood music lessons. She quotes Beethoven: “Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks, and invents.”


Indeed, it contributes to an understanding of math - those notes on a page that represent beat, rhythm, and scales are a lesson in division, fractions, and patterns. It also contributes to an understanding of physics: the interaction of bows and strings involves friction and vibrations in a range of degrees. One need not be a violinmaker to understand these physical properties; the musician understands them from study and practice.


Musical training helps in all kinds of mental and even social development as well. How so? Brewer lists 16 benefits, including the following:


Change brain wave states - Research from the Rotman Research Institute in Toronto shows that fine movements made to create a sound, done with an unfamiliar instrument (a Tibetan singing bowl) created audio-induced brain waves that improved connectivity between auditory and sensorimotor areas of the brain. (Producing the same sound in this study from simply pressing computer keys didn’t have the same effect on brain waves.)


Focus concentration - Brewer says that mental, physical, and emotional rhythms are stabilized by music. “Baroque music - such as that composed by Bach, Handel, or Telemann, - that is 50 to 80 beats per minute creates an atmosphere of focus that leads students into deep concentration.”


Increase a multisensory learning experience - She calls this “whole brain learning,” and she sees benefits in what she calls “Active Concert” and “Passive Concert” modes. The Active version is of course what the player experiences, but even the Passive mode, listening to music while studying something else, increases information absorption.


Community building - By another description this is about the interaction of players - a band, ensemble, or orchestra - which involves the shared goals of a community that requires cooperation. They might compete, they might learn from each other, but importantly, they share a goal of creating the sound that an individual cannot create on his or her own.


Other benefits, noted by other educators, include having an enhanced application for colleges (in a competitive world, the musician has a leg up over the non-musician), better emotional health (music lowers levels of depression and anxiety), and a strong development of social skills (a music student is more likely to form friends when in a group than not in a group).


But consider the posture of the violinist relative to the kid hunched over a computer or in the permanent couch-potato slump of watching television. Indeed, the violinist learns to both sit and stand for practicing and performing, a physical advantage not typically associated with music study. Every instrument requires a certain posture for proper playing, but the violinist is very often the star of the show - and needs to look like it.


 


Post a Comment

Informations From: Taun17

Previous Post Next Post
  • Best E-commerce Website Development Company in Delhi

    The team of our company Aaditri technology that is an ecommerce website development company in Delhi provides superior quality work. Being an E-commerce website company, we make websites that are responsive, robust e-stores, e-coupons and allow faster check-outs. Easy integration for better networki... Readmore

  • Things to Consider While Choosing Reliable Partner Advertising on Baidu in English

    If you are looking for a reliable digital marketing agency for advertising on Baidu in English, you probably have some knowledge about what Baidu is, what is its importance in China’s internet world, and what advantages it offers for businesses looking to expand in the Chinese market. Now, ... Readmore

  • How Intelligent Healthcare Management Systems Are A Boon to Clinics and Hospitals?

    New-age healthcare mobility solutions like a healthcare management system, are smartly managing the hospitals, clinics and other medical practices, by reducing their efforts and saving important time. They have highly influenced the quality of care. As smartphone technology gets infinitely smarte... Readmore

  • Make Your Business Procedure Easier And Handle Your Documents With Pdf Conversion Services

    The idea of the PDF files have been in existence from a long time, but over the years it has emerged as one of the most popular formats of files. To put an end to the problem of sharing files, the creation of another file that enables fixed formatting is the key and it is here that the PDF file f... Readmore

  • Teaching Your Dog to Settle

    Want a dog who will settle down quietly when you're enjoying your refreshing cup of coffee in the local cafe? Here's how to teach your dog to chill and relax in any environment. As the owner of a full of life Springer Spaniel I love my dog’s energy and joyfulness.  But as much as I lov... Readmore

  • Interesting facts about The Uffizi Gallery

    Uffizi Gallery is one of the best-known art museums in the world. Located at the center of Florence in Italy, the Uffizi Gallery holds a collection of priceless artworks.   If you are planning to visit Florence and Uffizi Gallery, we bring here the seven interesting facts of Uffizi Gallery to... Readmore

  • Tips on Enjoying Successful Dating Experience Online

    Have you decided to date online? If yes, then you can effortlessly find out lots of dating websites as well as dating apps to go with. Whether you are going to sign up for a dating site or download a dating app, you would always like to meet a real woman or man. Have you decided to date onli... Readmore

  • Grow Your Business with Mobile App

    In the competitor world, customer wants a reliable solution which easy buying process. By using mobile app, customer can easily find their product, pay money and get product at home. So your business can get great benefits from mobile app. To obtain the best results from mobile app, selecting a... Readmore

  • Millwright Jobs in Canada | Pure Staffing Solutions

    Millwrights jobs in Canada require working at heights without having fear, uses of logical step-by-step procedures at work within standards of accuracy or precise limits. Millwright Jobs in Canada Millwright is a high-precision skilled tradesperson or craftsman who installs, reassembles, repai... Readmore

  • London Memories: An Asian Wedding Photography

    Asian wedding photography is an art and must be respected for that. The experience of any professional wedding photographer will eventually be reflected in the images he / she captures. The final album is just how you want it to be, and since this is your special day, there is no reason not to get w... Readmore