Music has tremendous benefits on a young brain. But research shows that the advantages aren’t fully realized by simply streaming music and letting music wash over kids’ brains. In order to reap the full cognitive benefits of music, it’s important for kids to actively engage by playing an instrument. It’s the direct that strengthens neural pathways.
But long-term engagement and commitment to an instrument means that a child must be fond of the instrument he’s learning to play. Involving your child in the process will also make him feel more invested and have more accountability. Here’s how to guide your child into choosing the right instrument.
Introduce your child to different platforms of an instruments. A child’s worldview is often limited. And if they choose an instrument based on what they view to be cool, they may end up short changed. Hearing an instrument on varying platforms, whether it’s TV, radio, or in concert can also help form a budding musicians choice of instrument, as can introducing a diverse range of artists who play the instrument.
Deborah Song is the founder of travelbyword.com, a cruelty-free company committed to creating travel accessories that help travelers journey with ease, efficiency and elegance. She loves to travel the globe in pursuit of good food, wider life perspectives and great adventure stories with her kids. Deborah is a Canadian-born, mompreneur and Los Angeles-based writer, who obtained her master’s in journalism from New York University. You can find her travel stories at www.blog/travelbyword.com.