(Written by Kristin Foster) Enrolling your child in after school activities or lessons may seem confusing when you are unsure of how you want to invest your hard earned money. If you want your child to excel in certain aspects in life, it is important to consider all of the options of paid lessons available before making your decision. It is also essential to consider your child’s own wants and personality before enrolling them in any form of class or lesson that may help to shape and benefit their future.
(Written by Justin Miller) Learning how to play a musical instrument is a rite of passage for many children. Some parents choose the instrument that their kids will learn to play; other parents leave that decision up to the children. Of course, children’s interests change with the wind. If your child has shown interest in playing the guitar, here’s how to keep him or her interested for the long haul.
- Make cost less of a factor. Consider renting, leasing or buying a used guitar.
While guitars don’t require the financial investment (and space) that a piano requires, the cost of a guitar and required accessories can add up, especially if your family is on a tight budget. If you rent, lease or buy a used instrument, you won’t have to worry about your child losing interest in playing the guitar as much. If a child doesn’t feel pressured into playing an instrument, he or she will be more likely to associate the task with pleasure and be more likely to stick with playing the guitar. [Read more…]
Stringed instruments have great sounds that are pleasing to the ears, and learning to play good music on one of them excites children all around the world. Consider these benefits of playing the musical instrument with strings.
- Cognitive Functioning
Significant research has determined that playing a musical instrument increases cognitive functioning in all people, but especially children. Learning to play music is like learning another language: you must learn how to read the notes, play them in a specific sequence, and play them in ways that mesh with the rest of the music around you. The brain is nurtured and strengthened when children play musical instruments, and music students often excel in every area of their academic priorities.
- Social Activity
Students who participate in bands form tight social groups much like children who participate in sports do. Children who share intellectually-stimulating activities such as music as a hobby become great friends, and they grow together through the playing of their songs. When students work together on music, they feel a sense of companionship and camaraderie that makes them feel like they belong to something special. Friends made through band activities tend to last long into adult life, and they like to keep in touch with each other. [Read more…]
(Written by Patricia Shih) Probably like most of you, as a parent I have always been concerned with teaching my child positive values about large issues in the big world as she grew. I of course tried to use words carefully and set a good example through actions and attitudes. But there is also a very powerful and enticing tool available to everyone, and it works like magic…
- Invite and Incite Excitement – How Music Enhances Learning about Social Issues Through Creativity and Fun.
During my own very early years, in my house classical music and Broadway show tunes were often played by my parents on the stereo. I remember as a pre-schooler my little heart soared with the sounds and emotions of the classics; I could not explain why or how music touched me, but it did, and in a big way. [Read more…]