Dear Dr. Debbie,
When I was a child I felt fortunate that I didn’t play any instruments as did some of my friends. They had weekly lessons after school or on Saturdays and had to spend a lot of time practicing. I was free to play outside. Now that I have children, and have a wider perspective on many things, I wish my parents had insisted on music lessons.
When is a good time to start?
Music in the Heirs?
Dear M.i.t.H.,
It’s never too early to introduce music in general. Music contributes to brain development in the critical first years of life when brain growth is most rapid. Indeed, ongoing research suggests that even in pregnancy, music in the last trimester improves language ability. (Muffled sound waves travel through amniotic fluid!) A study of 60 babies born in 2019 in Spain showed that when exposed to music in utero, “babies are born with a better ability for neuronal encoding of speech sounds”.
According to many studies, a child who has the benefit of music lessons does better academically and socially. The child who plays an instrument is at an advantage for many mental functions which were shown to persist into adulthood when intelligence tests were administered in 2018 to adults in Finland. And even in adulthood, a survey of seniors ages 50 to 80 by the University of Michigan revealed that playing and even just listening to music had positive benefits to health and mental health measures “from blood pressure to depression”.
How Early?
With the right teacher, a child as young as 3-years-old can begin regular instruction and practice with an instrument. The Suzuki Method was developed by Sinichi Suzuki in Japan in the 1930’s and has since spread around the world. In addition to the method’s first instrument, the violin, instruction in many other instruments follow Suzuki’s protocol of listening, repetitions, and parental involvement. You may find a Suzuki-trained teacher for: viola, cello, piano, guitar, harp, flute, trumpet, recorder, and even voice.
However, the Music Institute of Chicago supports the view that the best early classes are designed for parent and child together and include lots of full body movement. “Playful musical experiences” and multicultural selections make these classes a joyful foundation for music learning. The Music Institute suggests that formal training start no younger than five-years-old.
In the Annapolis area there are many options for early music classes starting with playful parent-child classes and moving up to drumming and then other instruments. Before investing in individual instruction, consider a group experience:
Naptown Sings and Plays! has Musikgarten for newborns to age 3, Music Immersion for 2 ½ to 5-year-olds, Glee Clubs for ages 4 and up, and Pre-Instrument programs for ages 4 to 6 which can help students decide which instrument to pursue further.
Music Together Chesapeake offers similar playful, parent-child classes for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers in Annapolis and Severna Park. Older children, 4 to 5 years-old, and 6 to 8 years-old, work with rhythms on hand drums.
Annapolis Symphony Academy schedules Discovery classes for ages 4 to 7 as well as beginner lessons for violin, cello, and clarinet.
School of Rock (Arnold and Gambrills locations) offers a “Little Wing” program for ages 4 to 5 which teaches foundational music skills using classic rock songs and interactive games. They also hold a half-day summer camp for ages 5 to 7.
Commitment
Past the preschool stage of music exploration, formal music lessons with regular practice in between are indeed a time commitment and should be pursued with consideration of a child’s interest and maturity level. Talent is another matter. A musical gift should be nurtured with as much parental encouragement and commitment as the family can provide, balancing the child’s other needs to have time with friends, get schoolwork taken care of, etc. If a career in music is in the cards, an early start may be an advantage. Where there’s no obvious musical gift, music lessons can persist as long as there is enjoyment in them.
There’s also a monetary commitment to consider. Stay within the family budget so that a child’s diminished interest doesn’t turn into a power struggle between you.
Quitting is an option under certain circumstances. Compared to group lessons, which are generally offered for several weeks or by the semester, a private instructor may be more flexible with taking a break when a child’s interest wanes. A short commitment to his music lessons may be all that is possible for now. Dedication is an admirable trait but is not always present in younger children.
A Musical Future
If your motivation for getting your children started in music education is to benefit them now with enjoyment and a brain boost, there’s no great loss when other interests take over. A possible future on stage or in the recording studio will depend on a fire being lit inside the budding musician himself. A key to career success in the music business, besides good connections and a bit of luck, seems to be strong personal motivation and dedication. Does he follow through with practice on his own? Does he take pride in performing?
An interesting study from Sweden involving professional musicians and adults who happened to be twins questioned whether an early start really makes a difference. Study results suggest that early musical training (before age 8) may say more about a family’s high value on music and therefore simply reflect a genetically-based pre-existing musical talent. A late starter who puts in lots of practice time seems to have as good a chance to be successful with a career in music as an early starter.
There’s also much to be said for holding onto music as a hobby. Your children may thank you later for helping them stick out the drudgery of practicing scales to get to the good stuff.
Talk it over. Try it out. Joel Howell, M.D. Ph.D. of the Michigan survey of old adults says, “Music has the power to bring joy and meaning to life.”
Music lessons could be something the whole family gets into!
Dr. Debbie
Write your question to Dr. Debbie! Please include age(s) of your child(ren) and other details about the situation or concern.
Deborah Wood, Ph.D. is a child development specialist and founding director of Chesapeake Children’s Museum, located at 25 Silopanna Road in Annapolis. Online reservations are available or call: 410-990-1993. Walk-ins are welcome. Art and Story Time with Mrs. Spears and Puppy the Puppet is on Mondays at 10:30 am. There is a Nature Walk on Thursdays at 10:30 am.
Dr. Wood is presenting a series of Zoom workshops on Wednesday evenings for parents and other caregivers of young children: Ages and Stages, 0 to 5 years-old on January 14, Baby Talk, Early Language Development on January 28, Temperament Differences on February 11. See the full series on the calendar on the Chesapeake Children’s Museum website.
