The Value of Instrumental Lessons for Gifted Kids
I am a very strong advocate of instrumental music lessons for children—especially gifted children.
I recently bought myself an excellent grand piano and was able to get it at a bargain-basement price. I was able to purchase it at such a good value for two reasons:
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The poor economy is limiting people’s discretionary funds.
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Since taking piano lessons is no longer the norm in American households, there is not a big demand for the instruments.
Lucky for me. Sad for those who have no interest in learning to play music. I keep trying to figure out why instrumental lessons have lost their allure. When I was young, it seemed that almost every young person I knew took piano lessons and, once they entered junior high (today’s middle school), they often took an additional band or orchestral instrument. It was all considered part of a rounded education.
I am making a plea to parents of bright kids to enroll their kids in lessons. There is so much to be gained from this instruction. In his article,
The Prodigious Power of Piano Playing,
Brian Chung lists some great reasons to take piano lessons. These reasons also apply to lessons on other instruments. Taking lessons and practicing will help the youngster learn to
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work hard
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focus
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be responsible
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pay attention to details
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be self-reliant
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be creative
All of these skills can transfer to other areas of the student’s life.
I have a few extra words of advice.
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Don’t expect your kids to enjoy learning music that you do not play in your own home. It may be too foreign to their ears. Play—and hopefully enjoy—a wide variety of types of music at home, including classical, jazz, folk, contemporary, and music from other cultures.
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Take your children to concerts of many types, letting them hear many types of music.
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Present music lessons as an honor, not a duty.
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Be willing to sit with your child during practice, especially in the beginning.
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Research and interview a variety of teachers before choosing one. It is very important that your child and the instructor are able to “connect” on many levels.
In
Hearing the Music, Honing the Mind, the editors of
Scientific American discuss studies showing that instrument training from an early age enables the brain to better focus, concentrate, and learn subtleties in sound, thereby enabling one to more easily learn a foreign language.
Serious practice on an instrument also helps students to acquire self-discipline. It is enormously satisfying to work very hard at something and then reap its rewards. If a student participates in playing instruments with a group, there is a great deal of teamwork involved. Above and beyond all of this, learning to play an instrument promotes a lifelong joy in music.