Why your child should learn the piano, guitar

Music instruments improve mathematical ability, self-esteem and concentration 

When Bill lived in Europe a few years ago, he was fascinated at the white man’s interest in the piano. Conversations with friends about children were rarely complete without a phrase like “she is doing her piano lessons” or “his piano skills are amazing”.

One got the impression that a nine-year-old English or French child who is not playing a music instrument was some sort of paragon of bad parenting.

Upon doing some research, Bill learnt that playing a music instrument could positively affect learning and thinking abilities of children. But the theory seemed farfetched.

Last year, Bill, a man who easily mentally works out his bill as shop attendants are still working their calculators, was perturbed by his son’s average grades in mathematics. And so he tried the musical experiment: he got a teacher to introduce the son to the piano. Now, Bill is a parent on song.

The motivations could be different, but Kampala seems to be teeming with parents waxing lyrical – literally – about pianos and guitars. Individual music teachers and places like Kampala Music School are inundated with requests to teach children of upmarket parents. One of President Museveni’s granddaughters is among the learners, with reports of parental pressure moving the child from uninterested to passionate about the violin.

Some of these parents just want children to be kept busy during holidays. But others have found out what Josephat Nsimiire and Bill’s European friends have long known.

Now at Kampala International School, Nsimiire has been teaching children how to play the guitar and piano for six years now. Among other things, Nsimiire says, playing an instrument helps children to learn patience, dedication and tolerance.

CONCENTRATION

Bill could not agree more.

“One of the things I found out was that learning the piano helps the child to develop the capacity to slow down and consider the next note they need to play – something that will help them become critical thinkers as adults,” says Bill, whose son is already demanding his own keyboard at home.

Yet the excitement and eagerness that these infants (5-10 years) present at the start of learning a musical instrument makes one wonder if they can concentrate on anything. Nsimiire has had to deal with this challenge, which, perhaps only shows why children need the instruments – so they can replace that rushing with criticality.

“When they get to concentrate and know that they cannot play all instruments at once, then the effects of concentration develop so much so that a child is able to discern even the small or soft sounds,” Nsimiire says.

MATHEMATICAL

A few months after Bill put his son on the piano, the youngster brought home a report with a distinction in mathematics. Bill  thinks this could be a coincidence; he believes any benefits may come much later.

Yet it may not be a coincidence. Because music is associated with rhythm, says Natasha Chong, the deputy director of Kampala Music School, a child playing a musical instrument is able to enhance their mathematical skill.

In the process of a child learning to play a musical instrument, the logical and creative parts of the brain are fully utilized because music calls for their interrelated input. Owing to this fact, children who know how to play instruments are usually better than their age mates in other learning areas.

A study was done in the US where 22 children from age three to four and a half years were given either singing lessons or keyboard lessons.  A control group of 15 children received no music lessons at all. Both groups participated in the same preschool activities and the results showed that preschoolers who had weekly keyboard lessons improved their spatial-temporal skills 34% more than the other children. 

LONGTERM BENEFITS

Playing a musical instrument also helps children enhance their confidence, team work and obedience.

“The purpose of learning how to play a musical instrument is to be able to play it in front of others,” Chong says. “The more children get up in front of people and perform like at concerts, the more they reduce stage fright.”

 Bill adds that because critical thinking is at the cornerstone of academic progress in the west, ‘musical’ children will grow up with what may appear a natural disposition to think through and solve problems. 

Last year, researchers at McMaster University in Canada revealed that children exposed to classical music are more advanced in terms of motor skills (eye and hand coordination) and linguistic and intellectual development than babies who received no musical stimulus. This is because music sharpens babies’ sensitivity to pitch, timing and timbre and as a result their capacity to discern emotional intonation in speech. Scientists now believe that listening to music is one of those “brain-building” experiences.

Yet, Chong says, many Ugandan parents are reluctant to let their children learn musical instruments because they do want to invest in the subject in terms of finances and time. Also, like Bill at the beginning, these parents never played instruments themselves, and they can hardly see immediate benefits.

STARTING EARLY

Chong advises parents to interest their children in playing music instruments at an early age because this opens up many opportunities for development of cognitive skills and it is an enjoyable way to build someone’s esteem.

For beginners (about 5 years) a piano, violin, recorder and guitar because it is easier for a child as it involves coordinated hand movements on the instrument to produce music. Wind instruments like the flute, trombone, trumpet and bassoon among others are recommended for slightly older children. 

Chong notes that the clarinet, a wind instrument used in brass bands is among the difficult instruments to learn how to play because it takes a lot of patience and determination to make coordinated sound.

Perfecting the art of playing a music instrument may last three to six months for a child.

At Kampala Music School (KMS), the trend of teaching music and learning how to play a musical instrument is usually 20 to 30 minutes and one hour for the older students. This is done once a week for a term which lasts 12 weeks.

Later this year, the school will start lessons for children less than five years.

Chong however cautions that everyone has to be careful to have an all round education and not only put emphasis on learning musical instruments.

That is Bill’s thinking. He does not fear that the piano will interfere with his son’s education. Rather, he wants it to enhance his learning abilities. And for now results are looking good.

Teaching music in Europe:

Unlike Uganda where many school abscond teaching music because of limited qualified teachers and emphasis on theory subjects, learning music is a compulsory subject from nursery to middle school in Europe.

According to the European Association for music in schools, nursery school the class teacher is fully responsible for teaching music, which is part of aesthetic education including music, art and drama. In the vast majority of primary schools music is taught by music specialists. In primary schools, music is taught two lessons per week for 45 minutes. In secondary schools, music is taught one lesson per week for 45 minutes.

ninsiima@observer.ug