The Incredible Benefits of Learning Music as a Child

Imagine this: a child sits down for piano practice, joins a choir, or learns guitar or drums. Over time, they don’t just get better at making pretty sounds. They get smarter, more confident, more social, and emotionally more resilient. Let’s break down all the amazing benefits of learning music.

1. Learning Music As a Child Reshapes the Brain & Boosts Cognitive Powers

Executive Functions Get a Supercharge

Learning music significantly enhances executive functions. This includes working memory, inhibitory control (the ability to resist distractions), and cognitive flexibility (the ability to adapt thinking). A recent meta-analysis involving preschoolers aged 3-6 found that music training improved inhibitory control (effect size ~0.38), working memory (~0.35), and cognitive flexibility. Frontiers

Memory Gets Sharper

Musical training sharpens verbal memory, which involves remembering words and sentences. Children who learn to read music or play instruments tend to excel in memory tests. creyos.com+2PMC+2

Better Attention & Learning

Making music requires attention to rhythm, pitch, notation, and tempo. This engagement often leads to improved attention spans and a stronger ability to learn in other areas. PMC+2creyos.com+2

2. It Helps Learning Outcomes & Academic Achievement

Enhanced Reading and Language Skills

Children with musical training often excel in reading, language, and verbal skills. Exposure to music lessons, including how to read music, correlates with better reading abilities. creyos.com+1

Discipline and Self-Regulation

Music education fosters discipline, delayed gratification, and goal-setting. These skills translate into better self-regulated learning and improved management of study tasks.

3. Emotional Benefits & Helping Kids with Special Educational Needs (SEN)

Mood Regulation and Emotional Well-Being

Numerous studies show that music, both making and listening, can alleviate stress and anxiety. Music therapy is effectively used to address emotional issues in children. My College+2PMC+2

Benefits for Children with Special Needs

Children with learning disabilities or other SEN often benefit from music-based interventions. These interventions can enhance communication, social interaction, attention, and sensory-motor skills. PMC+2musictherapy.org+2

Accessibility of Music

Music activities, such as singing and rhythm exercises, provide an avenue for expression. This is particularly beneficial for children who struggle with language or traditional classroom settings. PMC+1

Drums are amazing for improving co-ordination

4. Social Development & Confidence via Ensemble Playing and Performance

Building Social Skills

Playing in ensembles, such as bands or choirs, requires listening to others and coordinating efforts. These activities nurture essential social skills.

Confidence Through Performance

Performing in front of an audience builds confidence and helps children overcome stage fright. It instills pride in their abilities and provides a sense of purpose through goal setting.

Improved Social Outcomes

Evidence suggests that children engaged in group music-making experience better social and emotional outcomes. For instance, music therapy improves social skills in children with profound learning disabilities. PMC+1

5. Goal Setting, Achievement & Long-Term Benefits

Realistic Goal Setting

Whether preparing for ABRSM or Trinity grades, mastering a piece, or learning scales, music teaches realistic goal setting and incremental improvement.

Boosting Self-Esteem

Achievements in music, such as passing exams or performing well, serve as concrete markers of progress. These accomplishments significantly boost self-esteem.

Lasting Effects of Musical Training

Long-term studies indicate that early musical training has enduring benefits. Musicians often exhibit better memory, processing speed, and even some protection against cognitive decline in later life. For example, adult musicians who trained in childhood show greater resilience in cognitive tasks. Alzheimer's Drug Discovery Foundation+2The Guardian+2

6. Fine Motor Skills Improvement

Enhancing Fine Motor Skills

A study by Costa-Giomi compared children with two years of piano instruction to those with no formal music training. The music group showed significant improvement in fine motor skills, including speed and accuracy. ResearchGate

Instrument Use and Coordination

Even simpler instruments, like tambourines or rhythm sticks, contribute to refining finger strength, coordination, and dexterity. Northwest School of Music

Meta-Analysis Insights

A meta-analysis on preschoolers indicated that music training over at least 12 weeks, with sessions 3× per week, led to clear gains in working memory and inhibitory control. Frontiers

Transformative Power of Music

Research shows that music improves memory, attention, and learning across the lifespan. It positively impacts emotion, social bonding, and neural plasticity. PMC

Special Needs and Music

Studies on children with special needs reveal that music-based interventions can increase motivation, improve behavior, and enhance social interaction. PMC+2musictherapy.org+2

🥁 The Takeaway (Drumroll)

Learning music as a child doesn’t just provide the skill to play an instrument or read notes. It builds a brain that’s more flexible, better at memory and attention; a heart that’s more resilient; a sense of self that’s confident; and social skills that enable cooperation. Additionally, the discipline and goal-setting learned through music carry into school and life. For children facing emotional challenges or special educational needs, the impact of music education is often especially powerful.