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An open letter to parents of young children

To those of you with children under the age of ten,

Do you want your child to be successful in life? To excel in whatever career path they choose? Introducing your child to the world of music can benefit them in numerous ways. Instrumentation is a skill people all over the world can learn and use in their daily lives. Your child can learn how to read and play an instrument as well. Recent research states that the brain doesn’t fully develop until age 25 (Aamodt, 2011), so if this is something your child is interested in incorporating into their life, it is best to start at a young age. Children that learn to play an instrument at a young age strengthen brain development, score higher on standardized tests, and surpass the average student in disciplinary actions.

Every parent only wants the best for their child, and it’s safe to assume you do as well. It is essential that all small children have healthy brain development. After birth they begin to become accustomed to the sounds and words around them, and then have to learn what those sounds are and what they mean. Music education can help enhance these skills. By involving your child in music education, you could help increase their neural activity. Research has shown that those in music education have higher neural activity compared to those who have are not in music education (Brown, 2012). Based on my personal experience, and that of my friends and acquaintances who play an instrument, playing an instrument requires a lot of attention and focus, and requires more brain power. Segments of the brain such as the auditory cortex, the visual cortex, the parietal lobe, and the motor cortex all help the performer adjust his or her perf...

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Aamodt, S. (Performer) (2011) Brain Maturity Extends Well Beyond Teen Years. (n.d.). Retrieved

April 21, 2014, from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=141164708

Alleyne, R. (2009, October 27). Playing a musical instrument makes you brainier. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/6447588/Playing-a-musical-instrument- makes-you-brainier.html

Brown, L. (2012, September 20). The benefits of music education. Retrieved from http://www.pbs.org/parents/education/music-arts/the-benefits-of-music-education/

Estrella, E. (2005, September 25). Benefits of music education. Retrieved from http://musiced.about.com/od/beginnersguide/a/pinst.htm

Fick, S., & Shilts, E. (2006, January 1). This is your brain on music. Retrieved from

http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/jf06/alacarte.asp