Advantages
Many parents don't realize how much music lessons can do for their children. Studying this area can improve their skills in mathematics, memorization and listening. It also helps improve motor skills and coordination.
Should I send my child to a music school?
Learning music can also improve self-esteem and teach children time management and teamwork. Playing a musical instrument or singing is a great way to relieve stress and helps children express themselves. Children who are involved in music and singing often do better in school because they learn patience and self-discipline.
Adults who learn music as children are often more successful. They will understand that they need to achieve everything themselves. In addition, they have better communication skills and are not afraid of public speaking.
Develops physical skills
Some instruments, such as drums, help children develop coordination and motor skills;
they require movement of the arms, hands and legs. This type of tool is great for kids with a lot of energy. String and keyboard instruments such as the violin and piano require different actions from the right and left hands simultaneously. Not only do tools help develop ambidexterity, but they can also help children feel comfortable in inherently uncomfortable positions. Improving coordination can prepare children for other hobbies such as dance and sports.
Improves social skills
Group activities require interaction and communication between peers, which encourages teamwork as children must collaborate to create a crescendo or acceleration. If your child plays their instrument too loudly or speeds up quickly, they will need to adjust. It is important for children to know and understand their individual role in a large ensemble.
Rhapsody of Music offers general music education classes in which teachers divide students into groups and assign each child a task. Whether the team is responsible for choosing instruments or creating a melody, the guys strive for a common goal.
It improves self-esteem
The lessons offer a forum where children can learn to accept and give constructive criticism. In particular, group activities can help children understand that no one is perfect and everyone has room for improvement.
Presenting yourself in public is an important skill, whether you become a professional musician or not. This skill easily transfers to public speaking.
Introduces children to other cultures
By learning and playing different instruments, children can learn that music plays an important role in other cultures. For example, bongos and timbales can introduce children to African and Cuban styles of music. Although the modern violin has its roots in Italy, learning to play it helps children learn more about the classical music popularized by German and Austrian musicians.
Versatile instruments such as the violin and piano can accompany a wide repertoire of styles, including classical and jazz (which originated in the American South). It is important to expose children to other cultures at a young age because it promotes open-mindedness towards worlds and traditions beyond those they know.
Music education as a necessary aspect of a child’s personality development
The influence of music on humans has been talked about at all times.
Music plays an important role in a person's life. All the most ancient teachings of earthly civilizations contain similar statements and experience, accumulated over thousands of years, of the effects of music on animals, plants and humans.
Even in the times of ancient thinkers, there was a firm belief that music contributes to the diversified development of personality. Probably for this reason, all famous historical figures, not only scientists, but also outstanding generals and rulers of states studied music and other arts, and not only in ancient Rome and ancient Greece, but also in the ancient East, Old and New light.
Most ancient Egyptians cultivated the musical arts and were well aware of their influence on the human spirit. In the oldest sculptures and carvings we find scenes of musicians playing various instruments. Music was used to treat nervous disorders.
The ancient Greeks also thought about the role and influence of music on people. For Aristotle, Plato, and the Pythagoreans, music was a means that balanced the external side of life with the psychological state of the person himself. By imitating one or another affect with the help of rhythm, melody, timbre, the sound of one or another musical instrument, music, according to the ancients, evokes in listeners the same affect that it imitates. In accordance with this position, classifications of modes, rhythms, and musical instruments were developed in ancient aesthetics, which should be used to cultivate appropriate character traits in the personality of an ancient citizen.
In the 16th century, music was first used during surgical operations.
In the 17th - 18th centuries in the works of musicians and philosophers (among whom one can name Kuhnau, Kircher, Matteson). The German theorist Athanasius Kircher explained the nature of musical tastes in terms of their correspondence to the natural temperament of a person and believed that melancholic people love serious, uninterrupted sad harmony, sanguine people, due to the slight excitability of blood vapor, are always attracted to the dance style. Cholerics strive for the same harmonious movements, in whom dancing leads to severe inflammation of the bile. Phlegmatic people are touched by subtle female voices.
In the 19th century, scientist I. Dogel found that under the influence of music, blood pressure, heart rate, rhythm and depth of breathing change in both animals and humans. According to the observations of the famous Russian surgeon Academician B. Petrovsky, under the influence of music the human body begins to work more harmoniously, and therefore he always used music during complex operations.
In the 20th century, interest in the influence of music on the formation of the spiritual world and on the human psyche increased sharply throughout the world. More and more doctors, psychologists and teachers tried to convey to people the importance of music education for cultural life as a whole. Much credit in this direction belongs to V. M. Bekhterev. He believed that with the help of musical rhythm it was possible to establish balance in the activity of the human nervous system.
In the second half of the 20th century, music began to be used as an independent type of therapy (music therapy) in different countries. In Russia, at the beginning of the 20th century, a large number of works on musical psychology were published by B. M. Teplov and L. S. Vygotsky.
Today, music education is not compulsory, nor is it as prestigious as in the past. Previously, it was customary to send children en masse to music schools: very great importance was attached to musical education. Nowadays, priorities have shifted a little, and learning music is considered more of a whim than a necessity. But in vain: musical education of children is an important element of their harmonious development .
Naturally, not all children at the end of the “musical school” will choose the profession of a musician. Some will forget everything they have been taught for several years. These are ordinary students who attended music school without enthusiasm, and teachers kept such children for the sake of additional workload. Parents may feel that the years spent at music school were in vain. In fact, music education is not only about learning to play a specific instrument, but also about developing logic, memory and perseverance. But how can music develop logic and mental abilities?
In our age of digital technology, an overabundance of unnecessary information on television, radio broadcasting, the Internet, social networks, the entertainment industry is designed for the undemanding taste of the consumer. Those at the helm of the commercial entertainment market only care about money. The process of forcibly inculcating bad taste is underway. In the 21st century, too little time is devoted to the development of the spiritual world of the younger generation.
Education and musical upbringing are an integral part of the overall process aimed at the formation and development of the human personality. Therefore, they cannot be considered as a separate branch of knowledge. It has been established that schoolchildren who excel in music also study successfully in general education subjects, and life repeatedly confirms that gifted musicians have extraordinary abilities in general.
The extreme poles in the system of children's music education are special music schools for gifted children and general education schools, and between them are children's music schools (CHS), general music education and art schools (DSHI). Their purpose is general musical education and upbringing, carried out in addition to the programs of secondary schools. The real task of the Children's Music School is to help students identify the extent of their talent and make a choice. After all, the scale of talent and the desire to make music a profession are not always discovered in the first years of study.
Musical education is one of the central components of aesthetic education. It plays an important role in the development of a child's personality. In addition, playing music develops in a child hard work, perseverance, and excellent coordination of movements, which is useful not only in music, but also in other professions and areas of human activity. Musical art is the most effective means of aesthetic education. But not only that. For example, art educational institutions are a necessary addition to general education, which contributes to the harmonious development of the individual. Therefore, in our country there are a huge number of not only music schools, but also art schools.
In modern conditions, a music school is one of the main bases for the widespread dissemination of musical culture. The goal is to make music available not only to gifted children who choose it as their profession, but also to everyone who studies at school. After all, middle children should also receive serious musical education, since each of them can become a true music lover - a listener, a participant in music-making. D. B. Kabalevsky said: “the main task of mass musical education... is... not so much the teaching of music in itself, but the impact through music on the entire spiritual world of students, primarily on their morality” [1, C 7].
The direction of work of music schools is related to: the development of musical creative abilities of students, the development of their musical ear and voice, technical skills, the possibilities of various types of musical activities in the development of the student.
The methodology of music education includes improving the forms of the educational process of a music school: lessons in the specialty, theoretical classes, collective music playing, an elective subject, extracurricular activities (concerts, competitions, holidays, etc.). This is important for the comprehensive development of students and the formation of their spiritual culture.
Education and training begin from the moment a student opens the door to his teacher’s classroom. The type of premises and the manner of communication already have a great influence on the student’s behavior.
It is known that lessons in children's music schools do not begin and end on cue, but their exact beginning is an important component of instilling discipline and organization in the student. The content of the lesson is the basis of educational work, and the starting point of the pedagogical process in the specialty class is work on a piece of music and, of course, what is extremely important, the choice of repertoire. According to many teachers, a well-compiled repertoire is the most important factor in a musician’s education. Familiarization with music of different times, countries and styles, the correspondence of the works selected for work in the class with the set pedagogical goals and objectives, the students' interest in these works, the individual focus of the repertoire - all this has a beneficial effect on the results of not only the general musical and technical, but also the cultural development of the student .
But achieving these goals is impossible without developing strong-willed qualities - attention, concentration, perseverance and many others. After all, it is the presence of attention that contributes to the rapid and high-quality development of skills, and persistence, activity, and determination contribute to the improvement of acquired skills and the rapid advancement of the student.
Children who manage to organize their time in a timely manner and discipline their attention are significantly ahead in their successes of children who are more gifted, but are not sufficiently organized and do not have the necessary strong-willed qualities or sufficiently disciplined attention.
In this regard, the question of the age at which children should begin teaching music must be associated with satisfactory prerequisites for the volitional qualities, character traits, organization, workload of the child, and less so with physical and mental development.
Not the ability to read, but the ability to be attentive; It is not the number of poems that a child has memorized that matters, but his activity (but not excitement), his concentration. It is these signs (if there are musical data) that should be decisive in determining the age suitable for starting training.
The educational tasks that children's music school teachers solve are basically the same for all subjects. Unity and interconnection are determined by the peculiarity of musical classes, in which music acts both as an object of knowledge and as a means of education, as well as the norms of communication with it (listening, analysis, performance) and fairly broad opportunities for using the knowledge and skills of some subjects when mastering others.
Knowledge about music plays a very important role in education and training, giving the aesthetic development of schoolchildren educational breadth and ideology.
The system of musical education of children and youth is aimed both at identifying talents and talents, and at increasing the cultural level of the younger generation. With all its diversity, the system of aesthetic education comes down to several main directions that are relevant specifically in music education:
1. Expanding your musical horizons.
2. Education of worldview and moral qualities.
3. Education of will and character.
4. Fostering interest in creative work and the ability to work.
5. Cultivate relevance and discipline.
6. Nurturing grace and nobility of gestures and posture.
7. Fostering respect for elders and a sense of camaraderie.
8. Nurturing a culture of speech.
Musical education is a unique means of forming the unity of the emotional and intellectual spheres of the child’s psyche, since it has a huge impact on the development of musical taste, analytical thinking and the general musical development of the child. Music lessons allow a child to develop in a balanced way. In the modern world, the young mind of a teenager and child, who does not have sufficient life experience, is bombarded with a colossal flow of information. A child comprehends the world through television and a computer, at the same time his emotional inner world is very complex and multifaceted at such a young age. Music allows a child to perceive the world around him more vividly and sharply, to better comprehend good and evil, sincerity and falsehood of the world around him. A child deprived of the necessary emotional education will quite possibly develop into a cold, withdrawn personality.
Literature:
1. Gotsdiener A. Musical psychology. M: Enlightenment, 1993. - P.38 -77
2. Kryukova V. Musical pedagogy. Rostov-on-Don: Phoenix, 2002. - 281 p.
3. Petrushin V. Musical psychology. M: Academic Avenue, 2006. - 399 p.
4. Teplov B. Psychology of musical abilities. M: Lira, 1947. - pp. 62–103
5. Tsypina G. Musical psychology and psychology of music education. Theory and practice. M: Academy, 2011. - 383 p.
At what age is it better to send a child to music school?
The music program must correspond to the age and interests of the child. Children two years old and even younger can be taught to clap to the beat of their favorite songs and identify rhythms. The younger your child is, the easier it will be for him or her to learn, so if they show interest in learning, that's when you should enroll them in school.
When can you send your child to music school?
For more formal learning to sing or learn an instrument, 5 years old is generally a good age to start. At this age, children can usually sit even longer and concentrate better. However, children who do not want to learn to sing or play a musical instrument should not be forced. Forcing your child to learn is unlikely to lead to a love of music. If your little one is fighting you every step of the way, waiting until he or she is a little older may help.
Advice for those who decide to send their child to a music school
Be sure to consider your child's age and physical limitations. Don't choose an instrument that is too heavy or too large to play correctly. The violin and piano are great instruments for beginners, especially for children under six, because they help build a foundation for other instruments. If your little one has a strong desire to learn a particular instrument, talk to their music teacher to make sure it's a good choice for their age.
Keep in mind that the house will be noisy
There are ways to avoid annoying neighbors and other family members during music practice. You can create a DIY soundproofing workout room with thick carpets and blackout curtains. Good communication can also solve a lot of problems, so talk to neighbors and family to determine the best times to practice before your child starts.
Analyze how much time your child and you have
School-age children often play sports and attend various clubs, which take up a lot of their free time. Make sure your child can fit in music lessons without becoming overly stressed or allowing their schoolwork to suffer. If he or she already has a full schedule, some decisions will need to be made about what is most important.
Although most of the time will fall on your child's shoulders, you will still need to make sure that he is practicing and attending lessons. You'll also need to drive him back and forth to classes and find something to do while he's there.
Consider the cost
Cost may be the most important factor for some people. Purchasing a tool can be expensive, but you have several options. Consider renting an instrument from a music studio or purchasing a used instrument for the first time. Schools may even have tools that your child can use for a while. Books and sheet music can often be found on the Internet. The cost of the lessons themselves is another consideration. Online lessons are often cheaper than in-person lessons, so be sure to explore this option.
Music is something that he or she will take with him or her throughout life. With some careful planning and creativity, every child should be able to learn an instrument if they are so inclined.
Recommendations if a child does not want to study music
To summarize:
- Analyze your specific situation. If the question of what to do if a child does not want to study music is really important and serious for you, then calmly, without emotions, constructively, first determine the exact reasons. Try to understand why your child, in this particular music school, in these particular musical subjects does not want to study, by once again analyzing 1 column of the table.
- Make sure that your child does not have a momentary change of mood to some difficult task or negative situation, but a decision expressed thoughtfully, after several months or even years of obedience and discomfort.
- Look for errors in the approach to teaching, in your own behavior or in the child’s reaction.
- Think about what you could do to change your child’s attitude towards music and music classes, how to increase interest in classes, how to intelligently organize learning, by reading column 2 of the table again. Naturally, these should only be friendly and thoughtful measures! No coercion from under the stick!
- After you have made ALL possible attempts, ask yourself, are you ready to agree with your child’s decision to quit music? Will you later regret a hasty decision that will quickly solve the problem? There are many cases where a child, as he gets older, blames his parents for not convincing him to continue playing music.
Of course, it is better to prevent than to correct the current problem of a child’s refusal to attend music school. Parents should take a more serious approach to the issue of educating their child in an additional educational institution. Determine the goals of this training, study the possibilities of the child and family for organizing training, then organize this training, tell the child about what awaits him (find out about this from competent sources if you yourself have not studied at a children's music school), and, most importantly, first ask child, does he want to learn music?
We hope that our work on studying musical “I don’t want and won’t” and recommendations will be useful to you! Remember that in a hopeless situation there are always... several ways out!
“Take time to listen to Mozart’s music as a family.
Make such family concerts a ritual: light candles, turn on the music, sit next to the child, hug him... Believe me, even if after five to ten minutes he returns to his toys, a miracle has happened, he will listen to the music, he will bathe in it. And he will remember these evenings all his life.” – M. Kazinik Share
Mistakes of parents who believe that they should send their child to a music school
Advice for those who decide to send their child to a music school
Starting lessons too early
Typically, 3- and 4-year-olds (and many 5-year-olds) lack the attention span, motor skills, and reading skills needed for private music lessons. We recommend waiting until five or six years in most cases.
If you are sure that your little child is ready, then promise to help him practice.
Spend too much time studying
Thirty minutes can feel like forever when you're eight years old and all you can think about is cartoons. In fact, it's the regularity that matters, not the duration.
First, make sure your teacher leaves your student with clear, practical instructions that he or she understands. Then work with your student and teacher to set practical goals. For example, play this part of the song slowly five times, and then play the song from start to finish twice.
Children will be able to practice more effectively in a shorter period of time. Or the lack of pressure may encourage them to practice even longer!
Doubt your teacher
Parents who are adamant about doing things a certain way can undermine progress and cast a negative shadow on lessons. By thinking that a child should learn this type of music, play this song, or practice for X minutes every day, you are on the wrong path. As a result, the student's attitude toward music lessons, or even music in general, may be disrupted.
Maintain an open mind and trust in your teacher's ability to do a good job. A good teacher will take into account your student's specific skills, needs and interests - and the results can be surprising!
Don't let your kids take lessons just for fun
As children get older and become more involved in school and other extracurricular activities, music lessons may take a backseat. They may still enjoy their instrument, but the requirement of daily practice and goal achievement can ruin the fun. This will add stress and ultimately lead to giving up.
If you see this happening to your child, there is another option. Change the purpose of the lessons. Sometimes a shift in perspective is required to keep a student engaged in class.
Working with one teacher for too long
If things aren't working out with your teacher for whatever reason - they're constantly late, they can't handle the repertoire - maybe it's time to address the issues directly, or even time to move on.
As with any relationship, teacher-student changes over time. If your student expresses a desire or need for change, listen. A great new teacher will add something valuable to your child's knowledge and experience.
