Top 5 Benefits of Joining the School Band Program
It’s easy to grimace slightly as you hear the early sounds emanating from your child’s newly acquired instrument, as they explore those first notes in the early days of band class. Learning something new is never easy for anyone at first, but it’s the beginning of something magical that will equip them to succeed not only in music, but in school and life in general. In the same way they took their first steps as a toddler, so too will they stumble and struggle to turn the noise into music - but with time, practice and patience, they most certainly will. It is exciting, challenging, frustrating at times but rewarding as well. There are so many reasons why encouraging your child to join the band program in their school is beneficial. It will be difficult to keep to just five, but here they are:
1. Interpersonal Skill Development
When you join the band program you are instantly part of a group of people all starting at the same place. The journey of learning and growth is shared, along with helping each other overcome challenges along the way. When your child starts to play together with their classmates, they are learning valuable teamwork skills. Everyone in the band has an important part to play that is unique to their instrument, but is a key part of the music they are making together.
2. Practice Helps Build Study Skills
The lessons learned as you practice an instrument cross over to other academic and recreational pursuits. The focus of practicing free throws over and over is the same focus that helps a student master a scale or new sequence of notes on their instrument, which in turn allows them to grow musically. The free throws help other parts of your basketball game the way scales and consistent practice help your student perform better and enjoy their musical journey more and more. It is evident and proven that music helps students achieve higher grades in their academic courses as well. Simply put, music class may be the centre of their scholastic life from which positive things will come.
3. Goal Setting
Playing an instrument requires goals to be met. These can be weekly assignments by the teacher to learn a new scale properly, for example. The larger goals will be to learn the music for the holiday or spring concert. As time progresses, the music they play increases in complexity and offers new challenges, which is yet another great life skill that can be learned and strengthened in the band program. The very first concert in which they perform is a light bulb moment for most students – the practice and struggles from the early days have led to a performance in front of an audience.
4. Helps Keep School Enjoyable
Music class often becomes one of the more enjoyable places for students. It is more than just another class in the day. While every student has different interests, it is not uncommon for the arts to be a consistently safe and inviting place that keeps school enjoyable. Music class may well end up being your child’s favourite part of school and help engage them in all of their studies and extra-curricular activities as well.
5. Creativity
Music class fosters creativity. The essence of music making is rooted in creativity. In a world with increasing levels of screen time and digital distractions, learning an instrument exercises the brain on many levels. There is a physical component to playing an instrument – learning breath control and finger dexterity along with sitting posture as you read the music. The amount of simultaneous actions happening to just play one note is amazing. Doing that in sequence, as you play a piece of music while interpreting all of it in a musical way, challenges creativity constantly. Creativity is needed in other academic areas too, from math to science, to English and sports. Music opens up our creative side, which in turn makes it easier to problem solve. It is also very enjoyable to make music and express yourself in that way. The opportunity to be in the band program can unlock so many possibilities for your child.
One of the common concerns parents have about music is the cost. Musical instruments are made with precision, requiring skilled manufacturing and unique materials. While they do cost hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars, there are some great options to help overcome this hurdle.
First of all, some schools own instruments already and you may have one provided for your child. You may have to purchase some sundry supplies and practice tools like music stands, tuners or metronomes and books, to name a few.
If you do need to get an instrument for your child, there are great rental options available. Renting an instrument has some important advantages including low cost, peace of mind with affordable protection plans and no maintenance costs. Essentially the instrument will be kept in perfect working order the whole time you rent, to ensure your child has every opportunity to succeed and grow with their instrument of choice.
Being in the school band is an enriching and empowering experience. The lessons learned from musical training and collaboration are wide reaching and can have a positive impact on all parts of your child’s life. Self-confidence grows with each performance. The ability to work in a group to achieve a common goal is a critical skill to have in life. Enhanced discipline and focus are always helpful, along with reducing screen time too. But moreover, it’s fun and can lead to a lifelong love of music that becomes part of who they are and helps in everything they do.
