6 Benefits of Music for Kids

Music is beautiful. Music is fun, Music moves us and it can make us smile, laugh, cry, dance, and move us. Humans and animals have used sounds and rhythm for personal expression and message since the beginning of time. Thanks to my parents, I started playing music when I was old enough to hold drum sticks and blow into a harmonica. I moved up to the flute, then oboe and piccolo, and eventually dabbled in any instrument or musical outlet I could get a hold of. Sadly, music, art, and drama programs are underfunded and sometimes removed from our schools. It’s important to let our children experience music because it is incredibly beneficial. Here are 6 benefits of music for kids that will last them a lifetime.

• Coordination

Playing music is helpful with hand eye coordination, as well as leg, foot, arms and, well the whole body really. Learning an instrument teaches the hands to function in different ways. Learning key placements of notes and finger positions for chords allows kids to use their hands in new ways. While their hands and feet are functioning to make sounds, their eyes are reading the music and their brain is decoding the notes. The Casio Compact Grand Piano (CGP-700) that was sent to us is a great example of an instrument for improving coordination skills. It is equipped with different sounds and beats to play with. My nieces love to experiment and coordinate their own songs on both sides of the piano. Another great instrument to learn for coordination is the clarinet, just make sure you are using the best clarinet reeds possible!

• Confidence

Despite the long time stigma of band geeks, music is a huge confidence builder. It is especially beneficial in social settings. Everyone is speaking the same language of music. There isn’t a social hierarchy like many social circles. Children in a group of other musicians have a chance to thrive and their social status isn’t a factor. Kids who are “different” in a typical social environment are often cast out or made fun of. Within a music environment, it’s less likely for kids to be treated as outcasts for wearing the wrong brand or sporting a pair of glasses. My nieces play their CGP-700 and don’t even notice their age different, whose room they are in, or even that they are still wearing PJs and bed hair.

• Self Esteem

Music is an amazing hobby. It is tons of fun to make noise and it’s even more exciting when that noise creates music. When my niece sat to play her new Casio Compact Grand Piano, she was incredibly excited. She was discouraged when she realized she didn’t know how to play anything on it. I showed her how to play “Chopsticks” and her whole attitude changed. Her self-esteem shot through the roof and she wanted to learn more. She was showing everyone her CGP-700 piano and what she could play. It didn’t matter that she wasn’t playing perfectly because she was so proud of learning. She loves to help her little sister play and she gets more confidence as she learns more.

4) Learning

Playing music requires the brain to work at different levels. The physical coordination, the interpretation or decoding, and keeping temp works all parts of th brain. Playing and reading music allows the brain to continually learn to organize the notes from the page and fine tune the sound it hears. Motor skills are always improving with music as the amount of notes are learned and the different tempos that are played. The Casio Grand Piano has different beats that you can set and play along with. It allows my nieces to make a new song to go with every new beat and they learn to go faster and more complex with each different beat.

• Creativity

Music is definitely a confidence booster and a great learning tool. It also increases creativity, like my nieces making new songs for the different beats. Playing the piano and coming up with different notes to form a song helps my nieces to be creative. They love to learn songs that are familiar and then add their own spin on it. The CGP-700 is a great piano for them to be creative on because it has tons of different tones to set the keys to and different sound effects. They love to add the echo effect and to set the tone to a “robot” sound. They each sit on both sides of the piano and one plays a song while the other tries to answer back. It really is a great site to see them playing together.

• Physical Benefit

The benefits on a physical level of music is quite impressive too. Playing music helps to ease stress and calm nerves. I know when I started playing the flute, softly playing my favorite songs helped to relax me before bed. When I started learning to play my drum kit, it helped to release my aggression from a bad day or a argument. On a larger scale, piano music can help in geriatric and intensive care units to promote healing. People tend to get more motivated for workouts and classical music can help improve sleep. My niece likes to play her Casio electric piano for a bit when she wakes up to get motivated for the day and again at night to relax before bed.

Listening, learning, and playing music have so many benefits that it’s impossible to list them all in a small post. These are just some benefits I’ve noticed personally and with my nieces when they play their Casio Compact Grand Piano. It has opened them up to a new way of thinking outside the box.

The CGP-700 was a great instrument for the girls to start on because it is small enough to fit in their rooms while still having the great design and feel of a standard grand piano. It has 88 touch-sensitive keys, so they are able to learn just like they would on the ivories of a grand piano. My youngest niece is able to play it on her own because it has a Color Touch Interface. It is easy for her to navigate and has a color graphic touch display to reach all the fun features. The CGP-700 has tons of different built in sounds, even sounds like a guitar, bass, string instruments, and organs.

The Casio Compact Grand Piano offers a number of features for kids and adults to learn or continue to play music. It gives my nieces a chance to enjoy music like I have since I was a young girl. I love to play tha CG-700 just as much as they do and I know you and your family would enjoy it as well. It’s a great instrument to create new and fun music on and learn more about music. It is great to watch the girls play and learn more every time they sit at the piano and I think your family would emjoy all the great benefits as well. What are you waiting for? Bring the joy of music to your home and the sound of beautiful songs and laughter as well.