<p>Some of us play musical instruments, perhaps since childhood. Did those endless hours of playing help or hurt you academically? If you went to a good college and are successful in life, I’d say music didn’t hurt. Then again, I don’t see many kids taking private lessons, that may mean that music doesn’t help much. Sorry I’m not talking about professional musicians, just regular folks.</p>
<p>My observation is that any activity that requires discipline helps develop discipline in other areas.</p>
<p>If you can breeze through school, music provides a struggle. Music taught me that I wasn’t going to be instantly good with everything, but if I paid attention, put in the time, and practiced in a focused way, I could get good. Later, when I did run into academic classes that were challenging, I knew what to do.</p>
<p>Both I and my son played an instrument in HS, then basically never again. There were no “endless” hours of practice by either one of us. He did well without bringing his home much. We both did well in college. I think the correlation may go the other way- son is a college math major and his abilities may have made it easier for him to comprehend things musically. Likewise my abilities in other areas were transferred to my music, where I had to work harder as my sense of pitch is lousy and my fine motor coordination not great.</p>
<p>It is hard to assess. Yes, S1 got easy A’s for orchestra, but most of the colleges he applied to don’t even count it as academic. The musical skill acquired and the peer interaction in the orchestra are definitely pluses, but it did take time away from other school work. If he didn’t have violin, I’m sure he would have done better with his academic performance.</p>
<p>He played violin for about 5-6 years (actually my memory is fading and PCM is the authority on this). Due to his heavy workload, he never had enough time to practice (an hour practice, 2 times a week, whereas most of his peers practiced daily). Somehow he made first violin in his school’s honor orchestra and first violin in our All-District orchestra and played every weekend with one of the NEC youth orchestras. However, he never developed a passion for violin, and stopped his weekly private lessons and NEC at the end of his sophomore year and quit violin completely at the end of his junior year.</p>
<p>We probably should have let him quit a little sooner, but at least he acquired a skill for life. So, what am I trying to say here? If your child likes it, then support it. If not, switch to something else before it gets painful and starts to impact his/her academic performance.</p>
<p>Oh, and I agree with what Consolation said about discipline.</p>
<p>I had 12 years of classical piano, 6 years of violin, and played and sang in variety of high school and even college groups while I was a high school student.</p>
<p>What did this do for me academically? The main thing was it surrounded me with other musicians, and the orchestra students tended to be the students who were the smartest, most hard working and most involved in a variety of ECs. Being around so many type As raised my idea of what I was able to do.</p>
<p>The most important thing that my musical training did, however, was give me an in depth knowledge of and appreciation of classical and other types of music. This has served me well for the rest of my life including helping me get into musicals – as part of my relatively new interest in being on stage. Being able to read music is a big plus as is knowing musical terms and other things that I learned long ago.</p>
<p>I don’t think life is about what an EC can do for your academics, but how an EC of any kind can enrich one’s life.</p>
<p>Studies have shown that students who are involved in music classes pick up skills that transfer to other academic areas, such as math (it’s been years since I read the study), and a couple of others. </p>
<p>Of course, this doesn’t mean being involved in music classes makes you a genius, only that it further heightens your abilities in other academic areas.</p>
<p>I wonder about the transfer- I thought I had read studies where math and music abilities had some correlation- it could mean the ability to think mathematically translates into thinking that is good for music. Smarter students comprehend the theory more easily also, which makes it easier to learn an instrument.</p>
<p>I agree about adding music for the enrichment, not any academic indications.</p>
<p>My DS, who is a senior at a liberal arts college with a great music dept, was involved in all kinds of high school musical activities including Area Band, Region Band, State Orchestra and Band (jazz and classical), Governor’s School. He’s taken one or two performance courses at school – drumming – and as a freshman was in school sponsored bands. After that he joined student groups that organized and performed on their own. He’s in a Reggae/funk band that plays all over New England on the weekends; he’s also in a local salsa group. We encouraged him to take music theory courses but got nowhere on that one. Music is a very important part of his life.</p>
<p>In a word: passion. </p>
<p>Some people go through life passionless. Those people will never be great at anything. Maybe adequate, but not great.</p>
<p>For me and DD, music unlocked passion for the arts that has been both intrisically sustaining and a bridge to other areas of interest.</p>
<p>Eggson learned the cello in 6th grade and spent all of middle and high school in an orchestra and taking private lessons. In high school he added piano and music theory, then began teaching himself acoustic guitar. </p>
<p>As a college freshman, S is enrolled in orchestra and private cello lessons. Also now teaching himself electric guitar. He looks forward to enrolling in Classical guitar and maybe even organ!</p>
<p>He loves these instruments and orchestra, but has NEVER been a top musician. Just one in the crowd. I think he enjoys that because there was always a lot of pressure to be THE best academically. </p>
<p>He loves Math. Right now his favorite class is Calc III.</p>
<p>Not sure what conclusions to draw, but I consider the music to be an enjoyable and social part of his life. A great balance to the pressure of academics, whether one influenced the other or not.</p>
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That’s me, although only with one instrument. With the pressure to excel academically, it’s great to just play without worrying about being top. And when you’re with a really strong group, and a song just fits together… the uplift is just amazing.</p>
<p>I started piano in 3rd grade at my parents’ urging, added clarinet 6 months later because Band was offered as a “special” in school. Fast-forward to high school, I end up dropping piano for clarinet–various reasons, including natural inclination of how my mind works. I plan to play casually in college, no lessons but I’d like to be in some sort of low-commitment ensemble.</p>
<p>FWIW, I do well in math but have never much liked it.</p>
<p>I think there is an overlap in developing musical talent and ability in school subjects, kind of like cross-training. In other words, I think music hones certain mental skills or ways of thinking that are valuable in school subjects. So I think it helped. </p>
<p>Gardner might argue otherwise, though.</p>
<p>Wow, such different worlds and I didn’t realize this until now. Where we live (affluent, Canadian neighborhood, with large Asian decent population)…I would easily say 3/4s of kids play a serious instrument (especially piano, followed by violin) from a very young age. I don’t think we know a kid who didn’t take up private instrument lessons at six (regardless of ethnic background). Everyone who plays takes private lessons and almost everyone does their exams through the Royal Conservatory of Music. </p>
<p>Not sure how to answer the question though. I do not believe we can ever know the direct impact of any experience on us or our kids. I’ve heard of the correlations but I am not sure they’ve done any control group studies to really discern causation or its direction. </p>
<p>On the plus side, it might be one of many ways to develop discipline. And one of many ways to develop a growing mind in general terms (just like visual art, or learning a foreign language, or travelling). But most of all, being able to play and appreciate music is a great gift IF one enjoys it, so its instrumental value (pun intended) seems not very important.</p>
<p>Downsides? Practice takes time and discipline and since everything is a trade off something is given up: if it means one can’t do something else they are more passionate about because they have to practice, then it’s a loss. I see too many kids forced to play and that seems wrong. Oh sure every parent has to nag, but I mean degree: the instrument should not be a source of constant tension between parents, a source of bad emotions, and kids should not be miserable year after year in practice if its not their thing. If kids are only practicing year after year out of fear or to please someone else, something is wrong. I also see Royal Conservatory training as too strict and demanding for some (not all) kids, squelching the creativity spirit and joy that those particular kids would otherwise get from music (so they quit and miss out on it altogether). Probably every kid needs parental nudging/nagging to supplement waning self-discipline off and on, but overall, kids should enjoy playing first and foremost. So for some there are downsides.</p>
<p>3 years of piano lessons and I can barely pick out a simple tune.
2 years of choir–they only let me in because my twin was in it. I didn’t pass the audition. The music just isn’t in me. </p>
<p>It’s like a foreign language that I can’t decode. Singers who can sight-read–WOW–their brains have something mine doesn’t have. This skill is totally amazing and completely alien to me.</p>
<p>H is a fantastic singer, but can’t sight-read. He has to listen/repeat. H’s Hungarian choir director is appalled that Americans don’t teach music in school every day K-12 like he had in Hungary. (Not being able to read music is like being illiterate–“What do you mean, you ‘Can’t read music!!!’”)
There is a lot of musical talent in H’s family, but they were poor and never had lessons.
Our oldest is excellent on the piano, lots of passion, composes, etc. Younger son has plenty of aptitude/skill, but no passion–so he quit. They are all great at math–I notice a lot of music people are math people</p>
<p>H thinks I’m strange because I don’t really like to listen to music. Am I the only person who feels this way? (H thinks I am–and it’s a great sorrow that he is married to “the most unmusical person in the world.”) I rarely play music, except on the car radio. And Christmas carols–nostalgia. I don’t dislike music, I usually do enjoy it when I hear it (except screeching violins), but I don’t seek it out. I prefer quiet.</p>
<p>I don’t sing (when your toddler asks you NOT to sing lullabies, that’s your sign. . .)–but for some odd reason the lyrics of thousands of pop/rock/country songs and show tunes are in my brain. . .just because I heard them on the car radio–some decades ago. My memory is freakish in this area. (The name of the person I met 5 seconds ago? Gone.) H sings, but scrambles the lyrics every time. </p>
<p>We all did very well academically–so not being musical didn’t hurt me in that way.</p>
<p>I, too, prefer to be one in the crowd in band. I made the Wind Ensemble at my high school (the highest honor band), though I despise playing solos for competitions and such. Thus, I never tried out for All-State. My band did make All-Eastern last year, though. </p>
<p>My family can’t afford private lessons, so I started in 3rd grade with the recorder. In 4th I picked the clarinet. The year after, I enrolled in all three ensembles (chorus, band and orchestra), and started cello. Unfortunately in middle school I could not continue with cello as both band and orchestra were the same period, so I only played cello for 2 years. In high school I picked up the bari sax because the clarinet section was far too large, and no one was playing bari. I started flute in 10th grade, and for Christmas that year I got a piccolo. =) I currently play piccolo in the marching band, and bari in Wind Ensemble and pit. </p>
<p>I think I enjoy learning a new instrument more than becoming proficient on one. I think I am quite mediocre in all but the cello, as I haven’t been able to play for six years. Not sure if this correlates to my academics as all, but I do have a 4.0/96 average, so who knows. </p>
<p>My eyes are already set on the oboe. Perhaps for my birthday or graduation?</p>
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<p>A testament to that: the best three violinists in my school, who coincidentally all graduated last academic year, went to two Ivies and Williams. I know plenty of people in my school orchestra who are very strong academically. For me they don’t affect my performance, mainly because I don’t set my goals relative to others.</p>
<p>I’ve seen studies cited that claim that children who begin to play music at an early age help stimulate and develop their mind better than those who don’t.</p>
<p>One doesn’t necessarily take from the other. Passion, dedication, time management, setting priorities, willingness to sacrifice free time, foregoing other “teen” activities if it conflicts with practice or lessons or performances, a sizable amount of money for lessons and instruments all factor in scholar/musicians life in high school and beyond. Music brings self satisfaction to your psyche.</p>
<p>^ Wow, I’d like to get a hold of your magic wand as I could sure use it in my everyday life as an adult! I’ve found that as a professional who juggles parenting, committees, supervising students, research, teaching, social life, sleep, eating, and the occasional hobby, I am a fixed pie, I can’t be in two places at once, and there are fixed hours of wake time in the week. I’ve got great efficiency and time management, but every single thing I do takes away from something else. It is no different for teens.</p>
<p>I believe anyone who thinks otherwise is kidding themselves. I think developing brains and teens in particular need to sleep, need to socialize, need downtime, need ‘teen activities’ as part of normal, everyday healthy growing up. I know parents of kids of elite athletes and musicians who constantly question whether the dedication was worth it. I know many parents that changed course because the sacrifice was too big. And that is that the top end of the spectrum with huge payback! </p>
<p>Don’t get me wrong, if you love what you do, do more of it: but as I wrote, for those who are more passionate about something else, the idea of them spending time on music at the expense of something they are better at or more passionate about is a sad loss. Music only brings self-satisfaction to SOME psyches.</p>
<p>A lot of parents force their kids to pick up an instrument, falsely believing the ability to play an instrument in an orchestra or recital will somehow add significant strength to their apps to elite colleges in the future. I say this because I was somewhat guilty of it and have talked to many parents who held this belief. These parents eagerly ask PCM for advice on how to get their K-5 kids who have been playing a year or less into competitive orchestras and competitions.</p>
<p>Introduce instruments to your kids, if they like it, support it. When the initial interest can no longer sustain them through tough practices, parents have to decide whether to let them quit or, if critical mass is within grasp, push them through it. When they reach the point where they can truly enjoy what they play, then their passion and pride will sustain them through tough practices. I believe positive correlation with academic performance occur when they reach this point. The hard part is to know how far off you are from reaching the critical mass, or if there is one coming.</p>
<p>To clarify what I posted earlier, S1 still likes violin. I can still hear him play in the house on rare occasions, but he found strong passions elsewhere – in bio research and breakdance.</p>