Children need fewer computer tablets --- and more musical instruments!

by Shirley Marie Bradby

May 29, 2019

Children need fewer computer tablets --- and more musical instruments!
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Music is a fundamental component in the lives of each of us.

In fact, the emotions that a song by our favorite artist or group can elicit, or even just a sequence of notes that touch us, are indescribable and can often cause a visceral reaction

Each of us has within us a natural musical side, which can be more or less developed. The predisposition to get in touch with the world of music is a feature that sets us apart from the moment we were born.

So let's see why it is important to encourage the expansion of our musical instinct and to give children the possibility to develop first-rate skills in this area.

via parents.com

thedanw/Pixabay

thedanw/Pixabay

We live in a society dominated by immediacy, driven by consumerism and the need for money and profits. In this scenario, it is increasingly difficult to stop for a few moments to contemplate what surrounds us, to recognize and understand the essence and uniqueness of things that are truly beautiful. 

If everything has been standardized and everything tends to be homologated with an official stamp of approval, we will no longer be able to distinguish what is really beautiful or ugly. In this instance, the arts, and music, in particular, can be of great help to us. 

By learning from an early age to recognize and produce sounds and combinations of them, children can begin to recognize authentic beauty, that knows how to get in touch directly with their pure, primordial emotions.

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Frédéric de Villamil/Flickr

Frédéric de Villamil/Flickr

Stimulating musical intelligence in children means effecting a fundamental step for their cognitive development. The brain, in fact, to play, sing or "simply" listen to music, activates both of its hemispheres, in a useful mixture of emotions, sensitivity, logic, and analysis. 

Teaching children to play, sing, read music, or listen carefully to music also means improving a child's character. For a child to be able to perform all these activities well, it is necessary for them to be engaged,  to concentrate, coordinate, communicate with teachers, control emotions and overcome shyness. 

All of this is not to be undervalued, given the fact that at often many parents have problems and difficulties in educating their children to adopt good attitudes and behavior in the contexts we have listed.

Wikimedia

Wikimedia

Therefore, let's bring children closer to music, without being afraid that developing their skills in this area is somehow only a "privilege" for the few. We are all born with a predisposition for music, even if it is only just listening.

Of course, it is obvious: Not all children will become another Mozart, but to have, at a young age, already been directed towards the right path, will be a step forward not only for them but also for our society which, more than ever, needs the beauty of art and music.

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