by Frances Stanford

Created on: April 01, 2010

Would you believe that children who have extensive musical training are more likely to get accepted in to medical school programs, provided they can make the proper grades? What makes someone who is trained to play a musical instrument a better candidate for medical school then someone who cannot? That has been a question asked by many for years which has lead to extensive research in the area. It has been found that there is a relationship between music and spatial intelligence. Children who study music have been found to read better, recognize patterns better and there are improvements in the area of math as well. If there are reports that show the benefits of music on a child’s intellectual ability then why are so many school districts cutting out music programs, or why is music not being made a compulsory course in schools. These are questions that are asked every day but music teachers around the world.

Other than the intellectual benefits for children who are attending school it has been found that there are a number of other benefits to children of learning music. One such benefit is increased coordination. Children who study music from a young age show an increase in hand-eye coordination as they are working the development of important motor skills when playing music. This has been compared to the same way an athlete increases hand-eye coordination when playing a particular sport such as basketball.

For children who are having problems calming down and relaxing it has been suggested more recently that these children take up some sort of musical training in order to learn to relax. More and more doctors are recommending musical therapy as a way of relaxing rather than prescribing medication to help a person become calm and less anxious. It has been proven that certain types of music have a calming effect as they work to lower the heart rate.

Self confidence and patience are two other reasons why children should study music in some form. Children who have taken up an instrument are more likely to stick with something rather than giving up easily. They show more perseverance when tackling something that is hard. These children who study music and become quite accomplished also display more confidence in themselves and what they can do. They become proud of themselves and are more willing to participate in and try new things.

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