On October 20, Nintendo will be releasing the latest game for their hit console Wii. The leader in interactive games, Wii is following in the steps of hit games like Rock Band and Guitar Hero and releasing Wii Music, a game that simulates playing musical instruments.

Playing the game is sort of like playing a musical instrument. Users will have to move their Wiimotes and nunchuks in the same motions as they would if they were actually playing the instrument. Like all games, it will take a lot of practice to become skilled at playing, which equals a significant time investment. Of course, will all this advancement in video game technology, I’m curious as to why we don’t spend that time learning the thing we’re simulating doing. For example, learning to play an actual instrument is also an investment of time, but at the end of the process, you know how to play an instrument, and you’ll have that knowledge forever. When you’re finished playing Wii Music, you’ll know how to move your hands like you’re playing an instrument, and eventually the game will become obsolete.

Proponents of Wii Music will argue that there is more immediate satisfaction than when learning to play an instrument. In addition, when playing Wii Music, you have the option of playing several different instruments, so you get to experience many different spectrums of music playing.

While it is true that taking music lessons doesn’t lend the same sense of immediate gratification that playing Wii Music will give, the long term benefits far outweigh the short-term gain. Music lessons have developmental benefits (including cognitive and spatial-temporal reasoning) that may enhance intelligence and improve academic scores. Both self esteem and self-discipline will experience a boost as well. And, after a while, you’ll be able to play actual songs with your instrument, and you’ll have the choice of what songs you want to play. (Unlike Wii Music which picks the songs for you.)

While Wii Music lets you experience the motions of playing many different instruments, and taking music lessons usually only lets you play your chosen instrument, picking up a second or a third instrument is pretty easy once you’ve mastered the basics in your first instrument. Sure, there are different components and parts, but if you’ve already learned to read music, it’ll be an easier process to pick up a second or third instrument.

Although Wii Music is one of the latest additions to the world of advanced gaming technology, taking music lessons and learning to play an instrument has far greater rewards. No longer will you be tied to your television and going through the motions of playing music, instead you can take your instrument wherever you’d like and actually play the songs you’d like to hear.

There is a great amount of value in learning to play a musical instrument, including better performance in school and greater problem solving skills. Because of this, a lot of parents want their children to take music lessons so that they can get a better start at life. Unfortunately though, sometimes children don’t want to cooperate and don’t bother practicing their instrument. As frustrating as this is, learning to play an instrument is like anything else, so therefore it can be a natural response to taking up a new challenge. So, in order to get your kids to practice their music lesson teachings, you as a parent have to find a way to inspire your children to play. The following are a list of things that might just help your children find enthusiasm for their musical instrument.

1.) Don’t Compare

Comparing your children to the progress of how others are doing never works. It can be disheartening and will often have the opposite effect of inspiring them to practice. When your children were little, comparing the speed of when they learned to walk to other kids did not get them to walk any faster and it’s the same thing with learning to play an instrument. Instead encourage them on the progress they have made, and I’m sure you’ll see a less frustrated child.

2.) Inspire by Listening

Have music playing at your house, and choose recordings of musicians who play the same instrument as your child. Don’t compare them to the recording, but just listen to it. Hearing an instrument played very well can be an inspiring experience and it may just encourage your child to want to take more of an interest in their music lessons.

3.) Play Music as it’s Meant to be Heard

A big mistake when teaching your child to play a musical instrument is to play the bars of a song note by note. Sound penetrates the brain, so intellect doesn’t get in the way. Unlike sight, which needs to be processed by the brain (we need to process what we’re looking at) sight is a more sensory function. Babies develop their auditory functions in utero even! So, play the song as it’s meant to be play and it won’t seem so boring to your child which could motivate them to learn what you’re playing.

4.) Use Building Blocks

Just like a lot of other skills that we develop, the ability to play music is one that we need a foundation to build on. Don’t expect your child to automatically start playing songs that are at a higher level than the skill that they’ve already developed. Instead, praise the notes that they do know how to play (even if it’s just a few scales), and the encouragement from that might bolster them to want to keep playing and learning.

One of the greatest ways to get your child to practice their instrument is to make the experience a fun one. If your child considers it to be a chore, than it will be a fight every day trying to get them to practice, which, in turn will make them resent their instrument even more. Encourage them as they play and reward them for their hard work. Make games out of it and your child will soon start to practice on their own accord.

It can be difficult to make a child do something that they don’t want to do, so instead of fighting against the stream make the music playing experience something that they love to do. Forcing your child to practice will only perpetuate the cycle; finding a way to encourage them will help them develop an enthusiasm for playing.