Today’s world is full of parents that are determined to give their children the best start possible in life. And that means that in our increasingly competitive society it’s no longer limited to simply providing a university education. With some preschools insisting on tests and interviews to determine entry, the competition for placement at a good preschool is fierce. Children need to be better, brighter, and have a more well-rounded education in order to just get in to the school of their choice. And the competition will continue throughout their lives. Post-secondary education is no longer seen as a luxury for the very privileged, instead it as seen as a necessity. This has had a direct effect on enrollment numbers, and today’s youth are finding themselves competing for fewer spots among the nation’s best universities and colleges.

Needless to say, it can be very stressful. Parents want to maximize their children’s chances of success, but don’t want to turn their kids into nervous neurotics. And, although it isn’t an obvious answer, enrolling your children in music lessons can help you achieve this balance.

The obvious benefits of music lessons are clear: Achieving the knowledge and skill necessary to play a musical instrument. But, there are other perks to putting your kids in lessons that aren’t as obvious. These include the following:

• Self confidence- Music lessons give children a feeling of accomplishment which boosts their sense of pride. This pride allows them to feel confident in themselves and their decisions which contributes to their overall feelings of self worth.

• Discipline – Learning to play an instrument is not an easy task, and it takes years of commitment and hard work to become somewhat skilled at it. The effort needed to become successful will help build discipline in your child, which will only help with all other future endeavors.

• Academic Achievement – A Rockefeller Foundation Study found that music majors have the highest rate of acceptance into medical school. The same studies also found that people who had studied music had higher scores on average on standardized tests. In addition, children who take music lessons have a better initial understanding of mathematics as they’ve been learning fractions from an early age (music is written in fractions).

• The Mozart Effect - A study out of Harvard University found evidence that spatial-temporal reasoning improves when kids take music lessons (it also improves temporarily when adults listen to certain types of music – which is why it’s called The Mozart Effect). They found that spatial reasoning and music are related psychologically and possibly even neurologically as well.

Providing the best opportunities possible for their children is the goal of most parents. And these days, many parents look to today’s gadgets and technologies as the best route possible for advancing their children. But it’s been proven that music lessons are a great way to achieve these results – and as a bonus, kids learn how to play an instrument!