Home School Heartbeat Radio Program

Would you like your child to learn to play a musical instrument, but wonder if he or she has a musical bent? That may not be necessary. Mike Smith explains on today's Home School Heartbeat.

Mike Smith:

In addition to the scholastic benefits of learning an instrument, your homeschooler can benefit in other ways as long as your expectations are realistic. But many parents opt out of enrolling children in music lessons because they conclude that their child has no musical ability.

The most renowned music teacher of the 20th century would disagree with that conclusion. Dr. Suzuki created what has become known as the Suzuki method, which has been the main source of instruction for countless professional musicians. And yet, Suzuki teaches that there is no such thing as a child without musical talent. As long as you approach music in the same way that you approached teaching your child his native language, you will find that he picks it up with a surprising proficiency.

This is not to say that every child will grow into a professional musician, but every pupil can experience the sense of accomplishment that music offers while improving his reasoning and spatial abilities.

The rare child may make a profession out of music, but every pupil can benefit from the mere study of music, no matter how far he takes it. A love of music is a wonderful thing, but today's generations are taught to enjoy music passively by listening to the mastered remixes others have created. Participating in music is a more powerful experience as a child learns to appreciate what goes into the creation of a song. And until next time, I'm Mike Smith.