If you’ve ever watched a young child listen to music, you’ll notice how they express their joy by clapping their hands, moving their feet, or singing and dancing along. They simply cannot sit still! Music adds depth, color and fun, and when introduced early in life, becomes a natural part of a child's world.
As children grow, learning to sing or play a musical instrument deepens their bond with the language of music. Much like learning a spoken language, the more a young child is exposed to music, the more natural this language will be for them. To become fluent in the language of music, the ideal time for a child to start formal music lessons is by age five or six.
Where music lessons involve a combination of experiences, such as long periods of focused attention, daily practice, memorization, reading musical notation, and mastering technical, fine motor skills, they can have a significant positive impact on cognition, particularly during the childhood years when brain development is most sensitive to environmental influence. Musical training develops the left side of the brain which is involved with processing language and reasoning.
Perhaps now more than ever, children need help handling the stressors of daily life. From a social-emotional perspective, music lessons are a gift. Once children grasp the fundamentals, practicing their instrument can bring them great joy.
For more than 50 years, South Shore Conservatory (SSC), right in our own backyard, has been speaking the language of music to children and adults of all ages here in our region. From Music Together® classes for infants and toddlers, to its arts-integrated Preschool, PreK and full-day Kindergarten program, from private lessons in voice, piano, wind, string and percussion instruments, to group programs such as youth orchestra, percussion ensemble, and rock band, SSC can be part of any child’s musical journey. SSC has two beautiful campuses in Hingham and Duxbury for in-person learning as well as virtual lessons for added flexibility, as part of its Hyflex model.
To learn more and sign up for a free trial lesson visit: https://sscmusic.org/flf-new-student or contact New Student Manager Meredith Gosselin at m.gosselin@sscmusic.org
To learn more about the arts-integrated Preschool, PreK and Kindergarten programs visit: https://sscmusic.org/ppkk-home/
