Now that school students across Australia are back learning for the 2025 academic year, many parents are still weighing up the benefits of scheduling instrumental music lessons.
Music educator and researcher Dr Anita Collins says that young developing brains can experience incredible benefits from music education, with opportunities to take in, and reinforce, some essential life skills.
Resilience and persistence
Patience, resilience and the value of persistence are all important lessons, she believes, and although many young musicians may struggle with memorising new pieces of music, Collins says that working through those struggles is a vital step in all learning processes
“Persistence comes from the fact that it takes multiple goes to get something right,” she says.
And Collins says the reward, for those who push through their stress to work it out, is that brains that are trained to utilise different approaches to solve problems can enjoy the powerful (and pleasurable) hit that dopamine and adrenaline deliver.
“It makes you feel great and motivates you to do it again.”
Managing emotional regulation is another potential benefit of connecting young children with musical instrument lessons.
“It’s really important for young people to gain confidence in trying new things and mastering them,” says The Song Room CEO Alice Gerlach.
The Melbourne-based organisation partners with regional, remote and metropolitan schools across Australia and has seen dramatic positives from the program.
“School absenteeism decreased by 65 per cent on Song Room days,” says Gerlach.
Research conducted by the organisation also revealed that, after 12 months of running school music programs, students in those schools “achieved better grades in subject areas across the curriculum, including literacy and numeracy”.
Choosing the right instrument
Collins suggests parents help guide children to instruments that they are attracted to – but also fit with your lifestyle. If a young child catches public transport to and from school each day, lugging a cello or double bass with them will not be ideal. Similarly, if you live in medium or high-density accommodation, a drum kit may not make you a favourite with your neighbours. If budget is a big issue, perhaps they could take up singing and focus on their voice as their instrument to craft and hone.
She says it’s more important to learn an instrument at all, rather than which instrument you learn. Collins describes the moment when a student finds the right instrument as a little like falling in love. This special connection with an instrument is important, she says, as it can help motivate their desire to pick it up regularly to play and practise.
She says it’s important to remind parents that “musical instruments go straight from a classroom into your lounge room”.
Connecting with a great music teacher
Collins says that, in the quest for the ideal teacher who can inspire their young students to stick with it, it’s worth trying to match the goals of both parents and students with what the teachers say they can offer, as well as the teacher’s personality.
A diligent student who appreciates routine and genuinely enjoys their instrument might benefit from having a teacher who does yearly exams and performances. Others may prefer a more relaxed approach that captures the fun of music, without making it feel like hard work.
“A good music teacher is incredibly helpful.”
