Samantha Foss is a professional musician with years of experience who believes music lessons can be transformative for many young people. They improved her life and made her a happier and more successful person. However, she mostly emphasizes how music lessons can improve a teen’s studying abilities and make it easier for them to thrive in high school and beyond.
Samantha Foss on Why Music Lessons Matter
As more schools cut music classes, professional players find themselves uniquely positioned. Private lessons are the most common way children learn about music, and these lessons are critical for young people struggling with studying. Several reasons for these benefits include increased focus, higher personal responsibility, and enhanced life enjoyment.
Music lessons can increase students’ focus by giving them an outlet outside their day-to-day classes and homework. For instance, they’ll have to learn about things like music scales and practice playing regularly to improve their muscle memory. This increases their focus and makes it easier for them to pay attention to their homework and study more effectively.
Furthermore, learning music also teaches students higher responsibility by getting them to dedicate themselves to a long-term process. Learning an instrument successfully will take a few years, including learning how to read music and practicing regularly. That increased responsibility will make it easier for students to schedule regular studying sessions and finish homework.
Importantly, Samantha Foss states that music lessons can improve a student’s quality of life. As they gradually improve and enjoy playing their instrument, they’ll become more skilled and enjoy performing more often. This can give them more enthusiasm about life, and inspire them to focus more heavily on their studying and improve their grades in many ways.
Studies show that people who take music lessons early see marked cognitive enhancements in multiple areas. These include stronger memory skills, higher overall focus, and enhanced focus on important tasks. Many people who learn music young retain these skills and improve their abilities by playing for the rest of their life.
These benefits make music lessons important to take seriously. While it can be easy for parents to feel uncertain about these lessons or decide that they don’t matter for their child’s development, it is clear that the many advantages they provide can help struggling children and teens get the attention they need to thrive in their education.
Samantha Foss notes the importance of identifying the best instrument for a child’s needs, such as picking a guitar for those interested in rock or a keyboard for those interested in classical or jazz. The options are limitless, and if a child learns well enough, they can easily transition to other instruments, expand their enjoyment of music, and become an amateur or even professional performer if they want.
