Music is Good for Kids
Like….. Really good!!
Yes. It’s that time of year.
Solo and ensemble, music performance assessments, concerts, and festivals.
Winter and spring give kids so many opportunities to display their talents.
It’s a great time of year for me, because I get to actively participate in helping these amazing people.
This time of year also reminds me of how important music is to the general education of kids. I could get into all of the aspects of hand-eye coordination, learning to get along with others, self-discipline, the value of hard work, and the rewards of a job well done. All of these are important.
And…..
I think the most important reason that music is so important for kids is that it just makes them better human beings.
Our world right now is just rife with division, wars, political chaos, and all manner of hate.
Frankly, we need music to save us. And, not just the sound of music itself, but the process that kids go through to create it.
There is something in music that is beyond sound. It is that untouchable element that somehow reaches into our hearts. This indescribable thing heals us. It changes us. It makes us want to better to each other.
Children know this power to heal, because they have not (hopefully) been exposed to too much of the pain of the world. Of course they have access to it, and unfortunately many do know first hand that pain, but hopefully they don’t have to live it on a daily basis.
Kids need this energy, this healing balm, this force of nature that is music.
I understand this need, because music was one of the things that has healed me over the years. It has been a force for good in my life. I know the power of it.
Let this be to you be a reminder to please go out and support music in your local community. Support kids anywhere and anytime you can. Give them every opportunity to participate in music.
Kids will be better for it. We all will be better for it.
Essay by John C. Davis © 2024 All Rights Reserved
