Every parent has been there. That moment when you have repeated yourself ad infinitum to your (seemingly deaf) child without a flicker of acknowledgement. That moment that requires the uncanny willpower not to scream at a decibel that will likely cause an Indonesian tidal wave and can only be heard by dogs. Luckily, we can offer frustrated parents some, ahem, sound advice. Music lessons can improve your child’s listening skills.
Yes, you heard right. Researchers Nina Kraus and Bharath Chandrasekaran argue in, Music training for the development of auditory skills in Nature Reviews Neuroscience, that “Neuroscience research has shown that music training leads to changes throughout the auditory system that prime musicians for listening challenges beyond music processing” and “active engagement with music promotes an adaptive auditory system that is crucial for the development of listening skills. An adaptive auditory system that continuously regulates its activity based on contextual demands is crucial for processing information during everyday listening tasks.” You see, timing, pitch and timbre are common elements in both music and speech. Teaching attention to these elements in music also teaches attention to these elements in listening, and in the process, results in better listening skills.
So, music lessons for kids not only help kids acquire musical abilities but have the added bonus of helping kids become better listeners. And for every parent that has had to repeat themselves or raise their voice to be heard by their children, this is music to their ears.
