Surprising Benefits of Learning the Violin
There are so many benefits of learning the violin for children, like building confidence, learning important life skills, and boosting academic performance at school. But there are some other surprising benefits of music lessons! Today I’m going to share 3 of the most unique ones I’ve found.
Hi, I'm Melodie with the Violin Practice Partner, and I've been teaching violin for 25 years. It's my mission to help light the world through music by helping children learn to play the violin in a way that’s accessible, convenient, and affordable.
We’ve talked before about some ways violin practice helps children, but there are some more facts I’d like to share with you that are a little out of the ordinary. I love thinking outside the box and learning new things, so today I want to share with you some of my favorite benefits of learning the violin.
#1 - It Improves Reaction Time
Playing music increases blood flow to the brain and strengthens the motor neuron connections in our body. What this means is that your child’s brain and muscles will learn how to communicate more effectively. The time between when their brain says “move” and when the movement actually happens in their arms, hands or legs will be much faster.
So even though your child is young now, there will come times when they’re learning to drive, playing a sport, or babysitting, and a quick reaction time will come in handy.
#2 - It May Improve Their Immune System
When it comes to children’s activities, we tend to see sports as health-boosting and music lessons as brain-boosting. But there may be more physical benefits of violin lessons than you think!
One 2003 research study suggested that actively participating in music, not just listening, significantly increased the levels of Immunoglobulin A in the participants.
Immunoglobulin A is an antibody protein that is part of your child’s immune system, which is their first line of defense against viral and bacterial infections.
This is one of many ways that practicing the violin may help your child’s physical health. I’ve linked the study here so you can check it out yourself!
#3 - It Makes the Teenage Years Easier
Being a teen has always been very tough, and it keeps getting even more difficult as increasing pressure is put on these young adults to do more, be more, and accomplish more. Many teens are encouraged to think about what they need to do to get into their dream university by the time they hit 8th grade!
All this stress and pressure on a young body that isn’t built for that level of maturity can be really challenging. Not only that, but they’re also going through changes physically, emotionally, and mentally, which can be a lot to handle.
If your child learns a musical instrument, they’ll prove to themselves time and time again that when a challenge comes up, they are capable of overcoming it.
All of the recitals where they put themselves out there, step up and play in front of others are opportunities to show themselves that taking risks can pay off. They’ll have multiple opportunities to show themselves what they’re capable of - all that beautiful potential that you see in them, they will discover for themselves also.
Even though some of these benefits may come years down the road, know that the foundation you’re creating is laying the groundwork for their future, which is our future.
If you found this interesting, inspiring, or helpful, I invite you to share it with a friend or family member our How to get your child started Webinar, so we can continue to light the world through music together!
