Music - More Than Meets the Ears

At first thought, what may come to mind about music is that it is enjoyable to listen to and a good idea for homeschoolers to learn as it can help with math. But did you know that learning and playing music also opens doors to new worlds, skills, and opportunities? Take a look at some of the areas you can explore by beginning or continuing with learning music.

Math – Because music includes some basic math such as counting, addition, and fractions, a music education can help improve arithmetic skills. Applying these concepts to music can show students that math can be practical, useful, and fun in many areas in life.

History, Geography, and Culture - By playing music, homeschoolers will become familiar with composers from around the world which can lead to studying the history, geography, and culture of other countries. Becoming acquainted with the culture of a composer’s country could also mean gaining knowledge about that country’s art and food.

Work - By learning music, some homeschoolers together with their families may decide that they would like to become a music instructor, teacher, or performer. Lessons could be taught from a home studio, or if the goal is to turn music into a career, one could acquire the necessary training and skills to teach on behalf of a music studio. Teaching music, even part-time, can be a good way to not only learn about running a business and earn an income but also to gain confidence in explaining concepts to others and correcting the playing technique of students. Plus, it can be rewarding for music instructors to see students’ progress in learning music.

Memorization - Students can improve their concentration skills and ability in memory by memorizing pieces. Improving memorization can help children in other subjects they are learning such as by remembering important dates and facts in history as well as be better prepared for writing and taking exams.

Click the image to download a PDF of this Music Opens Doors poster.

Meet New People - Music can provide an opportunity to meet and get to know others. Homeschool families may decide to participate in a youth or homeschool orchestra, choir, worship music at church, a concert, or community or homeschool talent show. Children and parents enjoy music so it can be a great way for all ages to develop and grow friendships.

Give Back - It can be a blessing to share your gift and love of music with others. Playing at church, a retirement or nursing home, or a fundraiser for a cause your family supports can be good ways to brighten someone’s day through music. For example, after playing an instrument or singing at a retirement or nursing home, you may find that some residents will share memories of how they used to play music with their family when they were growing up.

Volunteer – There is also the opportunity of volunteering to help at music events, such as concerts and performances, usually while taking in the performance for free. Not only can you enjoy listening to music, but you can also try new things and skills – such as being a ticket taker, usher, or manager of other volunteers – as well as meet people.

Travel – By being part of an orchestra or band, homeschoolers may have the chance to travel within their province or state or to another location for competitions. Traveling and seeing new places can expand your horizons.

Scholarship – Through diligent practice, homeschoolers may be able to apply for and receive a music scholarship to either partially or fully fund their post-secondary education. It may be worthwhile to look into available scholarships to know what is required for an audition or other documents as part of the application.

Family – Music is something that can bring families together. If siblings or extended family, such as cousins, play different instruments, then it can provide times of playing music together as duos, trios, quartets, or even start a band together. Playing music may also become part of family holiday times such as Christmas, Easter, and birthdays.

Discipline - Learning music requires discipline to put in the time and effort not only to practice and improve but also to master a new piece and technique. This can be an important concept for students to know and will carry them well into the future.

Accomplishment - Finally, there is the reward of knowing that what one sets one’s mind to do, one can accomplish. Seeing the progress that one makes is encouraging. This increases self-confidence and self-initiative as well as the lifelong pursuit of learning.

As the above list shows, there are many benefits to starting or continuing to learn music which can enrich the lives of homeschooling families. Music provides the opportunity to open the door to a world of new skills to acquire and master as well as new possibilities waiting to be discovered and explored.

This article has been written by homeschooling staff writers of The Canadian Schoolhouse (TCS). Enjoy more of our content from TCS contributors and staff writers by visiting our Front Door page that has content on our monthly theme and links to all our content sections.