Learning music is good for everyone, especially children, whose brains are constantly developing.
Along with activities like sport, maths, learning languages and ballet, music has been shown to improve children's ability to learn, remember, problem-solve and acquire a whole host of other skills.
The start of the school year can be overwhelming for parents, carers and kids alike. But if picking up music is on the cards for you, here are some tips to make the journey as easy as possible.
Learning music is great for kids
Learning music teaches children important life skills, such as persistence and resilience, says Dr. Anita Collins, a lifelong music teacher and advocate.
"Persistence and resilience are mechanisms in the brain," Dr. Collins explains.
For beginners, learning an instrument or memorising a new song can be quite hard, slow-going and often riddled with a sense of frustration. But Dr. Collins says working through it is an important step in all learning processes.
"Persistence comes from the fact that it takes multiple goes to get something right," she says.
This is something kids and adults easily give up when they fail to complete a task on the first go.
When you train your brain to solve multiple problems through different approaches: "the reward network throws an enormous amount of dopamine and adrenaline."
It makes you feel great and motivates you to do it again, Dr. Collins says.
Music also has flow-on impacts throughout a person's life.
"Playing a musical instrument helps children to succeed in so many other things," says ABC Classic's Music Class presenter Ed Le Brocq.
Moreover, learning music allows children to be more self-aware as it involves physical and emotional regulations.
"It's really important for young people to gain confidence in trying new things and mastering them," says Alice Gerlach, the CEO of The Song Room.
The Melbourne-based organisation partners with many schools across Australia, from metropolitan areas to regional and remote locations. They've seen dramatic benefits from the program.
"School absenteeism decreased by 65% on Song Room days," Ms. Gerlach says.
In research conducted by the organisation, they found after 12 months of running music programs in schools, "students achieved better grades in subject areas across the curriculum, including literacy and numeracy," Ms. Gerlach says.
Picking the right musical instrument
When it comes to choosing an instrument for your child, Dr. Collins has a couple of pointers:
"Pick an instrument that your child is attracted to, and that fits with your lifestyle."
It's more important to learn an instrument at all, rather than which instrument you learn, Dr. Collins says.
Your child might pick something based on how it looks, how it sounds or how it feels. Or they might take up singing.
When a student finds the right instrument, Dr. Collins describes the experience similar to the feeling of falling in love.
This love or connection with the instrument can be important especially when their motivation to practise starts to flag.
Dr. Collins says it's important to consider an instrument that works for the family.
"Musical instruments go straight from a classroom into your lounge room," she says.
However, Le Brocq cautions that parents need to respect their child's choice. He always wanted to play the cello but was given a violin as a child.
"My mum didn't trust me," Le Brocq says. "I couldn't stand the violin, but then it led me to the viola," he says.
Le Brocq eventually transferred to the cello, but as a music teacher, he strongly believes it's more important to choose an instrument that's right for the child, not the parent.
How children can try out different instruments for themselves
Dr. Collins says a lot of schools have a try-out day where students can get a chance to play a range of instruments.
Le Brocq also reminds parents that there's a world of instruments to choose from, not just those common in Western bands and orchestras. Instruments like the Chinese erhu are growing in popularity in Australia.
For parents who are struggling with the cost of living, Ms. Gerlach says it's always good to find out what instruments people already have in their community.
"Often when we go to a school, we'll unearth dormant musical instruments and bring them back to life," she says.
Many music teachers can also work with turning everyday items into musical instruments.
"Bucket drums are really great," Ms. Gerlach says.
Picking the right music teacher
Choosing the right music teacher can make a big difference on whether your child continues their musical journey.
"A good music teacher is incredibly helpful," Dr. Collins says.
Many parents and students rely on schools for their music education. Dr. Collins says this has several advantages.
Having regular music class can build a routine and learning as a group can help to maintain motivation levels.
"Having a shared experience bonds us together and connects us as human beings," Dr. Collins says.
Many parents and carers also seek private teachers to help children master their instrument.
Le Brocq encourages people to always check that the prospective teacher has a Working with Children Check and the right qualifications.
A lot of students also find their way to Le Brocq through recommendations, so asking your social networks is a great place to start.
Le Brocq characterises the relationship between parents, students and teachers as "the holy trinity".
"Each of us have our own role, especially at the beginning of the relationship," Le Brocq says.
Le Brocq relies on parents to help younger students with things like what to practise at home. But as children get older, it's important to nurture a different kind of relationship where teachers can challenge the students to push their musical boundaries while remaining in a safe space.
Dr. Collins says it's worth trying to match the goals of the parents and students with the teacher's personalities and their offerings.
For instance, a student who can stick to a routine and responds well to their instrument might benefit from having a teacher who does yearly exams and performances.
Ms. Gerlach says the key to working in regional and remote community is to match local talents with local demands. This maximises the chance of building a community around the program.
But many organisations can also deliver their programs via the internet.
"There's always good online tutorials for those key instruments like guitar and keyboards," Ms Gerlach says.
Finding a musical community in your local area
Music can be a tool for many young people to either find or form a community where they can feel confident to express themselves.
Ms. Gerlach illustrates how music plays a role in knitting young people with their community.
"We work quite a lot with the Arabic community in Western Sydney," she says. "When they see their own instruments come into the classroom, they don't feel isolated. They feel like they belong."
Some of the young boys started playing with their uncles at weddings after learning their instrument in the classroom.
Dr. Collins says that many musical communities revolve around schools or music teacher's studios.
But building a community is more than playing music together.
"You need people who have a common interest coming together and doing social things around that," Dr. Collins says.
She likens it to a kid's soccer team, where parents divide the roles of who gets to coach, bring snacks and organise end of season parties.
If you can't find an existing musical community, Le Brocq has some tips to start one: "Put up a notice in the local pub or café and find out what instruments people can play."
And don't forget that starting a choir is a solid, valid option.
Le Brocq says finding a community strengthens the benefits of learning music in the first place.
"Playing a musical instrument brings you together as a whole and allows you to thrive as a human."
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