Music is a powerful tool – it can spark emotion, build relationships and create memories. Surrounding children with music at a young age has been proven to be beneficial for their cognitive and social development. But there’s more. Research shows that shared musical experiences between parents and children can strengthen their relationship, alongside a number of other benefits.
Here are three reasons why sharing musical experiences with your child is so important, in hope of inspiring parents to join in with the musical fun 🎵
1. It can develop a stronger bond between children and parents.
According to a study from the University of Arizona in 2018, parents who have shared musical experiences with their children end up having a better relationship with them later in their lives.
Some of you may be thinking – but I can’t sing or play an instrument? Don’t worry – you don’t have to be a musician! The researchers surveyed a group of young adults about the frequency of their musical experiences with their parents during childhood and adolescence which included activities such as listening to music, attending concerts, and playing instruments together. They then also shared how they perceive their relationship with their parents now.
The study showed that musical experiences at all age levels were associated with better perceptions of parent-child relationship quality in young adulthood, but the effect was most prominent for shared musical experiences that took place during adolescence.
The study identified two main factors as the reason why shared musical experiences had a positive impact on parent-child relationships:
The first factor is coordination: when people play or listen to music together, the data shows that this causes someone to like the other more.
The second factor is empathy: the emotions evoked through music can build empathy and empathic responses toward your listening partner.
2. It can increase your children’s social skills.
A shared musical experience develops a child’s social skills and confidence, particularly when shared with a parent in their early years as research shows.
A study in 2017 at the University of Queensland found that“…[I]nformal encounters with music at home are critical for young children’s development – with benefits above and beyond those of shared reading. And quite beautifully, the best results are seen when music making is a shared experience between parent and child.”
Data was drawn from 3,100 families who participated in the study which led the team to make this conclusion: “shared music-making at the age of 2–3 years correlates positively with increased school readiness, pro-social skills, and literacy and numeracy outcomes at age 4–5.”
Again, the shared musical experiences with their children had positive outcomes regardless of the parent’s musical background. All parents can experience the benefits of embracing the power of music!
3. It’s an opportunity to ignite a passion in both children and parents!
Taking on a shared musical endeavour is an opportunity to spark a passion for both children and parents. An important part of building children’s creativity is also taking the time for your own creativity and who knows, you may even ignite the beginning of a lifetime interest and musical journey!
“When parents encourage their children in new musical learning and when there is an open, supportive and positive attitude towards new experiences, this has a positive influence on children… all beneficial for increased confidence and motivation in building creative skills.”
Dr Shari Lindblom
Experiencing music with your child, whether it’s listening to music in the car, dancing around to your favourite song or trying to learn an instrument together for the first time, is a great way to have fun and connect, enhance your child’s social skills and instill a love for music at an early (or even later!) age.
At Magic Tree of Music, we love to see parents getting involved with both our online and in-person courses. Music is a wonderful experience, and it’s even better when shared. Turn up the music, embrace learning something new and start making musical memories with your child! ✨
