Music is not generally considered a necessity for human development. In many cases, families only encourage musical learning when they notice some special facility – what they sometimes call “talent” – in their children. Countless studies attest, however, that any child, young person, or adult can benefit from a musical practice, even in the absence of prior experience or affinity for the subject. It has also been proven that musical learning decisively influences a person’s professional activity, regardless of their field of work.
In the specific case of children, music constitutes an excellent mechanism for the formation of personality in a harmonious and balanced way. Young people and adults are increasingly required to have a deep understanding of reality and a flexibility that allows them to make quick, confident, and creative decisions.
Current education already sufficiently emphasizes the development of visual faculties, a fact that can be attested to by the great predominance of screen-based media, but behind the image, there is always sound, rhythm, intonation which, although invisible are giving meaning to the images themselves. We know that when we remove the soundtrack from a film (or the tone of voice of an actor or actress), we are left only with external gestures, therefore losing the possibility of capturing the meaning and content of the whole.
A series of qualities and skills are stimulated through the practice of singing and playing musical instruments. Music develops concentration and reasoning, stimulates fluency and confidence, and works deeply on motor coordination, promoting greater control over body movements. Greater achievement in subjects such as mathematics, too, is frequently noted after musical studies begin.
Specialists also speak of a “musical intelligence,” which best allows both intrapersonal balance (of the person with themselves, control over emotions and feelings) and interpersonal balance (the ability to relate to and understand other people). Through music, a person learns to express themselves, to have clear ideas, is stimulated to solve problems quickly, and exercises memory and attention. On the other hand, the practice of chamber music (making music in groups) constitutes one of the most suitable activities for developing socialization.
Beyond these aspects, the cultural leisure that musical activity provides allows a person to overcome daily tensions, which has led doctors and psychologists to prescribe the practice of music as a way to combat stress. Moreover, studying music means having contact with a broad cultural heritage, with works created by persons of different generations, styles, and cultures.
For these objectives to be achieved in the best possible way, it is important to have the presence of specialists, musicians, and up-to-date and experienced music educators who can work together to maximize the development of their students’ auditory perception and thus contribute to the comprehensive humanistic formation of people in present and future generations.
