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While every child will not grow up to become a Zubin Mehta, Zakir Hussain, or Hariprasad Chaurasia, every child has the potential to benefit from classical music with regard to their development. Let’s find out what those benefits are
Whether it’s western or Indian, most people regard classical music as boring, old-fashioned and unrelatable. But there is a reason why the “classic” label is attached to this genre of music. It isn’t the same as pop music because it wasn’t made just to be popular for a given period of time. Classical music is not folk music, which is usually created by untrained people for the sake of entertainment. More than being just a genre, classical music is an art form that is enjoyed for several hundred years into the future. Not only is it created by musicians who are trained in the art of composing or writing music notations, but it has also inspired future artists for generations to come. Even today’s leading musicians, be it A. R. Rehman or Adele, draw from classical notes that were once written down by music masters. So, what’s all this got to do with your kid’s development? Let's find out.
Classical music improves memory
In 2012, Learning and Individual Differences—a research journal that publishes articles regarding individual differences and learning in the educational space—published an eye-opening study that was conducted on two groups of students. While one group was made to sit in a lecture where classical music was played in the background, the other group heard the same lecture without music. When both groups were quizzed, students from the group that was exposed to classical music scored significantly higher than the ones who weren’t. The researchers then concluded that classical music makes students more receptive to information and allows them to store and remember it more proficiently.
Classical music helps develop problem-solving abilities
Creating a musical structure can be compared to writing out chapters in a storybook. A good musical structure can actually take the listener on a journey with an intriguing start, middle and finish. As compared to any other musical genre, classical music has a far more complex structure. And yet, kids as young as three months have the ability to pick out that structure and even recognize a classical piece that they have heard before. Researchers believe that because of the complex nature of classical music, it can train the brain to solve problems faster.
Classical music enhances creativity
Various studies have revealed that tuning into classical music, whether you like it or not, improves your ability to be creative or simply think creatively. A study by Goethe-Universitat Frankfurt, Germany, brings scientific evidence to the connection between creativity and music. The study revealed that upbeat classical music was most likely to encourage creative thinking. Music instructor and psychology major, Vishala Khurana says "Science has found that instruments used in classical music, be it the violin, cello, sitar or sarangi, have a profound impact on developing right brain, which controls creative expression. So, whether you are looking to improve a child’s essay writing score or encourage the kid to think out-of-the-box, exposure to classical music will go a long way.”
So, if you're looking to give your kid a strong musical foundation, let introduce them to classical music.