September 2021

THE ARTS
Musical families enjoy the
sweet sounds of success
BY KEITH TURNER
Learning to play a musical instrument can improve mathematical, science and
English scores in children. Read on for some tips on how to integrate music in
your family’s world.
We all know that listening to music can
uplift your mood and bring lightness
to the day, but did you also know that
learning to play an instrument can
make you smarter?
A recent study by the National
Association of Music Merchants
(NAMM) Foundation found that
learning to play a musical instrument
can improve mathematical, science
and English scores in children and can
even increase SAT scores. In fact, in
schools where administration officials
say their music programs are strong,
graduation rates top 90 percent and
attendance is over 93 percent.
In other words, playing an
instrument helps improve a student’s
dedication to education and be better
equipped to handle life’s challenges.
The question is, with annual
budget restrictions forcing many
schools to cut back on music
education, how does a non-musical
parent start to integrate music into
their children’s lives? It begins with the
basics: make it fun.
Ted Fong and his wife Marielle, of
Sacramento, Calif., have five children
who have grown up not just learning
to play a variety of musical instruments
and throughout their growth years
they also performed at various street
fairs and private events. In fact, they
played enough over the years to earn
enough in tips and stipends to help
pay for their college education, which
has so far lead to one graduate and
two currently attending school. Each
of their children has continued to be
involved in music at their respective
levels of education.
Ted, a multi-talented jazz
musician himself, said that he believes
music helps children in many ways.
“It’s very important,” he said.
“Music helps kids develop creativity
and harness their emotions. More so
if they’re creating music as opposed
to just playing music from the printed
page.”
He said the key to getting children
interested in learning to play musical
instruments is to make it fun and
creative.
“I took classical lessons, but
later found it was more satisfying to
improvise,” said Ted. “Our kids picked
up on this, first on the ukulele and then
with singing. Singing especially helped
them develop their listening skills and
their ear. Then they discovered how
to harmonize and setup a groove with
ukulele, djembe, and shaker. It became
enjoyable for them and others. So they
kept going.”
Ted recommends a YouTube
series by Rick Beato about how
children process music.
“It’s like a language that they first
learn before they are two years old. I
agree with his view that parents should
play classical, jazz, and other ‘complex’
forms of music to their kids in the first
year of life and afterwards. Their brains
have the amazing ability to assimilate
the harmonic, rhythmic, and melodic
vocabulary very rapidly.
Leave instruments around the
house and encourage kids to explore
them and learn how to sing and play
what they hear in their heads, said Ted.
“They should continue to listen
and appreciate especially classical and
jazz. Find a music teacher who can
teach more than reading notes, but
how to understand and hear what they
are playing. Take them to live musical
performances.”
It’s clear, especially with the Fong
family, that everyone benefits when
music is part of a family.
Who knows, maybe it can help
pay for college too!
Keith Turner is a freelance writer
who is learning to play a musical
instrument (ukulele) and loving the
process. He also is a professional
auto reviewer for families. He can be
reached at carguy@hotmail.com.
22 montereybayparent.com MONTEREY BAY PARENT • september 2021