Over the years we’ve spent a fair amount of time here discussing all the variety of benefits that an education in music can have for children and adults alike. There’s no denying that picking up an instrument can have lasting benefits no matter what age you are when you start.

But that being said, humans are social creatures, and many of us do even better with most things when we’re in a group. Of course, the current ongoing pandemic has made that difficult.

But now many music schools (including here at The Music Studio!), are beginning to reopen for limited in-person lessons and classes. Which brings us to an interesting question; what kinds of benefits can be reaped from practicing and playing with in-person?

SOCIAL & EMOTIONAL BENEFITS

While every dedicated musician will inevitably spend countless hours playing and practicing by themselves to master their instrument, the best musical memories are always formed when making music with others

By joining a group, ensemble, or even just in-person lessons, you’re joining a ready made community with similar likes, interest, and perhaps even passions. It’s a great way for musicians of all instruments, ages, and even skill levels to meet new people, make new friends, make music together, and even help each other with the learning process along the way.

While this is a great benefit for all ages, we all know that kids make life-long friends much more easily than adults. This makes the music room the perfect place to connect with new people! Music offers a common ground for even the most shy person to start forming new friendships.

TEAMWORK

Growing out of the camaraderie and good feelings of meeting and playing with like-minded musicians is the feeling of teamwork and accomplishment.

For kids, playing with an ensemble can teach them how to work as a team, and how to let go of their own ego to benefit the group. Regardless of which part of the piece they have, be it harmony or melody, they can learn to listen and communicate non-verbally as a team to bring the music together.

Even as an adult, this teamwork can be invaluable. Even if you already have a lot of experience working as a team and you don’t need to be taught the ins and outs of working with a group, the end result of making music with others can still be very beneficial.

The sense of accomplishment and camaraderie that grows out of practicing together, learning together, and finally performing a piece flawlessly together, can have some incredibly amazing benefits for all ages.

HEALTHY COMPETITION

Although this may seem like a bit of the opposite of the last heading, a little competition is actually great even among teammates!

Through encouraging each other to get better and better, a little positive and healthy competition starts to arise, pushing students to do even better at home and in class.

We all learn from one another, and the combination of some light competition, along with the reassurance from the group can help to create the absolute best environment for speedy progress. The mild competition works as a motivator, while the teamwork helps to support the progress.

TAKE THE PRESSURE OFF WITH GROUP LESSONS

One big benefit of in-person, group music lessons is that they can take some of the pressure off learning. Many people avoid starting music lessons out of fear around starting something new, and being embarrassingly bad at it.

Far too many potential music students picture sitting in a room, just one-on-one with their instructor, and get horrified at the idea that they may not get as good as they want, as fast as they want. They worry that the things they think they’ll be bad at will be obvious and terrible.

But group lessons can help relieve that pressure, whether its real or just in your head. Small mistakes get lost in the sound of the group, progress is made together as an ensemble, and the act of learning is supported by the entire band or orchestra. The more relaxed atmosphere helps many kids and adults relax a bit more, and just enjoy the music they are helping to create.

Another sort of offshoot of this perceived lower pressure is that group music lessons can also help musicians lower their inhibitions. Thanks to the lower levels of imagined pressure, and the simple fact that playing with a group means playing in front of others on a weekly basis, group music students become less inhibited to play in front of friends, family, and even strangers. This lower inhibition translates into other aspects of life as increased confidence and self-esteem.

CONCLUSION

As you can see, there are many benefits from in-person music lessons. Music is usually best when shared, in-person – even if it’s just one-on-one. And what’s more, playing with a group adds in all the ingredients needed for full and complete training built on a solid foundation of technique, as well as these social benefits.

In the end, both online and in-person lessons have their benefits and their drawbacks. Check out some of the benefits of online lessons here. Ultimately, which is right for you will depend entirely on you and the best environment in which you are comfortable learning. Considering and weighing the factors we’ve discussed here – as well as a few others that are important to you – will help you decide whether you’re more suited for traditional or online learning!

If you’re looking for online lessons taught by passionate professionals, look no further than The Music Studio! Check out all our programs and get in touch today!