For as long as there have been human communities, we have relied on each other for learning and growth. Just remember your own childhood; almost all of your learning was likely done in small groups or with other children. The classroom is, of course, the most obvious example of this phenomenon, but there is also the sports field, the theatre group, dance studio, and more. And, of course, group music classes!

Learning as a part of a group comes naturally to us, especially children. That’s because it’s more fun, more engaging, and offers the chance to build relationships and develop all-important social skills.

So, this week, we’ll take a look at a few of the key benefit children can gain from group music lessons!

Why Kids Should Take Group Music Lessons

The Fun!

Learning anything, especially something like music, is just more fun with a group – especially for kids! The ability to learn and interact with kids their own age with the same interests and goals can only serve to push their own musical interests even further. This benefit of group music classes is in sharp contrast to one-on-one lessons, where learning can be less relaxed. In fact, in private lessons, all the focus is on the single student, which can create a lot of pressure to be perfect. For some kids, this can sap all the enjoyment out of the process.

Music is Meant to Be a Group Activity

There’s no other way to say it: music is a group activity! Music is meant to be performed by and for groups of people. Even when it comes to solo artists, they depend on back-up singers, performers, and the audience. Even the most famous composers you can think of, including the likes of Mozart, Bach, and Beethoven, wrote most of their music for ensembles, not just pianists.

Playing and performing with a group is what music is all about, so why not get started at an early age with group music classes?

Lessens the Pressure

For some kids, the intensity and dynamic of one-on-one music lessons can be too much pressure. The desire to show their instructor that what they’ve accomplished, or how they’re improving can be overwhelming. This can create anxiety and unforced mistakes. That’s not always conducive for learning.

On the other hand, in group music classes, all that pressure is released and dispersed among the entire class. The sound of many instruments playing all at once.

They’ll Actually Learn More

When kids participate in group music lessons, it’s actually easier for them to retain information. That’s due to the fact that the key lessons are reinforced multiple times during each class. They get to hear it from the instructor, as well as from each of their peers’ instruments too.

What’s more, there’s a larger opportunity for the instructor to use different teaching styles with a group. For instance, many games and activities simply work better with multiple people, and can give students a more well-rounded experience. Learning music, after all, isn’t just about reading music and pressing the right keys; it takes rhythm, body control, improvisation, and more – all of which are more easily learned in a group setting.

More Motivation

One of the possible shortcomings of one-on-one lessons is a lack of motivation. If the teacher can’t sufficiently motivate a student to practice and improve on their own, there isn’t much more to be done.

But when it comes to group music classes, students support and motivate one another! Just like on a sports team, students try to keep up with one another. There is a healthy sense of competition and drive, and students are more motivated to put in the time, grow, improve, and show their peers what they can do.

Social Skill Development

Finally, and possibly most importantly, group music classes help kids develop valuable social skills. Social skills like working together towards a goal, meeting individual responsibilities, getting along with others, and many more become foundational skills that pay off later in life. By putting your kids in these kinds of social situations early, it could lead to benefits down the line like:

• Building new friendships through collaboration.
• Improved communication skills, especially when working towards a common goal.
• Presenting or speaking to an audience, either as part of a group or solo.

Final Thoughts on Group Music Classes

There are many benefits from playing music in a group. Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to have this idea that they or their children will progress faster in an individual setting. And while for some people that may be the case, music is usually best when shared, and 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 fact, many students will actually progress just as fast, or even faster, in group classes. In the end, if you’ve decided to stick with just individual lessons, you might be missing out on something amazing!

Check out all our group classes and ensembles and sign up today!