When kids receive music education, they’re able to quickly develop language skills and boost test scores.
Creativity, in any form, is crucial for child development. Being creative can be as simple as drawing with your favorite crayons, or it can become a long-term habit through piano practices and recitals.
A great way for young kids to dive deeper into the world of music is through music production. This route of creativity is often not thought about by parents, but it’s time for that to change!
If you’re a bit skeptical about your child trying out music production, we’ve provided a guide below. We’ll show you how and why to get started.
The Benefits of Music Production for Children
It’s important that we define music production because it’s a bit different from learning music.
The production of music focuses on the recording, constructing, and distributing of songs. Producers mix and mash vocal recordings, virtual instrument beats, and so much more to create the songs we hear on the radio today.
Music lessons are beneficial when becoming a producer, but to be successful, your child must also know how to use a digital audio workspace (DAW) and how to be an effective listener.
You may now be wondering, “Well, why is this something my child should do?” We’ll show you.
Music production is an important activity for children that can provide a variety of benefits. It can help spark creativity and imagination, teach discipline, and foster a sense of accomplishment.
Music production can also be a great way to pass the time, keep children engaged in an educational activity, or even get them interested in music as a career path.
Music Becomes A Lifelong Hobby
Music production for kids may sound like a fun way to pass time. Thankfully, it sticks with them throughout time as well, easily becoming a productive lifelong hobby. This hobby could also easily become a career. As long as songs are being created into radio singles and albums, music producers have a job. It can be a lucrative career that leads to a wide world of possibilities.
Even if music production doesn’t become a career for your child, it can still be a passion they explore throughout their life. Music is always changing, evolving, and growing. Your child can be a part of that!
Producing Music Leads to The Development of Crucial Life Skills
A music production career or hobby helps develop crucial skills in a child. There’s a learning curve associated with many of these skills so encourage your child to keep pushing through the learning process.
Listening Skills
As we mentioned above, becoming a producer requires sharp listening skills. These listening skills can be developed through music classes for kids and through the meticulous process of piecing together a song. Developed listening skills extend into school, the home, and the workplace.
For those wondering why listening skills are so important in production, it’s because an ear for detail is needed to piece together harmonizations, create melodies from multiple pieces of media, and catch small mistakes in a rough draft.
Discipline
Crafting a well-polished song is no small task. It can take hours, or even days, to create a project.
Kids benefit from learning how to dedicate their time and concentration to a project, especially if it doesn’t work out the first time they try. They’ll grow through the process of brainstorming and reconstruction.
Producing music requires that the artist become familiar with all aspects of the process including recording techniques, equipment utilization, and sound engineering principles. This familiarity teaches children how to stay organized while working on projects and manage their time effectively when producing music.
This creative discipline will then help them with school projects and personal life goals.
Creativity
Any hobby involving music, performance, and art requires creativity. It’s a muscle that many of us don’t flex, but it makes a world of difference when we do.
Creativity is an essential component of any musical production process. By allowing children to create their own unique soundscapes through manipulating recordings and audio samples, they develop their creative problem-solving skills and increase their ability to think outside the box.
Encourage your child to hear the world from different perspectives. Melodies come from the birds in the trees and through the hum of traffic. And these simple melodies serve as inspiration for new songs.
Is your child stuck on their latest music production project? Have them listen to some of their favorite artists for inspiration.
Confidence
One of the most noticeable benefits of music production is a boost in confidence through a sense of accomplishment once they have created something from start to finish.
By completing a project from scratch and seeing it through until completion, children can develop a greater level of self-confidence in their abilities and gain recognition for the work they have produced. Nothing beats the feeling of sitting back and listening to your own creation!
Not only that, but many producers gain confidence and social skills by performing at events. Watching people dance to your musical creations is a major boost in self-esteem.
And because the music production world is so vast and diverse, your child can also gain confidence skills through collaborating with other creators.
Getting Your Children Started in Music
If music production is something your child is interested in, it’s easy to get started!
A helpful first step is taking music lessons. Through music lessons, your child will learn about harmonies, chord progressions, and song structure. Having instrumental recordings is good, but a producer should know how to piece them together.
Next, you’ll want to buy or rent the proper equipment and software. Having an electronic device to work on, such as a tablet or computer, is key.
Install a digital audio workspace onto the device to start creating songs. DAWs range in price and can be anywhere from free to a few thousand dollars. Start simple and build up over time.
For everyone’s benefit, purchase a pair of headphones for your child. Headphones allow your child to hear the song more clearly while allowing you to have peace and quiet in the home.
Digital Audio Workspace Choices
Great choices for beginner Digital Audio Workspaces include GarageBand and Studio One Artist.
Most Mac computers and tablets come equipped with GarageBand. It can also be found through the Apple app store if it’s not already installed. The GarageBand interface is ideal for beginners and includes a large library of pre-recorded sounds- making it perfect for experimentation.
Studio One Artist is affordable and is known for its capability to record crystal-clear vocals. It’s a great choice for children who also want to practice their singing.
Overall, engaging with music production has many positive implications for young people and should be encouraged by parents and educators alike as it helps foster creativity while teaching discipline at the same time.
Furthermore, it gives students an avenue for expressing themselves artistically which can boost confidence and self-esteem while at the same time providing an enjoyable pastime that could potentially lead to further exploration into related topics within the world of music production.
Exploring the World of Music Production With Your Child
Not many parents consider music production as a creative outlet for their child, but we guarantee it’s a route worth exploring. And if your still a little uneasy, may start with some of the best piano lessons in maryland!
Music production can easily become a lifelong career for dedicated producers, and it’s an awesome way to teach your child listening skills and confidence. Download a Digital Audio Workstation today to start this journey with your little ones.
We know we mentioned the benefit of music lessons, but you may not know where to go! Luckily for you, we offer everything from private and group music lessons to instrument rentals. Reach out to the Sloan School of music to chat about your music education needs.
