The Right Instrument to Unlock Your Child’s Artistic Talent

We all know that music is good for a child’s early development; it’s supposed to help fire up those neurons in the little one’s brain so it starts making vital connections, therefore creating a smarter child, and – with the right instrument – you may even unleash the little inner Mozart or Beethoven within.

But – take yourself out of that mindset for a minute. Stop thinking about your child like he is a machine that needs to be ‘unlocked’, or a computer that needs to have as many programs inputted into its hard drive as possible so it grows up into a fast, expensive, efficient supercomputer.

Instead of being caught up constantly thinking about how we can maximise every inch of our children’s potential, why can’t we sometimes simply impart the joys of life to the new beings we brought into this world instead?

Your child already has to go through the rigours of school – let music be a pure and joyful activity for him, something that can be enjoyed rather than yet another pursuit of excellence. If he’s meant to excel in it, he’d let you know; but he must first find the pleasure within.

No musician out there ever made it big because their parents forced them to learn an instrument they hated.

Here are some three simple things to keep in mind while searching for the perfect instrument to start your child on his musical journey:

1. Explore Widely



The piano and violin are solid, mainstream instruments, but there is so much else out there! So don’t gravitate towards those just because they’re ‘prestigious’ – explore different Cultures, styles, and types of instrument instead.

2. Listen, Don’t Just Play



Apart from playing and learning instruments, listening and appreciating music has a profound impact positive impact on children too. Spend some time with your child just exploring different musical instruments, listening to all kinds of music, and then help them pick up whatever strikes their fancy. Wanting to learn is one of the most important factors in whether your child will pick something up, and exploration can help you get that crucial buy-in. After that, it will be much smoother sailing compared to if you had forced an instrument on your child.


3. Do It For The Right Reasons


Don’t start this whole musical journey with the end goal of producing a child prodigy, or eventually watching your child perform in the Esplanade Concert Hall. Music really isn’t just about ‘brain development’ alone – it’s about making connections, whether with other people, or between ideas, or even with the other part of yourself you didn’t know existed. 


At the end of the day, perhaps the one thing that’s abundantly clear is that music is joyful. And that joy is what you must pass on to your kids.