Musicians Rock!

Have you ever thought about the fact that some of the most successful people you know are also musicians?  For instance, look at political figures: Condeleeza Rice wanted to be a concert pianist before she pursued a degree in international relations.  Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson played multiple instruments.  Mahatma Ghandi reportedly played the concertina.

How about 50 Cent, Jennifer Lopez, or David Bowie?  They all are successful musicians… who also are successful business entrepreneurs.  Believe it or not, 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) has made most of his money outside of performing music!

On Celebrity Apprentice on NBC this year, 3 out of the top 4 finalists were musicians!  That’s right, when country music star John Rich won the show this year, it made back to back seasons where the top prize went to a musician.  Somehow, the skills that a musician develops are the same ones that people look for when hiring a CEO!

So what does playing an instrument do for you?  Researchers have discovered that musical activity engages nearly every region of the brain that we know about.  There is no other activity quite like it!  It helps strengthen the pathways and circuits between the different parts of the brain.  But it also fosters creativity.  Creativity is thinking outside the box, problem-solving, and being an innovator.  These people go far in life because they are always creating new solutions!

And this brings up an important point: when your child is jamming out or experimenting with sounds on their instrument, this is valuable practice time because they are developing their own creative side!  Some of the time on the instrument should be unstructured, trying new things, experimenting, and making up your own music.  Our students love to create new additions to songs, compose their own pieces, and come up with original rhythm patterns.  This training will serve them well as they continue in their lives. 
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Keep on rockin’!