• Music boosts brains. Because music stimulates the parts of the brain that are related to reading, maths and development, studies have found the link between music and higher academic achievement.
• Music improves memory. Stimulating different patterns in the brain, music helps kids remember more and learn more.
• Improves confidence. Developing a skill in which they get better and better is a wonderful confidence builder.
• Develops fine motor skills. Mastering the keys on a piano or the strings on a violin all involve fine motor skills.
• Gives a sense of achievement. Mastering a musical instrument is incredibly satisfying, leading to a sense of self-achievement that can help accomplish more in other challenges in life.
• Teaches patience. In a world of instant gratification, learning an instrument can teach kids that real life requires a lot of patience.
• Teamwork. Joining an orchestra or group, teaches children to work together as a team to make great music.
• Improves social skills. Becoming involved in an ensemble or group helps children to gain social skills and relate to others, as well as leadership skills and widening your social circle.
• Builds discipline. If they want to play well, they learn that it takes discipline and persistence. The same focus and discipline needed to play sport is needed to play an instrument.
• Enhances spatial awareness. Music enables children to form mental images of the world, which can assist in maths, science and has numerous everyday applications.
• Teaches rhythm. Not just for confidence at the school disco, rhythm helps to identify patterns, and assists in reading and writing.
• Fosters creativity. In today's busy world it is very easy to lose touch with our creative side. Playing a musical instrument uses your mental, emotional and cognitive abilities, stimulating the brain to think out of the ordinary and boosting creativity.
• Music relieves stress. Just as listening to music can make us feel more relaxed, studies have shown that playing an instrument can reduce heart rate and blood pressure, lowering cortisol and reducing stress, something they will be able to use as they get older.
• It's fun! Enjoying and playing music can be one of the most fun and rewarding things you can do.
• It is a skill that stay with them for life. You are never too old (or young) to play an instrument, or to enjoy music. This is a skill and appreciation that they will always have.

How to add a little music to your child's life

• Use everyday objects. A simple and fun way introduce to music and rhythm is by using everyday objects around the house to create different sounds. Pots and pans, wooden spoons, pan lids, bottles filled with varying levels of water, can all be used to create sound.
• Share songs. Singing along together, clapping, dancing and moving to the beat to songs you both know is a fun way to get kids involved. Songs such as 'Hokey Pokey', and 'Wheels on the Bus' are fun and simple to share.
• Use toys. Help your child experience different tempos by having a soft toy dance along. He can spin and twirl to the faster music, then rock and swing to a slower beat.
• Listen to music. Whether driving in the car or whilst you are cooking dinner, exposing children to music as part of everyday life will begin to form a special relationship between music and build their childhood memories.
• Create their own. A fun activity is to create your own musical instruments from recycle materials. Make a small guitar out of a tissue box and rubber bands, or create a shaker using an empty plastic container filled with dry rice or pasta.
• Experience different music. Listening to music from all eras and cultures can help children develop music appreciation and become more aware of the many different types of music. Now there is a great excuse to dust of your old '90s CDs!
• Sing lullabies at bedtime. Not exclusively for babies, lullabies are still a wonderful part of a bedtime routine for toddlers and pre-schoolers.
• Teach them to whistle. A skill often taken for-granted, whistling is a fun way to experience music together, understanding the basics of notes, scale and beats.
• Give them play toys. Toy xylophones, guitars, and plastic electronic keyboards are a wonderful way to introduce your child to the use of an instrument before giving them the real thing. They are fun too!