Music Oldest Language

Dilmika Tennakoon

Music benefits people in many ways. It plays an integral role in our personal development from physical to spiritual. Music is the oldest forms of expression, older than language or art. Music is a language everyone speaks and understands. We all have rhythms within ourselves though many are unaware of it. We lived with our mother’s heartbeat for nine months. We all live with the rhythms of our respiration and heartbeat.

Human body and voice has been used in early artistic self- expression not only by our ancestors, but by children today. Children fortunate enough to be exposed to music lessons, choir rehearsals, creative movements, or general music classes reap many benefits.

Academic achievements

According to Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, music is outlined as one of the basic human forms of intelligence. It is defined as the sensitivity of pitch, melody, ability to combine tones and musical phrases into larger rhythms and understanding of the emotional aspects of music. According to Gardner, music allows us to nurture many other forms of intelligence such as logical and mathematical, self control, sensitivity to other people’s social signals and body movement skills.

Individuals can use music for relaxation, overcome powerful emotions and stimulate concentration.

It has become a tool to be used to enhance self- presentation and promote development. Due to these benefits, it is important that children are provided with the opportunity to engage themselves actively with studying music at an early age.

Researchers have studied the benefits of music education finding strong correlations between music and academic achievements. Many studies have revealed that children who are learning to play a musical instrument, received higher marks than their classmates who were not. Research has clearly found that music instruction helps develop the capacity for spatial- temporal reasoning, which is integral to gain mathematical skills. One explanation is music training in rhythm emphasizes proportion, patterns, fractions and ratios expressed as mathematical relations.

Skills development

Costa-Giomi (1999) found that piano students’ general cognitive and spatial abilities improve considerably over time. On the other hand, instrumental music instructions help children acquire reading skills. Therefore music enhances reading and cognitive development.

Performing with others help students build critical thinking and problem solving skills. Moreover, performing to an audience helps boost children’s self esteem and self identity. It gives them the opportunity to overcome self consciousness. It also facilitates group work and enables them to express themselves.

In older people music assists in developing self identity connecting with others, maintaining well-being and experiencing and expressing spirituality, providing ways for people to maintain positive self esteem, feel competent and independent and avoid loneliness.

During adolescence, music helps the troubled mind and loneliness. Music also acts as a mood regulator and helps to maintain a sense of belonging. On the other hand, music makes a major contribution to the development of self identity.

Social skill

Adolescents listen to a great deal of music to pass time, alleviate boredom, relieve tension and distract themselves from worries. Sometimes they use music as a wedge between themselves and their parents.

Its effect on moods at this time can be profound.

Involvement in music leads to positive personal, social and motivational effects. As a result, music helps improve the overall quality of a young person’s life.

Benefits of learning to play an instrument include the development of social skills; gaining love and enjoyment of music; developing team work, developing a sense of achievement, confidence and self-discipline and also developing physical coordination. Playing an instrument also enables the pursuit of interesting and rewarding social and leisure activities.

There are direct health benefits for musical participation too.

Active group singing enhances the immune system. Playing the piano, exercises the heart as much as a brisk walk.

There are lower mortality rates in those who attend cultural events, read books or periodicals, make music or sing in a choir.

Music making contributes to perceived good health, quality of life and mental well-being.