Fewer children in UK learning to play musical instrument
Almost two-thirds of children in UK do not play any musical instruments compared with just 34 per cent of their parents at the same age, according to a survey. Fewer than half of parents (44 per cent) believe it is important that their child is...
Almost two-thirds of children in UK do not play any musical instruments compared with just 34 per cent of their parents at the same age, according to a survey.
Fewer than half of parents (44 per cent) believe it is important that their child is involved in music, with parents in the southeast more likely to think this (55 per cent) than their counterparts in Wales and the southwest (39 per cent), the poll for BBC Worldwide revealed.
Parents are more likely to place importance on their daughters’ involvement in music (45 per cent) rather than their sons picking up an instrument (41 per cent).
And nine per cent of parents feel that it is “not important at all” for their child to be involved in music, with a further 12 per cent saying it is “not that important”.
The poll found 64 per cent of children do not play any musical instruments, or 64 per cent of boys and 63 per cent of girls.
The guitar is currently the most popular instrument played by children (13 per cent), followed by the keyboard (nine per cent) and the recorder (eight per cent).
Boys are most likely to learn the guitar (17 per cent), the keyboard (eight per cent) and the drums (seven per cent), while girls favour the recorder (11 per cent) and the guitar, piano and keyboard (all nine per cent).
The eldest child is more likely to play an instrument (41 per cent) than the second eldest (33 per cent) and the third eldest (23 per cent).
The recorder was the most popular instrument among parents when they were children (35 per cent), followed by the piano (17 per cent) and the guitar (15 per cent).
Just 34 per cent of parents did not play an instrument as a child, according to the survey.
Stephanie Cooper, editor of ZingZillas magazine, said: “As this research shows, fewer children are now learning musical instruments and parents may not be aware of just how beneficial music can be to a child’s development.
“Young children love responding to music by dancing, singing, creating pictures or talking about what they hear, which gives them creative confidence. Hearing musical rhythms, patterns and sounds is beneficial for early literacy learning and experimenting with everyday things to make music gives them the chance to learn about science.”
She added: “Listening to music is something that parents and children can do together and it’s great fun too. Whether it’s The Beatles, Bob Dylan, JLS, Leona Lewis or ZingZillas, music is a brilliant way to engage children with all sorts of learning in a really exciting way. Listening to different styles of music gives them the chance to appreciate other people and cultures as well as gaining experience of different types of sounds.
“Learning how to play an instrument is a way of focusing that interest and the outcomes are potentially very rewarding. The achievement of producing a great sound or playing a piece of music from start to finish is immensely satisfying for a child.”