Steps to Choosing Your First Musical Instrument

Category: Music —

You are looking to find an instrument for yourself, or perhaps your child. You want to pick the right one, but it is so overwhelming! Woodwinds, piano, brass, strings, and percussion, and that’s just the groupings. How can you decide which instrument is right for you?

Do some Research

Here are few suggestions that will help you to narrow down the search. First, do some researches into what the different instruments sound like. You do not want to be stuck playing, or listing to someone play, an instrument you cannot stand the sound of. Check out some orchestra CDs from your local library, or go online to find sound clips of different instruments. A music teacher may be able to demonstrate the sound of some instruments for you.

Try Some Out

Once you have found a few sounds that please you, see if you can try some out. If you know someone who plays an instrument, ask them if you can try it. They may not want to let you put your mouth on their mouthpiece, but you can at least hold the instrument and feel how it feels in your hand. Also, if you are looking for an instrument for your child, their school orchestra teacher will most likely have some student models they can try.

Some music stores may be willing to let you try an instrument. Keep in mind that you will not play a symphony on the first try, but you do want to have an instrument that feels somewhat comfortable in your hands. When looking at an instrument, there are some physical capabilities you need to consider. For example, if you have tiny hands, you may have trouble reaching some chords necessary to play the piano. The trombone requires relatively long arms, and a child that is younger than fifth grade is probably too small for it. Kids with braces will have a difficult time beginning a brass instrument, as the pressure on their teeth will be painful. Think about the size of the arms, hand, and mouth of the person you are choosing and instrument for, and try not to force them into something that is too big or small for their build.

Match with personality

Next, think about the new musician’s personality. A quiet, shy young person is most likely not going to be comfortable with a loud brass instrument. Likewise, the tough football player would be mortified playing the flute. Piano students need to be capable of working on their own, while band students need to enjoy working in groups. Think about your home environment too. Is there a place where the student can practice? If space is at a premium, choose a smaller instrument. If there are close neighbors, think of quieter instruments.

Think about your budget.

The fact is, some instruments take more financial dedication than others. For instance, strings have to be upgraded as the student grows, whereas a brass instrument usually comes in one size. Also, keep in mind the repairs the instrument will need, whether it be tunings for a piano, strings for a violin, or reeds for a clarinet. These considerations may help you decide between one or two once you have narrowed it down.

The bottom line is, choose an instrument you can see yourself or your child enjoying. Practicing an instrument is hard work, and in order for it to pay off, you need to enjoy it. By taking time to choose your first musical instrument, you will ensure that you have made a choice you can stick with until the final curtain call.

Music Therapy

Category: Music —

Music therapy is applied by a qualified practitioner whereby music is used in a systematic manner to achieve therapeutic goals or purposes. These purposes or goals may include self awareness, social development, cognitive development and spiritual enhancement. Therefore, music therapy helps in the fulfillment of physical, psychological, communicative and social needs of the individuals. The future of music therapy is quite promising because the level of effectiveness gained in the therapeutic use of music is high.

Music therapy helps a lot in the growth of people of all backgrounds and abilities. It is very useful as a treatment to children with special needs and promotes progress in communication, physical, cognitive, daily and social life. In a hospital, music therapy is used to improve motor and neurological functioning or to relax patients, reduce pain and promote rehabilitation. Music therapy in a psychiatric facility is used by patients to identify and resolve conflicts, improve their self esteem, explore and express their emotions, practice how to solve problems, making or coping important decisions, improving inter personal skills, increased motivation and decreased inappropriate behavior. It helps geriatric clients to improve physical functions, improved social skills, and physical functions in areas like memory, reality awareness etc.

Music therapy utilizes music as a therapeutic stimulus to achieve non-musical goals. Some of the long terms goals of music therapy includes the following:

1. Physical goals such as improving motor functioning skills like coordination, muscle control, coordination of eye and hand, balance, locomotion, laterality and directionality. Increasing general stamina and endurance, improving functioning of sensory organs, decrease sensitivity of the sense organs, relieve in pain by distracting from pain and discomfort, stimulation of natural pain killers, improving autonomic nervous system response, stress reduction, improving identification of body part, improving physical speech skills.

2. Cognitive goals comprise of improved learning abilities such as memory, impulse control, recognize, learning, perception, improved communication, alertness, environmental awareness, integration experiences.

3. Psychological goals includes improved emotional awareness, expressing appropriate behavior, elevated mood, reduction in stress, trauma, fear of illness, enhanced self assessment and environment, improved motivation, increased impulse control, frustration control, improved decision making skills, problem solving skills, supporting a sense of hope, developing personal insight, promoting acceptance, healing and forgiveness, improving self direction and independence, promoting a sense of control over life, sense of accomplishment and promoting spiritual exploration.

4. Social goals fulfill needs such as establishing relationships, increasing social involvement, peer interaction, eye contact, increasing response to verbal and non verbal cues, maintaining and strengthening interpersonal skills and improving group behaviors.

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