Musical instruments have many names, however learning how instruments are clissified into musical families may make them easier to understand. Musical instruments are divided into six families: brass, percussion, strings, woodwinds, piano, and the newest to the family are electronic instruments.

If you want your child to succeed academically, try music lessons. Scientific studies show that music education, particularly piano lessons, positively impacts math skills like pattern recognition and fractions and science skills like pitch, timbre and acoustics. Music lessons also ignite language development, physical education and creativity.

The National Educational Longitudinal Study, directed by the United States Department of Education, has reported that music participants received more academic honors and awards than non-music students, and that the percentage of music participants receiving As and Bs was higher than the percentage of nonparticipants receiving those grades. These findings are supported by a study performed over a ten-year period by Dr. James Catterall. Catterall found that regardless of socioeconomic background, music-making students got higher marks on standardized tests, such as the SATs and reading proficiency exams, compared to those with no music involvement.

The advantages of music education extend beyond the academic arena. Students who participated in band or orchestra reported the lowest current and lifetime use of dangerous substances, including alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs, according to the Texas Commission on Drug and Alcohol Abuse Report. Students who participated in arts programs in selected New York City elementary and middle schools show significant increases in self-esteem and thinking skills, reports the National Arts Education Research Center of New York University. And based on a study done by McGill University, self-esteem, pattern recognition, musical skill and mental representation scores improved significantly for students receiving piano instruction.

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