one of the best things about being a kid is the long summer break while vacations must be used to travel and catch up with friends it is also an opportunity to learn something new learning a musical instrument need not necessarily culminate with rockgod status studies show that playing an instrument can help your child in various facets of hisher life everybody is born creative but many people dont realize it because its not encouraged in their early years we take notes from our very own grammywinning keyboardist louis banks and child psychologist salma prabhu on why an instrument should be learnt this holiday increases iq a paper published in a scientific journal concluded that studying a musical instrument strengthens students academic performance prabhu feels this stems from the fact that playing music uses both your rational side left brain and your creative side right brain thus increasing the iq banks adds children have an amazing capacity for mastering new skills so its a good idea to give them the challengecalms mood swings your child can take the instrument anywhere and play it any time there is actual scientific proof that playing music elevates the state of mind prabhu says playing music releases endorphins the happy hormones regardless of whether you are sad or in a bad mood playing an instrument will always make you feel betterkeeps you alert banks says learning an instrument keeps your brain alert the pressures to excel academically are intense a recent us study shows that playing a musical instrument can reverse multiple components of stress engaging in a calming expressive ability proves more effective than merely sitting down to relax prabhu says music calms the nerves and stimulates the brain it also increases the ability to absorb more informationinculcates discipline according to banks learning chord progression is more difficult than it seems it requires hours of practise and rigorous discipline with short attention spans learning music inculcates a sense of discipline and helps improve the childs focus by leaps and boundseases transitions a musical edge helps in school and college figuring out how to play that song not just elevates shaky adolescent selfesteem but gives a sense of accomplishment prabhu says this is true transitional phases from fourth to the fifth standard childhood to preadolescence and adolescence to adulthood playing an instrument gives a sense of identity on an average in a class of 40 children only three or four pursue music so it makes you stand out banks feels that parents must encourage their childrens efforts he adds playing an instrument teaches the benefits of teamwork a group playing a song together promotes bonding friendship healthy competition respect and selfbelief