Strengthen The Youth Through Music And Arts

 

 

Adolescence is the second infanthood. During these years, people are like a sponge absorbing everything they observe and experience, and as parents, we must make sure our children only learn the positive things around them. With all negativity seen and felt around including school and social media, we need to pay close attention to all their activities, making sure they are healthy ones.

The minds of adolescents are fragile during these years. They are trying to figure out their interests, skills, and identity. Music and arts are among the few healthy hobbies that our children can do. “There is a growing body of research that supports how music nurtures children’s success at school and in life. A study in the journal Social Science Quarterly, Adolescents Involved with Music Do Better in School, found that music also had positive effects on reading and math,” wrote Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD.

Encourage them to engage in school activities involving music and arts.

 

School Activities They Can Join:

Music

• Choir

Schools have a choir that sings during special occasions and gatherings. It is composed of students who are skilled in singing. They get to compete with other schools and showcase their talent.

 

• Music Club

Clubs are available for students who are interested in developing new interests or skills. They don’t have to be excellent. It is a club for all the students who have the same interest, and it’s a perfect tool to develop their social skills at the same time.

 

• Musical Instrument Classes

Whether your child is excellent or just wants to learn to play music using guitar, drums, violin, etc., support him by providing him with an instrument of his choice. Encourage him to join a musical instrument class so that he can develop his skills.

Masha Godkin, PsyD, LMFT, said, “Music activates both the left and right brain at the same time, and the activation of both hemispheres can maximize learning and improve memory.”

 

• School DJ

If your child just likes music but doesn’t show any interest in singing or playing an instrument, he can audition for the school DJ where he’d be able to play the music of famous singers and musicians for his schoolmates.

 

Arts

• Drawing

Some children are skilled that they never stopped learning to create beautiful drawing ever since they held a pencil when they were three. If your child has a talent for making masterpieces using pen, ink, charcoal, crayons, and colored pencils, encourage him to join clubs that showcase and develop his talent.

 

• Painting

Painting is an art of expressing one’s interpretation of his feelings or the situation of the world in general. It uses different colors of paints and paintbrushes. Encourage your child to join a club that teaches different techniques in creating masterpieces.

 

• Handicrafts

Handicrafts is an art of making useful things through the use of ideas and creativity. Fans, hats, accessories, slippers, shirts, and bags are a few examples of stuff that can be handmade. It takes a keen eye to create something magnificent. It is a perfect art for children aspiring to be fashion or interior designers.

 

• School Paper

The school paper is an excellent tool for students who are skilled in writing or journaling.  The art of creative and effective communication is rare, and if you see your child possessing this skill, encourage him to join the school paper. It could be a stepping stone towards his success in media and communications.

 

• School Decorations

School events and gatherings are not complete without the decorations. A team of creative students brainstorms to come up with an impressive theme that will direct the flow of the event. The level of thinking and decision making of the students are tested to make the school decorations powerful enough to make a statement to their fellow students.

 

 

The talents and skills of the youth should be developed and nourished at a young age. Being able to master their craft is a healthy way to express themselves and build self-esteem. “Art enhances self-knowledge and self-expression. When we’re creating art, we are making decisions about what we like,” wrote Katie Willard Virant MSW, JD, LCSW. “Not only are we tuning in to ourselves when we create art, but we also are expressing ourselves by making an external representation of our internal world.”

At this stage of their lives, they often have problems with their identity, and music and arts are instruments in helping the youth avoid or overcome adolescent behavioral issues such as alcohol and substance abuse, bullying, school dropout, teenage pregnancy, truancy, and violence.