How Is Music Training in School Linked to Social and Emotional Learning?

One of the most important reasons why everyone is firmly rooting for students to get back safely in physical classrooms is that schools are the best avenue for social and emotional learning. Aditya Birla World Academy, being the best IB school in Mumbai , gives unparalleled importance to music training.

The basic construct of social-emotional learning is quite simple: it is not an additional component to an existing syllabus. But it is a foundational learning tool on which every other thing rests. It gives students the ability to be self-aware and empathetic towards others, besides giving them the responsibility of decision-making.

While social and emotional learning is vital, several educators find themselves contemplating if it is possible to successfully impart its values without seeming dull or overly preachy.

Here is where the value of music education can have an impact.

Using songs from across the world as well as musical activities can help children successfully develop in the four most vital aspects of social and emotional learning, and that too, all the while having a wonderful time.

When it comes to socio-emotional learning, mentioned below are some ways through which structured music education helps.

(1) Self-Awareness

Songwriting is the most effective way to help students of all ages develop self-awareness. One of the most crucial exercises in songwriting (daily object writing exercise) offers students a one-word prompt and asks them to eventually write about it using all the five senses, including their feelings about the object, for a minimum of 10 minutes.

Initially, it can be a bit hard to articulate how one feels about a table, which is relatively insignificant. However, with time, this exercise makes you skilled at expressing how you feel along with understanding the full range of emotions a tad better. Besides being well-received and effective among students of all ages, songwriting has immense benefits when it comes to mental health, especially in pre-teens and teenagers. Moreover, songwriting is a fantastic community-building tool and a wonderful skill for children to commence building as early as possible.

(2) Self-managment,Discipline,Goal Setting, and Organisational Skills

Generally, parents, as well as educators, view these things as left-brained activities that creative students need not worry about. The absolute truth is that, regardless of creative and non-creative fields, discipline and efficiency are surefire ways to get things done. Therefore, as music educators, there is a lot that one of the best IB schools in Mumbai, which is Aditya Birla World Academy, can do to facilitate students to build this skill early on.

Children need to be encouraged to set their own musical goals: what do they want to accomplish and how much time do they desire to spend with it?

This is where Aditya Birla World Academy, the best international school in Mumbai, excels.

(3) Social Awareness, Empathy, and Perception

Students need to learn some indispensable skills, such as communication skills, teamwork, and empathy. And music is the aptest way to build these skills. At Aditya Birla World Academy, a distinguished and best Cambridge school in Mumbai, team activities are introduced early on. These are designed in such a way that all children feel included and are reminded to make friends feel welcome as well. It has been found that introducing kids to lullabies from around the world helps them connect with each other in a successful and powerful way. The idea is quite simple: we may appear and sound different; however, at the end of the day, we all enjoy a soothing voice to fall asleep.

Another effective way to help children build social awareness from a youthful age is to teach them historically relevant songs (such as We Shall Overcome) and explain the context behind them.

(4) Responsible Decision Making

How can schools such as Aditya Birla World Academy, help students thoroughly evaluate the problem at hand and commence thinking about the results of their choices? Consistent musical routines are the best way to inculcate discipline and to coax students to eventually understand the importance of consistency, working closely with others, executing inclusive decisions, and opting to take a break when the need arises. Learning music (especially in a group setting) will assist them in asking relevant questions early on.

The Bottomline

Music and social-emotional learning are interlinked deeply, and the value and skills that are built extend way beyond the classroom. It is the duty of schools and music educators to use music as a gateway to help students build these skills, while simultaneously encouraging them to apply them in every aspect of their lives.

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