We have had nearly 10,000 students come to Creative Soul since we first opened in 2006, which is absolutely incredible. One of the first questions I ask every parent and student who comes to our door is: Why do you want to take music lessons?
Here's what they say:
- Mom and dad want more fun family experiences and music is a great place to start
- Samuel wants to play drums at his church
- Chance has autism and an ear for music. His dad thinks learning to play will help him explore his creative side and learn to exercise patience.
- Mom wants to get Joey away from video games and excited about something else
- Johnny wants to play guitar like his grandpa
- Ava is looking for a fun hobby to help her grieve and process her dad’s passing
But what does every answer I get have in common? People are looking for fulfillment.
They want to achieve something desired, promised, or predicted. They want to build character in themselves or their kids by exploring their interests and fulfilling their God-given abilities. And they want to do that through music.
So Why Do We Play Music?
We look for fulfillment and hope. We want to build character. We want to practice patient endurance. We want to help our kids develop discipline and focus in a fun way!
“And patient endurance will refine our character, and proven character leads us back to hope.”
We hope for something more, something better for ourselves, something higher to achieve. We hope for success.
People Take Music Lessons because:
- We bond with others who share our passion for music
- We create rather than consume. We step away from the television, from the video games, from social media, and we create something special and unique that is wholly our own
- We achieve a goal of getting to use our abilities for something greater: like bringing a smile to others when they hear our song, playing with purpose to celebrate life’s milestones, taking part in music opportunities at church, work or school
- We get to bond with family who learned the discipline, practice and great joy that can be found in playing music, or lovingly encourage them to not give up on their bucket list of musical goals and dreams
- We find comfort in times of hardship by sitting down to play a song and express what we’re feeling inside
- We develop skills that help us combat physical disabilities. When we have trouble focusing, have trouble sitting still, are sensitive to surrounding chaos and noise, playing music helps us cope. It helps us learn how to adapt and focus and be still.
So Is It Worth It?
Is the practice, the time, the discipline, the cost, the inconvenience worth the effort? Absolutely.
We’re building character. We’re finding fulfillment. We’re finding hope for ourselves and expressing that to those around us when we play.