Apologies to Shakespeare, but ‘if music be the food of character, play on’!
I had the great pleasure of watching a music recital on Tuesday representing a spread of girls from Year 1 to Year 6 playing a variety of instruments. Whilst it was a genuine delight to see the progression of their music skills, it was enormously heartening to witness how these public experiences help to build character.
The courage to stand up, alone, in front of a group of people and be vulnerable, is truly admirable. Although these recitals are small and intimate, they provide the building blocks for the confidence required when facing larger audiences in time.
The resilience to keep playing even when it’s going slightly wrong, is undoubtedly a great indication of fortitude – recognising that mistakes are a natural part of learning is a huge milestone.
It is well researched that learning to play an instrument has many benefits like increasing the plasticity of the brain and contributing to academic success. Add to this the development of skills like discipline, collaboration, cooperation, the ability to listen and multi-task - to name but a few - makes the musical journey so incredibly meaningful and worthwhile. So keep practising girls, and build those characters note by note!
Iona Carmody,Head of Queen's Lower School
