The teenage years are times of fundamental change.

Our minds develop at a rapid pace and foremost amongst the influences are our peer group, replacing our parents as the our primary developmental influence. The second most important influence tends to be authority figures and teachers, with our family group following. Again, these are loose generalisations and every family unit is individual.

Yet again however, the role of the teacher is highly influential. Who hasn’t had that high school teacher that inspired us to do better, or the stuffy old pedant who stifled our wings when we attempted to stretch them?

The effects of reinforcement patterns have also become more ingrained in our psyche and depending on the nature of those patterns we can be unafraid to try new things, such as sports, instruments or hobbies, or we can withdraw socially, feeling awkward and hesitant lest we fail.

Music can suit both.

One of it’s most remarkable achievements is that it suits the social butterfly who wants to play and sing at parties, the extrovert who loves people and self expression without boundaries. It is equally at home with the bedroom guitarist who excels in seclusion and shies away from the pressures of society.

Music’s hidden gift however, is the confidence it can give us to break free from the shackles of hesitation and take those first tentative steps towards doing ourselves justice as individuals.

I’ve seen shy teenagers play in bands with their peers, taking the leap into the unknown from the platform of the competency they have developed on their instrument, their instrument. I’ve seen kids walk into crowded rooms, sing and play in front of their fellows and light the place up. I’ve seen more acts of individual bravery off the back of musical endeavours than I can remember.

This is what music can do for you.

Thank you for reading, and happy learning! 🙂