Is there a correlation between violin lessons and high life achievement?

There’s a school of thought that suggests that aside from the inherent value gained when you learn to play violin (or any musical instrument for that matter), learning a musical instrument adds to probability of professional and financial achievement.

Why?

Several reasons.

• Succeeding at violin lessons requires perseverance, a skill valuable in all facets of life.
• Beginner violin lessons require the courage to start something new, and require you to brave the risk of failure.  Acting in spite of fear is far and away the biggest key to success in other aspects of life.
• To learn to play violin, you must engage a different part of your brain that you use in the rest of life.  This creates a synergy of neurological activity that allows your mind to approach problems and circumstances in the rest of your life from a more centered perspective.
• Learning to play violin (and other musical instruments) strengthens the mind-body connection.  Music affects ancient portions of the human brain (read “This is your brain on music” by neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin for more), and activating these portions of the brain while learning new and intricate motor skills is a powerful way to keep your mind active and evolving throughout life.
• Music is about harmony, symmetry, and variations on themes.  Violin lessons help you explore and recognize patterns, which trains the mind to see connections that you would otherwise miss – particularly if you learn to read music at the same time.  It is no coincidence that among the most brilliant mathematicians and scientists, a disproportionately large percentage are also musicians.
• The most advanced musical achievements are rooted in fundamentals.  Excellence at the basics facilitates mastery – just like in every other avenue of life.

Getting Started with Violin Lessons

How much are violin lessons?  If you’ve decided to take the plunge and become a weekend musician, you have several options.

1. In-person violin lessons. This is undoubtedly the most effective method, because of the elements of accountability and immediate encouragement and feedback.  How much are violin lessons taught by a personal instructor?  The costs vary by region, duration, notoriety of the teacher, and whether you’re also planning to rent a violin. But if you’re going to set aside the time to learn violin, you probably won’t mind supporting your new passion with a few dollars a month.
2. Online violin lessons. Significantly less expensive than the in-person variety, online violin lessons offer the opportunity to “test drive” the instrument without as large an up-front investment (though you’ll still want to rent or borrow a violin).  There are even organizations that offer free online violin lessons.  You’re on your own for motivation and perseverance though, and you’ll want to set aside practice time each day and hold yourself accountable.
3. Video violin lessons. Usually in between the first two in terms of price, there’s a number of excellent options available.  Some video violin lessons ship a new DVD monthly for a period of time, while others deliver all content at once to allow self-paced progression.  Same comment about personal discipline applies here.

As you progress in skill, you may elect to teach violin lessons to help offset the cost of your own learning.  You don’t need to be Yo-Yo Ma in order to offer beginner violin lessons, and many people discover that in order to teach, you must first expand your own mastery.  You’ll most likely find that your own playing and musical understanding improves dramatically.

Still thinking about it?  Pick up a ticket to a local symphony orchestra, and listen to the music.  Decide if you’d like to add that kind of beauty to the world.  If so, dive in and don’t look back.

Other musical resources:

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