Benefits of composing from a young age

“Beneath this mask there is more than flesh. Beneath this mask is an idea Mr. Creedy…and ideas are bulletproof” (V For Vendetta – 2006). Ideas – all forms of creation and destruction start with an idea, and rightly said, ideas are bulletproof. They live on. Their existence becomes immortal from the inception of the thought out idea and paves the way for minute to biggest changes throughout the course of history and future. These ideas prove to be the biggest companion to originality in any field of work. When we talk about ideas and originality, the first thing which comes to the mind is art. Human life needs illumination to receive and offer growth and knowledge. Art can illuminate human beings and the depth of it knows no bounds. One such art form is music. One of the only things which can give us the purpose to live, relive, express, fantasize and imagine our own stories, experiences and memories is by composing music. The inception of it occurs with an idea and meaning of which can transcend the limitations of reality. Below are a few reasons which will help you understand why it is important to compose music from a young age.

Expression – At a younger age, people tend to have stronger ideas and are genuinely more attached to and passionate about each of those ideas. Composing can give voice to those ideas and opinions which otherwise, might never come out or be buried forever. This can open up personal thoughts, build confidence and self – respect. In the process of composition, shaping up the music to suit the ideas brings in creativity and originality, which in turn will lead to finding one’s own identity and uniqueness. 

Communication & Interaction – The magnitude of the patience, dedication and passion invested by composers on musical composition cannot be measured. Diving deeper into it every single day, affects our communication skills in a positive manner. The amount of words spoken by us might increase or decrease, but the depth of the meaning in each of our conversations can increase drastically.

Emotions and values – Composing music brings with it a quality, which some might consider a blessing, and some a curse. That is, it strengthens and intensifies every drop of emotion and feeling within us. Whatever we see, hear and experience can be felt more deeply as it automatically relates to a certain piece of music originating in your brain. All of this helps us become more empathetic, caring, genuine, honest, sincere and respectful. We learn to appreciate others, values and acceptance and humility becomes our way of life.

Satisfaction triumphs competition – This is one of those traits, which every musician and composer should have, and the realisation of it should come naturally. The most beautiful thing about art is that it belongs to no one. Art is as much as yours as it is mine. All of us have the liberty to convey our art in our own way and that is what makes it astonishingly majestic. Irrespective of all the competition around us, composers can detach themselves from any kind of competitive emotions, because deep down, they can realise, that expressing and composing music has to happen based on the individual’s own terms, and that in no way, music from two different perspectives can be compared. This leads to a positive development of oneself, as we are in a constant struggle to make ourselves better than what we were yesterday. 

Healthy Living – There have been numerous studies which suggest composing can have a positive impact on our health. It improves our motor skills, better communication between the right and left brain, better problem solving capabilities, better decision making skills and improves mental and physical health.

Exploration Of Opportunities – Being a composer opens up an extremely wide range of other forms of art and cultures. Composing enables you to explore the artistic elements around us, such as dance, poetry, drama, cinema, visual art etc. All of this can enrich our brain in ways which any other field can hardly replicate. 

Hence, as you can understand, composing music can have innumerous advantages. Moreover, it takes you on a journey to identify your originality. Composing, when taught from a young age, can become natural and enjoyable for students. It refines your musicianship with a strong capability to express with or without words. Musically, it also challenges your core skills on theory, melody, harmony and rhythm.