The question of which skills to prioritise for a child’s early education is important for all parents and educators, and music can certainly claim to be a key possibility when deciding which abilities to teach. However, I feel that playing music is actually less important than basic literacy, and I will explain the reasons here.
Firstly, it seems simplistic to say that music is paramount ‘for all children.’ Certainly, there are some children who are highly talented or have great interest in music, and when we think of childhood prodigies such as Beethoven or Yehudi Menuhin we see how this talent can be brought out.
However, such talents are rare, and even the enjoyment and cultural values to be gained from learning music cannot genuinely be compared to the benefits of becoming literate. Secondly, it is a fact that literacy is a guarantee of academic progress and the absorption of information, while playing music does not offer this security. For example, it would be unimaginable to transmit scientific or mathematical information to children via the medium of music. Finally, it is surely wiser to regard music as one of a wide range of secondary skills, ranking below literacy and sitting alongside sports, hobbies, foreign languages and other important but less essential activities.
Of course, those who say that highly talented children must be allowed to develop their talents are quite correct; it is equally true, though, that few children seem to possess musical ability to the extent that it should be prioritised so highly for all pupils.
In conclusion, I would not wish to underestimate the potential benefits of learning to play music for a minority of children, and it should certainly be available as an option. However, if we think of all children in a given community, literacy appears to be a far stronger pathway to progress and independence.