Band 7+: For all children, the ability to play a musical instrument is just as important as the ability to read and write.’ How far do you agree with this suggestion? How important is it for a child to learn to play a musical instrument, in your view?

Some people state that playing an instrument is a must-acquire skill and is of the same significance as literacy. In my opinion, however, literacy is the fundamental necessity of all knowledge and the most primary skill required to have a profession, therefore no other subject could ever be of the same value as reading or writing.

Gaining competence in literacy is of great importance, especially in the current times. The reason is that not only are these skills the foundation of education, but they also are a major determinant of one’s future pathway to a career. Provided that one lacks these literacy skills, they most certainly will face tremendous obstacles in their path to find an occupation; due to the fact that many jobs, regardless of level of specialty needed, require their candidates to be able to read simple instructions or write a note once in a while. On the other hand, playing an instrument is nowhere near these basic skills with regard to importance; not everyone is likely to thrive in school nor prosper at work by knowing how to play a musical instrument and not knowing the other. A case in point would be the minority number of professional musicians, even though there are countless individuals who can play these instruments.

Of course, having instrumental skills could lead to the development of one’s brain. By using an instrument regularly, new connections are created as the result, leaving such great impact on one’s cognitive function. Furthermore, this enhancement is likely to be witnessed in other aspects as well; for instance, enabling children to feature better social skills among their peers, especially when working as a team, in comparison with those who do not have the capability to play. Despite the merits of playing an instrument, the prices of these musical devices are often exorbitant, which turns them into luxury items. As a result, not every family could afford to provide their offspring with such expensive instruments, not to mention the costly lessons.

Overall, in spite of the fact that playing an instrument could have notable impacts on social and cognitive performance, it appears that musical talent does not count as important as literacy skills, considering that these abilities are far more likely to guarantee one’s success in education or career.