Music plays such a large part in our lives today. Be it doing daily chores, solving complex mathematic equations, exercising, listening to the radio or watching MTV, our lives can be summed up in a music playlist. Researchers have discovered that early musical training helps to develop a child’s mental and creative abilities. This results when a child learning how to play an instrument is taught to sight-read, coordinate his/her mind and body, rehearse regularly, understand rhythm, calculate beat count and note value. All these are valuable skills that help unlock great potential in a child. Music also helps to enhance teamwork and discipline. In order for an orchestra to produce harmony, all players must work together towards a single goal – the final performance; and must commit to learning music, attending rehearsals, and practicing.
Recently, a wealth of creative talent seems to be springing up within schools. Students are finding ways to express themselves creatively through different styles and forms of music. Quite a number of schools are now seeing the benefit of using music for more than just entertainment; music has also become a tool for enhancing academic growth. What’s more? Music helps broaden a child’s mind through increased development of the ‘left brain’. Often times, music reflects the environment and time of its creation. Music itself is history – each new piece usually has a story that transcends time thereby furthering a student’s’ appreciation of other generations and cultures.
The Abuja National Music Competition has been created to provide elementary and secondary school children a means of exposure and the environment required to develop and show excellence in music. Our aim is to discover innate musical talent in children by offering a platform that allows them express their creativity and compete against their peers in a healthy environment while strengthening their artistic prowess.
We seek to reward the best creative and artistic skills as we believe that healthy competition brings out the best in children. Rewarding them for their time, energy and consistent practice will nudge them towards being responsible and relevant citizens to their communities in the near future.
