How music can help children develop

The Superar program was launched in Austria in 2009, with the aim of giving all children, regardless of their social background, the opportunity to make music, sing together and, last but not least, to take to the stage. But behind the program lies a much more complex pedagogical idea.

Development of social skills

Since the social learning model, we have known that children experience the importance of cooperation, empathy and social support through joint activities. Building on this, playing music and singing together develops social competencies such as cooperation, responsibility and the experience of belonging to a group, unnoticed and disguised as a game. This is especially important for children who come from socially isolated or marginalized situations. “Group music lessons develop creativity, perseverance, empathy, teamwork and project-based thinking. These are all 21st-century skills that children need to become successful adults and useful members of society,” said Gergely Bándi, Superar’s program coordinator and professional leader.   More than 400 primary school students in Hungary are now participating in the program.

Emotional and self-esteem resource

However, playing music together and singing in a choir can also develop children’s self-confidence and self-esteem in a safe, accepting and supportive environment. “The essence of our positive pedagogical method is that we give every participant the opportunity to participate in projects, programs or performances, regardless of their abilities, while proving that everyone can develop and achieve success. We do not teach in a frontal, autocratic manner, but together, using a lot of positive reinforcement, we learn and create inclusively, involving the children’s ideas” – adds Gergő. This makes the shyer children braver, and the insecure more assertive, which also affects their everyday lives, for example, they show up more often at school and express their opinions more boldly.

A comprehensive survey was also conducted on the effects of Superar’s activities, the results of which show that the most significant effect of the program was in the children’s self-esteem and self-confidence. In addition, the children’s fear of making mistakes decreased, their resilience increased, and their cooperation skills significantly improved.

The relationship between music and cognitive functions

When playing music together, instrumental and vocal skills, as well as a sense of rhythm and hearing, develop, as well as cognitive skills such as attention, concentration, memory, and emotional intelligence. “Based on the results of the impact assessment, it can be seen that a significant number of parents noticed an improvement in their child’s attention skills, language skills, and memory, and 76% of them also reported an improvement in their child’s foreign language learning skills. We also received feedback from teachers that thanks to reading music and playing instruments, the children’s reading and writing skills also improved,” said Ottilia Dorner, head of the Superar choir program.

Creating opportunities and social integration

An important goal of the program is to promote social mobility and ensure equal opportunities. Concerts and performances are not just musical performances: children and their families are placed in a cultural space that they would not necessarily have access to otherwise. “By taking the stage, the children prove to themselves and the audience how much they are capable of. This gives them a sense of success and motivation, and they continue their learning with more enthusiasm and confidence” – adds Gergő Bándi.

Superar concert in Budapest Park

On October 1st, the Superalbum will debut on the stage of Budapest Park, all ten songs of which are the joint work of the Superar children’s choir and a band or performer. The Bagossy Brothers Company, Blahalouisiana, Bohemian Betyars, Carson Coma, Co Lee, Márk Járai, Kolibri, Mehringer, and Margaret Island will also take the stage at the big concert, performing the new songs together with the children’s choir.