We’re missing out on crafting better human beings.

Imagine raising kids with sharper brains, bigger hearts, and the kind of emotional intelligence that could change the world.

That’s the untapped potential we’re throwing away by not incorporating music into children’s lives.

• Parents and teachers who frequently sing and talk to children help them develop more phonemic awareness and larger vocabularies.

• Elementary school kids with music education outperform peers in math, language, and other subjects.

• Children who receive music instruction show a more advanced auditory system (which processes sound, language, and speech) than those who don’t get it.

• Kids with regular musical exposure show a 20% increase in emotional intelligence and are 30% more resilient in stressful situations compared to those without musical exposure. One study tracked kids for over a decade revealing better social interactions and coping skills as teenagers.

• Start music training before age 7 and you get kids with better focus, memory, and self-control, setting them up for a lifetime of emotional and cognitive resilience.

And the list goes on.

So, why aren’t we flooding early childhood with live music?

Talk more, sing less?

Researchers from the University of Washington just released a study on speech vs. music interactions in kids’ first two years. Spoiler alert: kids are drowning in words but starving for tunes.

They tracked 24 toddlers with recording devices to capture their auditory environment at the ages of 6, 10, 14, 18, and 24 months. Here’s what they found.

• Speech over music: children are bombarded with more speech than music and as they grow older, this gap only widens. While speech aimed at infants starts at 50% at 6 months to over 70% at 24 months, music inputs stay flat at around 25%.

• Music source matters: more than 50% of the music infants hear comes from electronic devices. But speech comes predominantly from in-person interactions.

We’re talking more and singing less to our infants, despite all the proven benefits of musical interaction.

It’s a missed opportunity.

Even worse, it’s a disservice to our kid’s development.

We’re not harnessing the full potential of early development.

Background music isn’t enough

Some might argue that background music around children is enough to reap its benefits. Wrong. This passive experience doesn’t cut it.

A study at the University of Gothenburg looked at the difference between live musical engagement and computer-assisted music improvisation.

Children aged 4–8 played with a music system called MIROR Impro, designed to create a musical dialogue with children, while others interacted directly with live musicians. Here’s what they found.

• Kids light up with live music showing more focus and enthusiasm compared to the digital setup.

• Kids also interact and collaborate more with their peers and teachers when live music is in the mix.

• Children exposed to live music show more musical skills and creativity.

Live music makes all the difference.

Sing, play, thrive

We’re leaving a lot of potential on the table by not integrating music more actively into early childhood development.

Imagine kids who can communicate better, manage emotions like pros, and show improved cognitive skills — all thanks to a richer, more musical environment. Well, that’s not happening!

Next time you’re with your kid, don’t just talk.

Sing, play, and let the music be the key to shaping a brighter future.