Brother And Sister Discover the Life-Long Benefits of Music Through the Violin
Anyone who’s spent any amount of time in music education is well aware of its benefits. Learning music is proven to:
Enhance cognitive development
Improve hand-eye coordination
Boost memory retention
Advance problem-solving skills
Reduce stress
Foster a sense of community
The list goes on and on.
And Fostering Music students Katie and Joey are proof of the benefits. Thanks to their foster mother, Jennifer, these siblings are quickly growing up—as musicians and people.
Discovering Fostering Music
Jennifer first learned about our organization in 2019 via a newsletter from our friends at the Foster Love Project.
Seeing Fostering Music as an opportunity to enrich Katie and Joey’s lives, she quickly reached out and asked about getting started.
It was an easy fit for the kids. “I always heard music,” Katie says, who was 11 at the time, “and I wanted to play it.”
And that was good enough for Joey, who started playing at three years old. “I was listening to my sister play,” Joey says, “and I wanted to play, too!”
We’ve been a constant in their lives ever since!
Benefits of Music for Katie and Joey
Remember that long list of benefits that come when you study music? Katie and Joey are discovering all of it first-hand.
Katie loves the pride and self-improvement that comes with nailing a new song. “I like getting new pieces of music and having to play it,” she says. “Lessons make me improve my playing and technique.”
Both kids find their practice and lessons relaxing. “In addition to learning about the violin and how to play,” Katie says, “it also relaxes me and takes my stress away.” It’s a similar story for Joey, who says, “It makes me feel good when I play the violin.”
Plus, learning the violin has improved Joey’s life both in and out of school. “It makes me feel better and helps me focus,” he says.
And Jennifer agrees: “Thanks to his lessons, he’s been able to focus on one subject for more than a few minutes. He enjoys playing so much, he plays at home without being asked to practice. His anxiety has lessened and when he is upset, he now will take out his violin and play until he is calm.”
Supporting Fostering Music
We’re flattered to hear Jennifer has been ecstatic with her Fostering Music experience. “Fostering Music has been great in giving my kids lessons that I would not have been able to afford. I would—and have—recommend friends and other foster parents to work with Fostering Music!”
The best part: All of the kids’ lessons have been completely paid for through donations that come to Fostering Music.
If you’d like to donate to Fostering Music and help us support children throughout southwestern PA, visit our donation page:
And while you’re at it, be sure to check out some of our other student stories on our blog!