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The future is in good hands! Studies reveal that two-thirds of British children make music

A recent study conducted by Britsh music charity Youth Music has discovered that more than two-thirds of young people in Britain are active musicians, up almost 30 percent in thirteen years.

There are more children making music than ever before. A recent study revealed that over two-thirds of British young people are active musicians, including those who sing, rap and DJ.

More than 1,000 British children aged between seven and seventeen were polled about their music habits. Data revealed that 97 percent of young people had listened to music in the week leading up to the survey and that 67 percent had engaged in “some form of music-making activity”, up from 39 percent in 2006 when the previous study conducted by Youth Music had occurred.

Among the young people who said they made music, singing was by far the most popular means. 44 percent of those surveyed who made music sung, compared with 17 percent back in 2006. 30 percent of children surveyed played an instrument – 39 percent of which were self-taught – with the piano being the instrument of choice.  Eleven percent created music on a computer, and less than 10 percent of young people rapped or DJ’d.

Data also revealed that the percentage of children making music tends to teeter as they get older; 79 percent of kids aged seven to ten were “composers“, versus 53 percent of those aged 16 and 17.

Income seemed to affect the study’s findings: 76 percent of children entitled to free school meals, a marker of low socioeconomic status in the UK, described themselves as musical, compared to 60 percent of those not entitled. Rapping, DJing, writing music and making music digitally were all more common among children from lower-income families.

Making and playing music has wondrous effects on the physical and mental health of children. Last year, a study conducted by the University of Chichester discovered that regular drumming drastically improved the lives of young people living with autism.

Via The Guardian.