While we here at The Rose might think the benefits of a musical theater education are obvious, we realize that there may be some people who aren’t aware of the many ways children benefit from learning a classic show tune. Over at the Tams-Witmark blog, Eleanore Speert has started a series of articles about the benefits of musical theater. Her first post explains how musicals boost confidence. In the article, she says:
Seeing students blossom after working on a musical is a well known experience to teachers in our school systems. In talking with teachers, I hear over and over how after weeks of rehearsal, study and performance, the greatest result of the experience is the confidence gained by their students.
The confidence learned through musical theater goes well beyond a good pair of jazz hands or a quick step-ball-change. In fact, teachers across the country have found that the confidence learned on stage translates to the classroom and beyond.
…One of the best things about working with musical theater is the confidence it gives students to take risks….the confidence they need to raise a hand in class, to choose topics for essays, and to know when to let others lead when it’s not your turn…. Confidence gained by contributing to a production leads to more effective choices and to better collaboration and social skills.