Group music lessons are simply lesson that cater for a group of children at the same time.
Group music lessons allow the children to explore and gain musical attributes and knowledge but at their own pace. Children will always respond at their own rate within the group. It provides a safety blanket for a child’s own confidence building. As other more outward going children respond, shy children can be drawn into the group and before they know it, they are comfortably interacting with the others as everyone is having fun. Because the atmosphere is unthreatening, a child will always feel comfortable and if they are not, the teacher should just back off thus not having the child feel threatened. One on one lessons are wonderful for a child learning an instrument, but it certainly can tax the child and often a child can lose confidence or feel inadequate. Early childhood group lessons can prepare the child for this experience, nurture their emotional development so that when they are ready to go on an instrument, they will cope much better. Also group lessons support the children to sing unconsciously and enables them to do other tasks at the same time as they are singing. Again the development of this skill can only help with their future school life and definitely their future learning of a musical instrument.
Children can gain lots of social skills through attending group music lessons. They learn to take a turn, to share resources (eg take a teddy bear have your individual turn and then pass it on) to do partner actions firstly with a parent, then the teacher and then another child. This all leads to confidence building and self-esteem building which are very necessary skills as children grow to become adults.
In a group situation, the children get used to singing together which ultimately improves their melodic sense. It teaches the children to also work together which again is a necessary skill moving on.
Even at the very young age I take children from, they get used to and start to know the other children in the class. Many great friends are made through music lessons and some friendships continue on into adulthood.