Mandakini Gupta, New Delhi: June 21 is celebrated as World Music Day. And did you know there's a lot more to learning music when you are a child, than just striking the right notes?

Mozart was five-years-old when he composed his first musical piece.

In fact the earlier you start the better because it has always been believed that music encourages development in children.

And now science has backed our intuition of music's role in transforming the way we think.

Says neurologist, Max Healthcare, Amit Ray, “It helps neurons communicate better, enhances motor skills and reduces hyperactivity. Children who learn how to play music at an early age can handle the stresses of life better when they are adults. They are less prone to depression and manic depression.”

In fact a study was published in the journal Nature in 1993 known as the Mozart Effect named after the boy genius.

It suggested that students scored eight to nine IQ points higher on tests after listening to Mozart for 10 minutes.

And it was so because it triggered a particular neuron-firing pattern in the brain. It was a landmark study and hotly debated for years. But most four-year-olds aren't really tuning to the theory.

Says a child, “I love playing music because it's a lot of fun.”

“I think it's better than studying,” adds another child.

Music Instructor, Saraswati Music College, Sonam Saini observes that “learning how to play music is the best gift a parent can give to their child.”

So make sure there is music around in the house, or even better get your child to learn an instrument and you won't regret it.