Listening Diet

Many “traditional” children’s songs have a similar sound when it comes to pitches and rhythms, but there is a great, wide world of music available to enjoy with your child!  Early childhood is an important time to expose your child to a wide range of musical sounds, including a variety of instruments, styles, tempi (speeds), and genres.  In addition to playing recordings geared toward children, also consider introducing your child to other kinds of music, such as jazz, blues, country, world music, and classical.

When selecting music to share with your child, variety is key.  Select some music with children singing, some with adults singing, and some with just instruments.   Pay attention to the kinds of music your child responds to, and incorporate these recordings into daily routines.  For Move & Freeze activities, I choose music that has a steady beat and is on the fast side of the continuum; since children's heartbeat is faster than adults', some researchers have found that children respond more strongly to faster music.  I also look for a "fun factor"!

Try playing recorded music and asking your child to respond through moving, engaging in pretend play, or doing some sort of art (coloring, painting, etc).   Identifying emotions, images, or stories in the music and expressing them through other avenues addresses affective learning.

There are also an assortment of children’s books that have accompanying CDs – these are a fun way to learn about the stories behind music and experience the music visually as well as aurally.

Turn OFF the music!

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Playing recorded music as part of your daily routine is a great way to introduce your child to a variety of musical genres as well as to help your child learn to use music in her life.  A children’s music CD can turn a traffic jam into a sing-a-long and a lullaby CD helps everyone relax at bedtime.  However, be sure your child has a chance to use and hear her own voice, too, by having times in the home or car when music or television is not playing and you are quiet, too!  It is during these “quiet” moments that your child’s brain has a chance to process auditory stimulation and respond with her own vocalizations.  Don’t be surprised to hear your child humming a known tune or making up a new song, words and all, while he colors at the table, plays in the bathtub, or while he’s supposed to be napping.  Go ahead and make a recording of your little one’s serenades - a delight to your child now and a precious keepsake for years to come.

Experiencing Live Music

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Early childhood is a great time for children to experience live musical performances, but formal concerts are often difficult in terms of length, time of day, and audience etiquette!  Here are some ideas for introducing your little one to live music:

·      Outdoor music festivals and events - children are usually welcome to move, clap, sway, or dance along.

·      School concerts, especially if an older sibling or relative is playing.  Bring your young child for just a few minutes if possible.

·      Music at religious services – sit close to the choir or organ

·      A small, live band at a restaurant

·      Summer outdoor community band concerts

·      Indoor performances in public arenas such as malls or libraries (often around winter holiday season)

Whenever possible, bring your child close to the musicians to see them and their instruments.  Encourage your child to move as they listen, since moving is one of the ways children experience and respond to music.  Make music a fun part of family life!

Music as a Tool for Many Areas of Development

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As a teacher I have a metaphorical “tool box” I carry to which I add techniques, tips, tricks, toys, and tunes!  As a parent, I have a tool box, too – I’m always looking for ways to help my children learn and grow and enjoy life.

In addition to music being an important and wonderful part of life on its own, music can also serve as a tool for learning.  Perhaps you can think of songs learned long ago that helped you internalize facts (such as the “Fifty Nifty United States” song), values, or emotions.  Moving to music activates areas all over the brain and provides opportunities for children to develop various movement skills.  Learning music that expressed various emotions allows children to experiment with emotional ideas and encounter the way others have expressed themselves.  Music can also help bring people together, for in the act of making music together we listen to one another and work together for a beautiful whole.

The so-called “Mozart Effect” and other research reported in the media focuses on the idea that “music makes you smarter,” but the body of research is not yet conclusive on whether listening to music, playing in high school band, etc actually improves academic achievement.  Researchers have found, however, that music changes the brain.  And people all over the world will tell you that music is powerful.  Some music researchers I know like to say “Yes, music makes you smarter – smarter in music!”

As you encourage your child’s development in many areas, consider how music might be a great learning tool for your child.  And keep in mind that active music making is key!

Making Music a Part of Your Daily Routines

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As described above, music can be a great tool as you go through your day with your child.  Consider using music in these moments of your day:

• Wake your child by gently singing their name to a known tune, substituting your child’s name for all of the words in the song.
• Create an iTunes playlist of Getting Ready music, Quiet Time music, and Pretend Play music.
• Sing a specific song each time your child comes to you with a minor injury.  The ritual will help to comfort your child and also help you keep track of how serious the bump or fall was (if you typically get through “This Little Light of Mine” twice for an injury and find yourself singing it five or six times, you’ll know your child needs some extra attention!).
• To ward off boredom in the car, sing songs that allow for new verses (Old McDonald, The Wheels on the Bus, etc).  Create a verse for each family member that reflects a hobby, profession, or special saying (The Aunt Natalies on the bus say “Bring it on!”…The Uncle Jays on the bus say “Fix, fix, fix”…The Daddies on the bus go run, run, run…).
• Include singing in your child’s bedtime ritual and before or after meals.

Dance, Baby!

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Young children love to dance! Putting on some fun music and moving & grooving together is a great way to encourage physical activity, expose your child to a variety of musical styles, foster development of gross- and fine motor movement skills, and enrich relationships!

Here are a few ideas for “mixing up” a dance party:

• Play a “Move & Freeze” game: When the music is playing, dance; when the music pauses (a remote control is helpful here), freeze. This helps teach body control and response to sound.
• Let the elbow lead: …or the knee, or the head - choose a body part to lead the dance movements; this helps teach body part names, body awareness, and coordination.
• Paint the floor: “Continuous fluid movement” is a basic movement that is foundational to dance as well as music performance. Encouraging your child to move with “flow”, by painting the floor (wall, ceiling, your legs, etc) and moving with smooth, circular motions will help her learn to feel the space between the beats of music and move without tension.
• Move those hips: The hips are central to the body, and being able to move the hips with continuous fluid movement (as described above) is key. You may feel self-conscious, but your child won’t!

Helping your child move comfortably and confidently to music will be fun as well as support multiple areas of development! For more great ideas check out Music Play: The Early Childhood Music Curriculum Guide for Parents Teachers & Caregivers (Valerio, Reynolds, Bolton, Taggart & Gordon, GIA Publications).

“Sing it again” – this time, a little higher!

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Your voice is music to your child’s ears, even if you don’t think of yourself as the next American Idol.  Singing to your child and with your child is a special form of communication!

Don’t be put off if your child says “Don’t sing” at times.  This has happened to me when I sing along to a song on the radio in the car – I think my daughter wanted to hear the artist singing it and couldn’t take it all in with me chiming in too.  Your child might say “Don’t sing” when s/he is thinking through a song in her/his head, trying to master it.

Many parents naturally sing in a range lower than what infants and toddlers can best hear and imitate vocally.  When singing to your child, listen to the vocal sounds they are making and try to match your pitch to theirs.  This will enable your child to “sing back” – at first coos and hums, years later with more accuracy.  (For those readers who have studied music, the ideal range for vocalizing with young children is D to A above middle C.)

Also, when singing, make eye contact with your child.  Enjoy this special form of communication!

Vocal Development

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Vocal exploration is a fun way for children to become aware of their singing voices and experiment with their voices.  Singing with “little” and “big” voices,  making “woo-hoo,” “yoo-hoo” and siren sounds, and making all sorts of funny noises provides an opportunity for trying out different ways to use the voice.  Animal sounds are another great avenue for vocal exploration.  Songs such as “Old MacDonald” and books such as “The Seals on the Bus” help promote vocal exploration through making these sounds.

The initial range for children’s voices is typically D to A above middle C; this is also the ideal initial listening range.  Many adults sing and speak at a lower pitch, but when working with children, it helps to raise the pitch a bit.  People around the world do this naturally when cooing to a baby or a small animal – they tend to use a higher voice.

Some hallmarks of healthy vocal development are good nutrition, hydration and rest; support & encouragement; and freedom from tension.  When people ask me about when to start vocal lessons with children, I suggest high school or even college.  Participating in a developmentally appropriate choir is often the best way for children to learn to sing; some who take lessons end up overextending their voices.

It seems like singing is so natural for children, doesn’t it?  Does your child make up songs?  Think of ways to encourage your children to keep singing, keep making up songs, and keep using their voices as a means of expression.

Music Babble

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Think about how your child learns language – by hearing you speak every day, by trying out sounds, and having you respond with delight to their coos and babbling.  Ideally, children learn music in much the same way they learn language: through immersion in a rich environment with opportunities to develop listening, singing, and moving vocabularies.  You’ll notice your child’s early vocalizations are song-like and their movements contain many rhythmic elements.  Music educators recognize the importance of encouraging children’s “musical babble” in much the same way we encourage their language babble: an opportunity to play with sounds (pitches and rhythms) as they experience them.

Children gradually move from absorbing sounds, to playing with sounds through babble, and eventually to imitating musical patterns and phrases. You can encourage your child’s musical development by

·      Singing songs to him

·      Echoing his vocalizations with attention to pitch and rhythm (lip bubbles, coos, “yabba-dabba” and “ba-ba-ba-ba” type patterns),

·      Having “conversations” of back-and-forth musical babble.

Not only will you be having fun together, this will help facilitate your child’s musical development and could support other areas of cognitive development as well.

For more information about musical babble, including a CD with examples of songs and chants for young children, see Music Play: The Early Childhood Music Curriculum Guide for Parents Teachers & Caregivers (Valerio, Reynolds, Bolton, Taggart & Gordon, GIA Publications).

Playing Musically with Your Child

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We read and hear a lot today about how important play is to children’s development.  Playing together is also important for the parent-child relationship.  Musical play is fun, helps children develop play skills, and helps children develop musical skills, too!

Here are a few suggestions for musical play.  I’m sure your child will invent many more!

v Pretend Play

·      Include music in pretend play, such as inviting your child to sing dolly a lullaby when putting her to bed, or creating a race-car theme song in preparation for a big race

·      Pretend to make “soup”: choose an ingredient, chop it up (if applicable) with a chippity-chop chant, pour it in, and stir the soup while singing a little tune.  This works well in the car, too.  The flowing motion of stirring helps children practice fluid movement (described more in the movement section below).

·      Everybody loves a parade!  Have your own parade marching around the living room or backyard with musical instruments or banners/ribbons/flags.

v Instruments

·      Rhythm sticks help children learn many types of motion, including hands together, hands separate, and crossing the body.  Moving to a steady beat often emerges in late preschool or early elementary school, so don’t worry if your child has her own beat!

·      With tambourines, play around with different sounds such as shaking and tapping.  When one person shakes the tambourine, move; when the tambourine is tapped, freeze.  Then switch!

·      Home made instruments combine the joy of creating materials with the joy of creating music.  Provide boxes, paper towel tubes, etc and see what your child creates!

·      Don’t overlook pots & pans  - they are a childhood music classic for good reason!  You’ll enjoy observing your child experiment with the different sounds.

·      Shakers, or maracas, are an all-time favorite.  Encourage your child to shake, tap, roll, and wave the shakers.

v Props

·      Use scarves for smooth, flowing movement to a recording; to throw in the air as “firecrackers”; to hide under for peek-a-boo

·      Give beanbags a ride on head or hand or knee; sing a pattern when dropping the beanbag from head to floor

·      Use a toy microphone (or anything – a hairbrush, a shoe, a lego…) to take turns with call-and-response (back & forth) songs.  Experiment with different sounds with younger children and with different words with older children.  Sing “yoo-hoo” or your child’s name and invite them to echo.  Have “conversations” of back and forth “ba-ba-bas.”

·      Puppets come in handy to help shy children find their “voice” – sometimes children will echo or sing to a puppet if the puppet asks!

  

v Childhood Classics

·      Teach your child the songs, finger plays (such as “Itsy Bitsy Spider”), and musical games (“Ring Around the Rosy”) you played growing up. 

·      Ask friends and relatives to teach you the songs, finger plays, and musical games they played!

Nurturing Your Child’s Innate Musicality

All children are born with music aptitude, or the potential to learn music. As you watch and listen to your young child sing and dance her way through the day, it’s obvious that there is music inside! You help support musical development when you…

   1. Encourage your child to be expressive musically

• Give your child special time to make music. Lay out some empty Tupperware and a selection of items like dried beans, rice, or salt to put inside. Let your child practice making new sounds with these “shakers.”
• Take your child’s lead and make music using just your bodies. Make popping noises with your mouth, clicking with your tongue, clap your hands, and shuffle your feet in a creative, fun way to make sounds.
• Play echo games with movements as well as sounds, taking turns as leader and follower.
  
  

   2. Refrain from judgment if your child uses materials in unusual ways to create music (as long as safety is not compromised)

   3. Express enjoyment and excitement for the musical creativity they share with you.

• “It’s great to hear you hum songs to yourself while drawing!”
• “That’s so fun you changed the words and made your very own song!”
• “You look so happy when drumming and clapping to different songs!”

The next time your child creates a little song or drums a beat on a pail, stop and enjoy the moment together and appreciate the way your child is expressing her/his musical ideas!