The Academic Minute featured my work on children's music-making in the carseat on Friday - check it out here: Mobile Music Making.  I've appreciated hearing stories from many individuals on the types of music-making they and their friends and family enjoy on the go!

Music Play Zone meets MTV!

I enjoyed the chance to interact with a reporter from MTV News in August - she had some questions about why infants are soothed by certain types of music.  It was great to share some of the important points about family music making and musical development.  For more, read here!  http://www.mtv.com/news/1896631/why-music-soothes-babies/

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!

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).

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!