Why Music Training
Should Be A Part Of Your Child's Growing Years
Most parents understand that music for their child is a good choice. But just listening to Kid's Bop or Disney Tunes is not what we are talking about here today. We are talking about your child experiencing and learning to read and play music on actual instruments, and not on an iPad or iPhone.
Research has found that music can help to grow a child's brain, help children make better connections to math, relieve stress and lower blood pressure in children and adults, improves rhythm for reading skills, improves focus and much more. Music is also one of the "activities" you can put your child in that can soon develop into an education, that can also lead to a college scholarship and career.
But let's look at it a bit deeper for the very young child. Young children, under 7 years of age can actually learn to read music, probably even before they can read their first book, according to Debbie Yakabosky, creator and CEO of Music FunTime.
Music is something that we can all benefit from, but a child connects to it so easily that they can use the rhythm from their favorite song to self sooth at night going to sleep. Or they can use an upbeat tune they love to hum to help with better skipping skills and other gross motor skills that fit to a rhythmic beat. Remember skipping rope to simple songs and rhymes? How much more fun it was to have a tune running through our heads or coming from our lips as we worked the rope.
Music written on paper is made up of symbols and combinations of symbols, much like math. When one of our daughters was having trouble learning fractions in grade school, and did not have a teacher that could figure out how to get her to understand fractions ( as I was told at the parent teacher conference), I quickly sprung into action and introduced her to two different helping tools, reading music notes and their counts, and baking cookies. She soon had a better idea of working fractions, much to the amazement of her teacher.
Music is magical. Just think about watching a movie with no sound track. How boring that would be! Nothing to carry our imagination and emotions to higher levels and helping us to discover connections to the characters. Next time you sit down with your child to listen to music, use the soundtrack of their favorite movie. You will certainly hear them tell part of the movie script, if not even being able to recite the full lines of the story. Music helps us with memory and recall. Your child knows this and lives it through every magical moment.
Music helps your child to create their own stories. Whether playing on an instrument or listening to someone play a piece on the piano. Recently, once of our grandsons was staying over and asked to play the piano. Of course we said yes.
He started out improving something very bold and dynamic and then it would soften and become very lyrical. He repeated the process again, and it appeared to be the same. Quickly I took out my camera to see if I could capture this moment on video. He started again. And once again, the melody was the same, big, bold and dynamic, then suddenly soft and lyrical.
He turned around to pick up a music book sitting on the bench and realized I was standing behind him with my camera. Smiling, he asked if I heard his song he had played (his improvisation). I stated yes that I did. He continued, "It is a song about two people getting married." I asked if it was a wedding march, and he said yes that it was.
Later, I asked his mom if they had attended any weddings recently and her answer was no. Most likely he has never seen or been part of an actual wedding, but may have seen one on television in a TV show or movie. Later in reviewing the video, I had to watch it three times in awe. Listening very close, you could hear a simple melody very close to Canon in D Minor. Now how did that happen? He is only 4 years old and yes takes piano lessons, but is not at that level yet for sure! Music connects with children and music is magical. Music grows the brain.
I believe that most music educators would agree with me when I tell you that it just may be time to put all digital music aside and start getting out instruments for your child to explore with. Instead of a few more video games, check out lessons. When attending a movie, ask your child what they think of the music soundtrack.
When setting your schedule for the school year and blocking out time for homework and reading, block out time for playing music. Put the videos games away and bring out the instruments and watch and listen for the magic to happen. (I see you smiling.)
*Mary Myers is the director and owner of Academy of Fine Arts in Woodward OK .
Research has found that music can help to grow a child's brain, help children make better connections to math, relieve stress and lower blood pressure in children and adults, improves rhythm for reading skills, improves focus and much more. Music is also one of the "activities" you can put your child in that can soon develop into an education, that can also lead to a college scholarship and career.
But let's look at it a bit deeper for the very young child. Young children, under 7 years of age can actually learn to read music, probably even before they can read their first book, according to Debbie Yakabosky, creator and CEO of Music FunTime.
Music is something that we can all benefit from, but a child connects to it so easily that they can use the rhythm from their favorite song to self sooth at night going to sleep. Or they can use an upbeat tune they love to hum to help with better skipping skills and other gross motor skills that fit to a rhythmic beat. Remember skipping rope to simple songs and rhymes? How much more fun it was to have a tune running through our heads or coming from our lips as we worked the rope.
Music written on paper is made up of symbols and combinations of symbols, much like math. When one of our daughters was having trouble learning fractions in grade school, and did not have a teacher that could figure out how to get her to understand fractions ( as I was told at the parent teacher conference), I quickly sprung into action and introduced her to two different helping tools, reading music notes and their counts, and baking cookies. She soon had a better idea of working fractions, much to the amazement of her teacher.
Music is magical. Just think about watching a movie with no sound track. How boring that would be! Nothing to carry our imagination and emotions to higher levels and helping us to discover connections to the characters. Next time you sit down with your child to listen to music, use the soundtrack of their favorite movie. You will certainly hear them tell part of the movie script, if not even being able to recite the full lines of the story. Music helps us with memory and recall. Your child knows this and lives it through every magical moment.
Music helps your child to create their own stories. Whether playing on an instrument or listening to someone play a piece on the piano. Recently, once of our grandsons was staying over and asked to play the piano. Of course we said yes.
He started out improving something very bold and dynamic and then it would soften and become very lyrical. He repeated the process again, and it appeared to be the same. Quickly I took out my camera to see if I could capture this moment on video. He started again. And once again, the melody was the same, big, bold and dynamic, then suddenly soft and lyrical.
He turned around to pick up a music book sitting on the bench and realized I was standing behind him with my camera. Smiling, he asked if I heard his song he had played (his improvisation). I stated yes that I did. He continued, "It is a song about two people getting married." I asked if it was a wedding march, and he said yes that it was.
Later, I asked his mom if they had attended any weddings recently and her answer was no. Most likely he has never seen or been part of an actual wedding, but may have seen one on television in a TV show or movie. Later in reviewing the video, I had to watch it three times in awe. Listening very close, you could hear a simple melody very close to Canon in D Minor. Now how did that happen? He is only 4 years old and yes takes piano lessons, but is not at that level yet for sure! Music connects with children and music is magical. Music grows the brain.
I believe that most music educators would agree with me when I tell you that it just may be time to put all digital music aside and start getting out instruments for your child to explore with. Instead of a few more video games, check out lessons. When attending a movie, ask your child what they think of the music soundtrack.
When setting your schedule for the school year and blocking out time for homework and reading, block out time for playing music. Put the videos games away and bring out the instruments and watch and listen for the magic to happen. (I see you smiling.)
*Mary Myers is the director and owner of Academy of Fine Arts in Woodward OK .
