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This is the first and most important question, and the answer is a
resounding yes! The building blocks of music are within us
all from birth. Watch a baby shake a rattle or bang a
spoon, intent on the sound they are producing. Toddlers
dip and wriggle, responding to music they hear, and explore with
delight the entire range of their vocalizations, from deep
growls to siren squeals. The great composer Rossini, said,
"The language of music is common to all generations and nations;
it is understood by everybody, since it is understood with the
heart." So why do so many of us as adults assume that
music is somehow the special providence of a few gifted
individuals, rather than the birthright of all?
How Does
Musical Ability Develop?
Part of the reason lies in our own
understanding of musical ability and how it develops. In
early childhood, music and language development mirror each
other. We don't expect baby to begin by speaking full,
clear sentences; we hang on every coo, every babbled syllable,
and proclaim, "She's trying so hard to talk!" We respond,
and baby is rewarded for his efforts, and encouraged to
continue. The preschooler, picking up a book and finding
familiar letters or creating a story from the pictures, is
cuddled, read to, and hears his proud parent tell friends and
family, "He really loves to read!" Which of us would
casually laugh and say, in a child's hearing, "Well, I guess
he's just never learned to read; I sure can't?" Music has
its beginnings in musical 'babble' as well, clanging pots and
pans with a spoon to discover beat, or singing fragments of
words or melody before developing a reliable sense of pitch.
Whether or not these children continue their musical
explorations and development depends on the response they get
from their valued parents and caregivers. Do you sit on
the floor and break into song, clapping along with the beat your
child is producing? Or have you turned to a friend with a
smile and a shrug, saying, "Well, she's just like her mother; I
can't carry a tune either."
Personal musical expression, in our
culture, has become separated from our daily lives. What
does it teach our children, if every time we want music for them
we reach for a video or CD? We risk sending the message
that only recorded music is 'real music,' not achievable by a
small person without benefit of a backup band, flashy costumes,
and a recording contract.
Why Encourage
Musical Expression
in Babies and Young Children?
Music has benefits that
reach far beyond performance. Whether clapping, walking,
bouncing a ball, or cutting with scissors, a sense of steady
beat will assist a child in moving with grace and confidence.
The rhythms and sounds of sung language aid in developing speech
fluidity and expressiveness. Patterns in music and
movement have been shown in studies to develop neural
connections that can later be used to understand pattern and
sequence in math and science. Other studies have found
benefits that include improved emotional expression, social
skills, and nonverbal reasoning. So, with all of the signs
pointing towards including music making in the lives of
the very young, how do we go about it?
Musical Exploration
Takes Many Forms
Children need to be
offered the tools for musical exploration, freedom to make
choices and offer input, and a loving, attentive adult model for
uninhibited enjoyment of music making. Sing with and for
your child often whether you usually sing in the opera or in the
shower, sing! Add nonsense sounds for more fun and
additional language play value. Having an assortment of
small percussion instruments offers a variety of tone qualities,
but at home you can and should supplement with 'found'
instruments: brush-style hair curlers to rub together, pot
lid cymbals to crash, or glasses of water to tap with a spoon.
Most importantly, move! Children learn through movement.
Don't limit you and your child's explorations to traditional
children's recordings, sample some new styles together.
Today we recognize the benefits of
early learning; music, with its impact on so many parts of
development and its innate appeal to young children, should be a
natural and joyous element of every child's life, beginning as
early as possible. By overcoming our own notions of who
'ought' to make music, we can bring to our children the gift of
a lifetime of confidence in their own ability to learn and
create--a gift that belongs to every child.
by Wendy Jones, Kindermusik Educator,
Clarence NY |
