Early Music Experiences: Do We Need Plastic Trophies?

As a parent, I had to make a lot of choices about what experiences I would give my kids as they grew up.  Maybe it wasn’t really as much of a choice as I thought, since I had grown up in a family where three things counted: Family; hard work; and music.  So those were the things that I most wanted to pass down to my kids.

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The thought of how these experiences would play out as my kids became adults was not so much focused on what they would become, but who they would become.  Music, as a part of life as well as an area of study was a given. So I was constantly surprised and dismayed to meet other parents who viewed their children’s activities, whether in music, art or sports, as a means to an end.  And the end was the chance to be the ‘winner’ in whatever activity was pursued.  The value that came from the dance recital or the baseball game or the Saturday night football contest was not the intrinsic pleasure of working hard and achieving mastery.  It seemed to me that many parents only valued the golden prize that was given as a symbol of victory, whether the victory was real or simply concocted.  My youngest was on a number of soccer and baseball teams in his early years…and a cardboard box full of plastic statues and gilded bronze plaques that he was awarded for just showing up still sits in his old bedroom.

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That box of discarded trophies was on my mind this week as I thought about the value of early music experiences for young children.  In light of the current focus on short term outcomes and ‘winner take all’ mentality that seems to sometimes pervade our society, I was thinking about the real value of all those moments making music.  What exactly do young children and families in early music groups get from the experience?  What do parents think their child should get from early childhood music experiences?

This same line of thinking must have been somewhere in the air, because writer Joanne Lipman on the Opinion page of the venerable New York Times had somewhat of the same ruminations. What do early music learning experiences give to children that they take with them into adulthood? (The article can be found at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/13/opinion/sunday/is-music-the-key-to-success.html.)  Ms. Lipman writes about the many successful adults she interviewed who had had serious music training as children and surmises that “…their experiences suggest that music training sharpens other qualities: Collaboration. The ability to listen. A way of thinking that weaves together disparate ideas. The power to focus on the present and the future simultaneously.”  This view is much deeper than recent popular attitudes that certain types of music will increase a child’s academic skills (think of all those Baby Mozart DvDs).

Having lived through child rearing that included lots of music experiences and lots of music lessons,  I have also put together a list of qualities that I think are developed through music making for the sake of music making. I hope these parenting decisions to include music as a ‘given’ and not as a ‘pathway’ has contributed to who my children are, not necessarily what they are.

Achievement over Awards

When music learning and early music experiences are provided to children as part of their normal development, the satisfaction of being musical is the ultimate reward.  That musicality becomes a part of how they operate in the world and stays with them for a lifetime.  When those plastic trophies sit in a box and gather dust, the ability to pick up an instrument or sing a song remains alive, present and can be activated throughout a lifetime.

Collaboration over Crowns

Music is almost always a social experience where collaboration with others is part of the experience. This collaboration can be as complex as the minute adjustments that a violinist needs to make in pitch to match that of the others in his orchestra section; or a simple as a pair of two year olds clapping their hands faster and faster just to keep up with each other’s musical conversation. The joy of mutual music making, of collaboration, is the crowning achievement.  No manufactured tiaras necessary.

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Listening over Laurels

Every active music experience requires, or maybe demands, an ability to listen in a manner that is very different from other types of listening.  Rather than being like a straight line, listening in music can seem like the lines of a geodesic figure. A total surround of sounds, ideas, feelings , movements and actions. And it all has to be connected and stay connected. Lots of work! The skills that are developed by being exposed to this type of listening prepares the brain and the body (and the heart and soul) to listen more deeply and intently throughout life.  The more children listen within music, the more the music speaks to them.  And when the music speaks to them, they don’t find laurels of the superficial kind to be necessary.

Purpose over Prizes

When I watch a group of children making music, I am always struck by the intent focus in their eyes and the determined lines of a greater devotion that creases their face.  The music making becomes the purpose.  I have seen as well as personally felt that satisfied ‘sigh’ at the end of a passionate song or intense tune.  The prize is that internal feeling of fulfillment, rather than an external Prize controlled by another person.  This prize of a purposeful and meaningful activity is one that I can make myself and keep myself.

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So, whether providing an early childhood music experience or bringing a child to a music group, adults can send a message to young children about why music is important.  Again, for me and my children, I hope the message I sent was that music was more about who they would become rather than what they would become.

As always, I would love to hear your views about music and young children. Thanks for reading!

Beth

The Do’s and Don’ts of Music in Your Early Childhood Classroom

If you are like me, you have agonized over choosing the perfect early childhood classroom to care for your child as you head back to work.  My children are grown now but I clearly remember as a young mother, feeling that the future success of my child hung on the nursery school class I chose.  I checked up on the certifications and experience of the staff. I examined the curriculum and daily schedule. I inspected the room for safety flaws and looked for any indication of less than cleanly equipment.  I certainly expected a higher standard of the Centers and Schools than I maintained in my own home and my own parenting!crossing signal

It is curious, though, that I never thought to ask about the place of music in the early childhood environment. After all, that is the business I’m in.  In the years since, I have had many opportunities to visit day care centers, early childhood schools and early learning programs. So to add to your checklist when choosing your child’s day care, nursery school or preschool, here are some thoughts about the Do’s and Don’ts of music in early childhood environments.

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Quality early learning environments:

DO have active, participatory music making as part of the day. This could be singing songs, playing instruments or moving and dancing to music.

DO have staff members who are comfortable making music with children and who are knowledgeable about music development.

DO use live and recorded music that is developmentally appropriate.  Equipment to play recorded music provides a pleasing sound quality.

DO vary the acoustic environment.  Recorded music, live music making, talking, and silence are all incorporated throughout the day.

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Quality early learning environments:

DO NOT have music playing continuously in the background.  Constant recorded music can become like ‘wallpaper’.  The children will no longer notice or value it, and the sounds can increase the noise level and perhaps contribute to stress.

DO NOT use music that is not developmentally appropriate. This includes not playing most popular radio stations.  Adult music will frequently have lyrics that are not supportive of early childhood learning.   Loud dynamics and fast tempos will influence children’s level of activity and might further dysregulation.

DO NOT limit or contain the children’s music making to rote or habitual responses.  This means that staff will need to know musical development and accept and celebrate musical creativity.

DO NOT dismiss the importance of music as a valuable part of every child’s life.

Best of luck with the new school year.  As always, I welcome your comments and questions.

Beth

P.S. My children seemed to have turned out just fine 😉

Fostering Freedom in Music

It’s the time of year when there is a cluster of patriotic celebrations in this country – Memorial Day, Flag Day and Independence Day, the 4th of July.  As a child, I was raised to value and respect the liberty and opportunities available as a citizen of the United States.  I tried to pass these beliefs on to my own children while teaching them that these privileges came at a price and a responsibility. One of the clearest indications of how a society instills values is the way that children are raised and taught.  The direction of the society can be seen in how we parent and how we choose to educate. It can be seen in our literature and media and music. It wasn’t until later in life when I had the chance to travel to other countries that I really began to understand, though, just how much being an American shaped my life and my career…and yes, my music.  I am sure that many great minds have made the connection between the creation of jazz as a musical genre and the culture of individuality and innovation prized in this country.  I can turn on the radio or computer and freely listen to any kind of music I want.  Music here has been freely used as a vehicle for supporting or challenging the morals and tenets of our country.  These freedoms are assured by our system of law and governance.

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So I am thinking most today about freedom and the freedoms we have in this society.  But how do I symbolize and pass on the values of my country when making music with the children and families in music groups? How can we create an atmosphere where young children and their families can experience and embody freedom within the music? Here are some thoughts and suggestions about fostering freedom within music.

Give children the freedom to be free.

Freedom only can feel free if you are secure in knowing that freedom is secure.  That means that in our country as in music, the very presence of structure and restraint is what allows us to be free.  In musical terms, that can mean that the configuration of a song or rhythm or melody is the framework that makes our more adventurous ideas, or improvisations, become musical rather than chaotic. Young children will need a context for their sounds which means setting up musical boundaries and melodic, harmonic or rhythmic organization.  How does this happen? Repetition, repetition, repetition.  Rather than being stifling, musical repetition in early childhood gives the child the sturdy base from which to experiment and play and be free.

 

Respect individual expression.

Individualism and the right to be free to’ be who you are’ is considered by many to be a hallmark of the American way.  Our individual rights are again supported by law. In this country, we may focus on creativity and emotional interpretation of the music rather than technical stringency that is primary in some other countries.  In music groups for young children, the grownups might have to remind themselves that each child can have their own musical response and still be making music. So I will tell parents that even if the words of the song say “Clap your hands” it is okay for one child to be clapping and another to be stamping and another to be patting. The idea is for each child to show their independent way to make music through moving rhythmically in whatever way they choose.

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Create the chance for independent discovery and musical choices.

In most of my music groups for young children, I simply put the instruments out in the center of our music circle and invite the children through music to come and get one!  Some crawl, some walk, some grab their mom’s hand and lead them to get the maraca or bell.  As they pick up the instrument, I ask parents to model how to play and encourage the child to experiment and explore and figure it out themselves.  Again it is about the child using a tool or instrument to express their own musicality.

 Be careful to provide freedom through limiting entrainment.

Research has shown that the brain has a very strong response to rhythm, which is sometimes referred to as entrainment. Our movements tend to match the tempo and intensity of the musical rhythm in the environment.  The same thing happens to young children.  When there is constant fast-paced musical and rhythmic input from the radio or iPod, the children can become almost captive in a frenzied rhythmic cycle.  Set children free from this by turning off the music now and then or turning on slower tempos or longer durations of sounds.  Sit back yourself and watch the kids relax.105

 

Enjoy the opportunities that freedom brings.

 

Beth

 

 

A Special Welcome to the Dads of Sprouting Melodies

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Sprouting Melodies is a great place for a Dad, a grandpa, a brother or an uncle to spend special time with the young child in their life.  We are there to transform a routine morning or afternoon into a special and memorable moment.  One of our dads told us:

I am so impressed at how you get the whole place going.
As an infant my son just took it all in; the rhythm, the repetition.
Now it’s the highlight of our week, being in the middle of the music!

 Here are some of the ways that Sprouting Melodies is committed to making a musical place where you can feel comfortable, valued and welcomed.

We Change the Song,
                    So You Can Sing Along

The most important voice for your child is yours. We do know from research that singing a song in the same key each time helps the child to develop a good sense of pitch. But here at Sprouting Melodieswe are most interested in developing a good sense of parenting. We want Dads to sing and play with their child, and so we adjust the key of each song to make singing comfortable for you and make singing along with your child an easy and natural part of your play.

We Give Tips on What to Expect;
Your Job of Parenting is Given Respect

People often joke with new parents and say that ‘children don’t come with instructions’.  During a Sprouting Melodiessession, though, you will have a safe community in which the challenges of parenting are accepted and questions and concerns can be shared.  Your Sprouting Melodies Provider has extensive training in early childhood development and they know how to help you negotiate the stages of growing up. Along with the fun and music, we will share with you quick and simple tips on children and development called ‘Sprouting Melodies Sayings’.

This Time is Special for Your Child and You;
That is the Core of All That We Do

Contemporary life is often hectic and busy. Our Sprouting Melodiesclasses are designed to give you and your child a calm oasis where the two of you can enjoy each other in a fun, engaging activity. Since we focus on the parent/child relationship, there is freedom to just be together and enjoy those precious moments that pass by too quickly.

See you in the music soon.

Beth

Sowing Seeds, Note by Note

We finally got around to planting our vegetable garden today, and I couldn’t help thinking again about the relationship between growing plants and growing children. My grandparents were farmers, and probably their parents were farmers.  Growing up, my family always had a vegetable garden, and now I have my own. As I sat there in the warm dirt this morning, I felt the presence of all those ancestors who undoubtedly sat, just like me, in a plot of humid earth with a young seedling in hand.

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No matter how much modern society likes to value change, many of the things we do are basically the same as the way things have been done for generations. Just like gardens and children. Here are some of the simple basics and the way music fits into growing:  [Read more…]

Music Motivators for Moms

The music therapists of Raising Harmony™ and Sprouting Melodies® are so grateful to all the MOMs who believe enough in the importance of music in their children’s lives that they pack, and carry and drive and unload and climb and shuffle in order to get to music group each week.  We are committed to supporting you in your journey through motherhood.

You spend so much time and devotion to growing your children – but don’t forget to nurture yourself. Here are a few thoughts about how music can also be for YOU!

Sing out loud. It doesn’t matter what you sing. Just sing something that makes you feel good. And sing it out loud. The act of singing releases endorphins, a brain chemical involved in pleasure, and increases oxytocin, the “bonding” hormone. (http://nihrecord.od.nih.gov/newsletters/2008/03_21_2008/story3.htm)   [Read more…]

Meaningful Moments Making Music

“Let’s sing it again, Mom.”  Music is such a part of our environment that we sometimes take its power and appeal for granted.   But for children, music is a natural way to express themselves, to become part of a family and community and to learn about the world.

Children are born music makers.  Recent brain research shows that very young infants can recognize melodies, match pitches and show pleasure when Mom or Dad sings to them.  Music is full of the very things that children need to learn best: predictable structure, opportunity for repetition and emotional and sensory stimulation that inspires engagement.  [Read more…]

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