The Power Of Music with Kids
I grew up singing songs in church, school and at home. I have learned to appreciate its beauty since I was young. It amazes me most of the time. It is music that can calm my troubled heart and soothe my soul. I do believe that music is the language of the soul. All types of music is beautiful in its own way. They are all written down with inspiration. I wonder what would life be without music. I am not a professional singer but I know how to sing along or hum a song. Everyday I sing on my own to express myself and it is a stress reliever for me. I have learned how to play the piano and guitar by observing how others do it. I self-studied these instrumetns. I find it challenging. I find it so fun to play instruments. Singing is what I have discovered I can do best. I am happy I can sing with my kids, my students and my friends. Singing along with intruments is a fun thing to do. I also have karaoke time with my cirlce of friends. This has develop our camaraderie.
Defining Music
Music according to Britannica Encyclopedia is an art concerned with combining vocal or instrumental sounds for beauty of form or emotional expression, usually according to cultural standards of rhythm, melody and harmony.
Music is an artistic form of communication incorporating instrumental and vocal tones in a structured and continous manner. Wikipedia has an interesting and broad definition of music. Music is an art form whise medium is sound organized in time. Common elements of music are pitch (which govern melody and harmony), rhythm (and its associated concepts tempo, meter and articulation) dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timber and texture. Mainly it is defined as an organized sound and an art.
To people in many cultures, music is intertwined into their way of life. By all account, there is no single and intercultural universal concept defining what music might be except that "it is a sound throught time".
Music as a powerful tool
Research done at the University of California-Irvine indicates that young children taking music lessons have a greater ability to grasp concepts that are essential to math and science. Encourage your chidren to love music by listening to songs you learn from TV , musical tapes and the songs they make up.
Music helps the learning process.
As a grade school teacher I have taught incorporating music. Children learn faster when lessons are incorporated with music. They usually find it fun. The lesson sticks to ones mind easily when taught with music. We were not all born as genuises but mostly average. If we learn to grasp things faster than the others like certain people then chances are we will be ahead of the others. If you want to improve your child's learning and have an edge over the others incorporate it with music. It develops problem solving speed and coordination.
Music helps children gain confidence.
We always want our children to grow up with confidence in themselves. As we searc for ways on helping them gain confidence we should remember that music is one way children can gain self esteem and confidence. Learning how to sing or playing an instrument will help a child gain confidence. Music motivates him to be more outgoing. When he has learned this he would love to show it to his family and friends. As we encourage and support each step of the way they will slowly gain confidence.
Cultivates concentration and focused listening
Learning an instrument requires concentration and focus. Day by day as children practice this concentration they will develop patience. They will be able to apply such learning doing other things like studying or playing games. It is also important to listen to a song line by line to be able to learn it. This can lead to the development of focused listening with children. Repetition of the songs and the lines greatly helps them in concentrating and focusing.
Encourages parent/child bonding
As parents take time singing with children they develop a bond of togetherness. It is a good chance to be able to be with each other as songs are taught. My kids love singing. I usually find the lyrics for them online so we can song it all along together. It is amazing to hear them sing and memorize the songs and remember the tune as well.
Promotes fine motor skills
In holding the instrument and being able to play it also requires fine motor skills. Some songs has application to this skills too. Completing daily activities independently is the reason why we need to help kids develop their fine motor skils. Zipping, buttoning, holding a spoon and fork, opening and closing jars are some simple activities that children need to do all by themselves. In school they must be able to hold a pencil the right way, cut shapes with use scissors properly, draw different kinds of lines, do beading, dress and undress themselves to enhance fine motor skills. Music promotes in enhancing this skills.
Teaches value of achieving goals
Achieving goals is significant in playing an instrument. It also requires practice and patience. No great musicians learned music with a wink of an eye. There are one in a million who listens to an instrument and play it right away. Even this kind of people have goals set in their minds.
The love of learning how to play an instrument or studying a piece of music to be able to sing it are valuable goals to achieve. Day by day as children do this they will gain achievement. Mastering a song or a technique allows children to feel a sense of accomplishment and a desire to move on to the next challenge.
Inspires appreciation of teamwork
Learning how to synchronize with the rest of the team requires concentration and practice. To be a part of a group is not easy thing for children. Trying it out to be in a team sometimes is nervous wrecking for them. IAs they do their best to play their instrument they will come to appreciate how important teamwork is.
Songs with Lyrics you Can Sing along with your Kids
Big Things Come in Small Packages
A Bright Tomorrow
