Music benefits everyone, especially Children

• Growing Up, Growing Musically

  When I was very little I remember hearing rythm in music. I would see it as colors when I closed my eyes. I still do to this day. Music has always been a huge part of my life. I constructed drum kits out of kitchen utensils, pots and pans, and stacks of magazines all throughout my earliest years. It was fun and  empowering, and my mother encouraged it, even though the racket I was making must have been intolerable.  I encourage my children to listen, to sing, to dance, and to play music whenever and wherever they can.  Here is some information I found that  may encourage you to get your children moving to the beat of their own drum.
  Research shows that kids who are actively involved in music (who play it or sing it regularly):
  • do better in reading and math when they start school
  • are better able to focus and control their bodies
  • play better with others and have higher self-esteem
  
  
  You've probably noticed that your preschooler can keep a steady beat. You can help your child practice this skill by encouraging listening for beats — and determining if they're steady or not — in everyday objects. For example, point out the noise a kitchen clock makes and ask your child if it is a steady beat; then ask if a sound like a car horn or a dog barking has a steady beat. Practice clapping or tapping the beats to favorite songs and encourage your child to copy you.

  Let's Dance

  The simplest thing you can do is put on music and dance with your child. Vary the rhythms and tempo of your body with the music. Practice "copy dancing" where you invite your child to imitate your movements and then let him or her lead as you follow.
  You also can make the musical experience more visual through movement and a few props. Scarves can show ascending and descending pitches — raise the scarves up over your heads as you sing up the scale and then drop them down the floor as you go down. Or have your child walk on tiptoes when you listen to high, quiet music, and stomp his or her feet to louder, slower music.
  Combining music and movement helps preschoolers learn to control their bodies. They learn to move fast to fast music, and more slowly to slow tunes. They also can learn the hand movements and simple dance moves that go along with rhymes and songs. Learning physical control is an important developmental step and can help build concentration skills and self-control later on.

  Time for Instruments?

  Although some music-instruction programs are geared to preschoolers, most kids at this age will enjoy a more casual introduction to musical instruments. Provide a rhythm stick or a set of bells to hold in each hand and encourage your child to keep the beat while you listen to a song.
  Here are some ways to give kids opportunities to be musical:
  • Sing or listen to music in the car, while you're doing chores, and while your child is playing. Keep a basket of musical instruments where kids can get them. Consider buying a kid-friendly CD player your child can operate and keep in his or her room.
  • Make sure your child's preschool offers chances to sing and play simple instruments, to move to music, and to create music. Ask the teacher what songs they regularly sing so that you can sing them at home.
  • Enroll your child in a preschool music class. If you don't know where to begin, ask the music department at your local college for suggestions.
  • For a special treat, take your child to live musical performances, especially ones designed for preschoolers. Museums, libraries, and bookstores often host performances by children's-music artists. Outdoor concerts are also a good bet for preschoolers because they can dance and move around without disturbing anyone.
  And after you've seen a concert together, encourage your child to give a performance for your family at home. He or she can even cut out construction paper tickets and get dressed for the occasion. At showtime, take your seat and get ready for a great show!