Huge thanks to Miriam for this post about music lesson and music education prep for young children, from toddler age to grade school! You don’t want to miss this post that is full of resources and ideas. I attended one class to observe the let’s play music curriculum, and I think it is wonderful! If you want your children to get an early start in music training, look into it in your area! The links are later on down the post 🙂 -Bethany
Are you interested in the benefits of music education for your child?
Me too! In fact, I strongly believe that music education is the right of every human being. The best opportunity for a child to develop musical talent is in their early years when their minds and ears are primed to learn music. With the help of other musical experts at let’s play music, I have come up with a list of five things that you can do on your own to begin a musical journey with your child. But first, check this out…
How playing music benefits the brain
Ted Ed shares this fun and informative video sharing the recent research explaining what goes on or in your brain when you play music. “Playing music is the brain’s equivalent of a full-body workout.” Whether you are a musician or parent, you won’t want to miss it.
1) Teach them to keep a steady beat and hear different sounds
Children must learn how to keep a steady beat before they can read musical rhythms. Check out these fun homemade musical instruments and use them to practice keeping a steady beat. You can also teach them to hear low and high sounds by playing instruments that make noise.
20 DIY music instrument crafts
2) Expose them to Classical Music
Give your children opportunities to listen to and appreciate classical music. Here’s a brilliant and fun way to bring these songs to life: use classical tunes as a background soundtrack for some fun and exciting picture books! This list gives you a story and a classical piece to pair it with.
Enjoy your little maestro in the making!
There are numerous books and CDs out there designed to engage kids. A great series is the Beethoven’s Wig series. Their CDs have sing along symphonies-they are silly and engaging and cost as little as $10 on Amazon.com
3) Sing!
A child’s first instrument is their own body and voice. Let your child hear the high and low sounds they can produce. Follow along with a melody, and maybe even expose them to harmony in simple rounds or cannons (e.g. row, row, row your boat). Give their ear the chance to hear and sense what it feels like to match the pitch of a song being played on a CD. This is all such an essential precursor to playing music. So sing! Sing! Sing!
Have you ever wondered how to help your child learn to sing in tune? Let’s play music creator Shelle Soelberg teaches the importance of introducing and distinguishing the sound of the minor 3rd. Check out this video to learn more.
4) Parental Involvement is Key
Most people assume that inherent musical talent is the number one factor determining which children study music and become proficient in their instruments. Surprisingly, they’re wrong! The crucial factor in determining whether students continue to high levels of achievement is actually parental involvement. Parental involvement is more than just parental attention. It is keeping a positive emotional atmosphere at home.
5) Play together!
Play is serious learning for your children. Finger plays are just right for playing, learning, and bonding with a parent. Toddlers and preschoolers don’t even realize they are learning as they play.
Hand clapping games are perfect for pre-schoolers and the early grades. The physical contact and real face time you make with them is invaluable for emotional bonding. The Inspired Treehouse has wonderful examples that you can do with your child without a cord, battery or screen. Click the images to check them out!
There you have it! I hope you enjoy incorporating these ideas into your everyday life, and make music an exploratory and beautiful experience for you and your little one(s).
Now some of you might be thinking; I wish there was a class or program that included all of these aspects of musical learning. Guess what…there is!
Have you heard about let’s play music?
Let’s play music is a new way of teaching music that looks different from the mainstream music lessons that you, your parents, or your grandparents took when they were younger. Instead of traditional piano lesson, your child can participate in a complete musicianship class. The let’s play music class includes piano lessons, voice lessons, and theory lessons all in one! This unique program enables students to become well-rounded complete musicians. A complete musician has a surprising array of powers. Click the image of the girl to read and learn what musical powers are being mastered and how they are taught.
Click on the icons below to find a teacher near you!
Let me introduce myself…
Hi! My name is Miriam Richards. I am a wife to a total stud, a mom to 3 boys with one more on the way, and a let’s play music teacher in Puyallup, WA.
I’ve loved music since I was young. I remember watching all of those great classic musicals (The King and I, The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, etc.) and thinking to myself, this is what I want to do! For as long as I can remember I was singing. When I finally had the opportunity to take piano lessons I remember the whole experience being dull and distasteful, and not what I had hoped it would be. Sitting on a bench and memorizing music theory just didn’t cut it for me. I would have much rather have been up singing, moving, and expressing myself!
I knew I wanted something different for my own children. That is what led me to teach let’s play music. Through this amazing program, music is coming alive for them in a way I never got to experience! They are learning all of the music theory I did, but in a much more engaging way. It’s spectacular!
After my time studying piano I focused in on vocal training, which I continued at the collegiate level. I was able to be involved in many premier choral associations including the Concert Choir at Brigham Young University and most recently with the Pacific Lutheran University Choral Union.
When I’m not teaching my studio of let’s play music students I am spending time with my family. We love playing sports, exploring outside, and having some epic movie nights together.
Check out my let’s play music page on Facebook!
