Music In The House
Remember when your child (or you!) were first learning your native language? We know that even though babies can’t understand the grammatical complexities of language, we know that they are listening.
That is how we start music lessons! The first step is listening. While many children start piano lessons at school age, they may or may not have had music exposure in their early life. Most children will have had exposure to nursery rhymes and preschool tunes, but have they had exposure to the instrument that they are going to have lesson for?
In the context of piano lessons, it is important to expose them to the sounds of the piano. The easiest way, is to find music they know (from preschool? that you sing to them?) played on the piano. This way, they can connect the two; music with words and music without words are different…but similar!
As a preschool teacher, I often noticed that the children regurgitate things they have heard on TV or YouTube. On a similar note, I have noticed that children spontaneously burst out into songs that we sing in group time. If children hear more piano music in their daily lives, it is conceivable that they would also process the information and begin to produce it.
Noteworthy, I also notice that preschoolers speak very much like their parents, and the teachers. This makes sense, as we are their main source of language inspiration in these early years! With this in mind, I encourage all parents to also participate in playing the piano. Not only can parents participate in the students’ learning, but also learn with the child. By learning with the child, the parent can identify with the child and their musical journey.
Summary:
- Play music in the house!- Not only can music set an enjoyable mood, children are indeed listening to and processing the musical information.
- Play piano yourself!- Students are encouraged when they see their parents participating, and this could lead to fulfilling bonding experience.
- Encourage their playing- even in the beginning stages. Even when their music is still babbles, encourage it! Just like we encourage toddlers to use their language.