Yellow Directory - Music Teachers

The benefits of involving children in musical activities are immense: from developing a love of music to promoting brain growth.

Most importantly, music is fun. If a child is having fun their brain is open to learning. If a child is stressed, worried or unhappy the brain closes down to learning and new stimulation. Activities that are fun open the brain to learning.

A child's brain grows to 90% of its adult size in the first three years of life. It is hungry for stimulation and can develop pathways across the hemispheres at a phenomenal rate, depending on the stimulation given. Coupled with the fact that children's hearing develops at its most rapid rate between 4 and 6 years of age it makes sense that early childhood is the most precious time for establishing foundations of music, such as singing in tune and moving in time.

As well as developing musical abilities, a child's involvement in musical activities opens doors of other learning. Music can help children develop listening and concentration; control and coordination of large and small muscles; seriation and memory skills; an understanding of 3 dimensional space and an awareness and ability to control the movement of their body in that space; group social skills of appreciating the ideas of others, taking turns, and working in a circle with the subsequent self confidence that comes with this involvement; language is developed; plus we build a knowledge of other cultures and times, through their music, along the way.

Music is multi-sensory. By inputting information into the brain through multiple senses the learning is reinforced and multiplied. If we hear some words, sing them, then play the rhythms on our bodies, stamping the beat throughout, the learning involves the whole body with many senses interacting along the way. The learning is therefore stronger.

The power of music as a learning tool is well understood by the advertising industry. If an idea has a song or rhythm attached, children (and adults) find that information easier to remember. How do we first learn the alphabet? What is the phone number for Pizza Hut?

Music is also one of the few activities that uses both sides of the brain, both the logical and creative, at the same time. By utilizing both sides simultaneously the brain grows connections across the hemispheres. The more connections we have, the faster we are able to think.

An involvement in musical activities from a young age is active entertainment, compared to a lot of entertainment these days where we are entertained as we sit on the couch. Musical activities involve the whole body, often igniting a lifetime love of music.

You don't even have to be particularly musical yourself. Some people say they can't sing. That doesn't really matter. Just as you don't need to be a mathematician to teach your kids to count, you don't need to be a musical maestro to enjoy music with your kids. Children take much more notice of your enthusiasm and the smile on your face than your level of musicality.

All children deserve the enrichment musical experiences provide. So open up your lungs, fire up your feet and have fun with your children.
If you need a hand to find your local Music teacher, check your Yellow directory.

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