Got Rhythm? Raising Kids to Love Music

   One day, 13 years ago, I amazed a real-estate agent sitting in my living room. While she and I pored over contracts and notes, my 2-year-old daughter whined for my attention. Finally, after the 10th interruption, I picked her up, sat her in our big armchair and turned on a tape of folk songs. She sat perfectly quiet for the next half hour. 

    “That’s incredible!” the agent marveled. “My kids don’t sit like that unless I turn on the TV.” 

    “She doesn’t watch TV,” I explained. “But she loves music.” 

    What had I done to foster that love of folk songs over Barney? In truth, it wasn’t hard. Kids are hard-wired to love music, and we’ve all heard about its benefits. Robert Cutietta, author of Raising Musical Kids (Oxford University Press, 2001), claims “music is one of the great joys of being human”—that it has a unique ability to enrich our lives and cultural experiences. Music study increases a child’s focus, discipline and academic achievement. A 2006 study published in the MENC Journal of Research in Musical Education found that music students scored significantly higher on standardized tests in English and math. Experts concur that learning music fosters creativity, problem-solving and teamwork skills. 

    But most parents aren’t professional musicians. Many of us have forgotten even how to plunk out “Chopsticks” on the keyboard. How do we nurture a musical sensibility in our kids when preschool and fine arts programs are constantly under the threat of the budget axe? Even if your kids don’t turn out to be the next Mendelssohn or Mozart, it’s easy to give them the gift of music.

Create a Musical Environment.

    Experts agree that music appreciation begins at home. Patty G. of Overland Park has taught piano for 10 years and is also a certified teacher of the Musikgarten program (see sidebar). “Children begin listening in the womb to their mother’s voice, which is music to them,” she says. “There’s hardly anybody who doesn’t have music in their bodies when they’re born.” Patty encourages parents to expose their babies to music right away, “playing music to them, singing to them, rocking with them, dancing.” Deanna Hanson-Abromeit, an assistant professor of music therapy at the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Conservatory of Music and Dance, agrees. She suggests exposing kids to a variety of genres and styles, learning folk songs along with your kids and singing as much as possible. And Robert Cutietta writes that you should “bathe your home in music.” By hearing music frequently, children “begin learning the vocabulary of music,” much as a baby begins to learn language by hearing people talk.

Make It a Family Affair.

    Parent involvement is key in nurturing a child’s interest in music. Ray Nelson of Olathe is an accredited Simply Music teacher (see sidebar). He says that musicians learn better in group settings with plenty of parental support. Hanson-Abromeit supports that approach: “As kids get older, parents need to show a genuine interest in their music,” even if it’s not to the parents’ taste. When her son was a toddler, she encouraged him to indulge his early percussion skills with the pots and pans while she cooked dinner. “He was making music, and we were doing it together.” 

    Patty G. finds that her students are more successful “if the parent actually sits and listens to the child play, praises them and plays duets with them.” The child then sees music as a family event, not as something practiced in isolation.

Encourage, But Don’t Push.

    Kids resist if music appreciation becomes a chore. Instead, make music part of the fabric of your family life. Hanson-Abromeit suggests regular outings to live concerts, both professional and amateur. Look for free performances and musical acts at cultural fairs. Encourage kids to participate in band and orchestra. If the idea scares them, Hanson-Abromeit advises families to go to a music store together and look at the different instruments to pique your child’s interest. If possible, have instruments available at home for kids to test out. And she urges parents to support fine arts programs in schools so kids can benefit from instruction even if they don’t play an instrument. 

    Always emphasize the fun of music as your goal. It’s a small percentage of the population, admits Ray Nelson, who become professional musicians, but learning music can enrich anyone’s life. “We’re all musical beings,” he says, in the rhythm of our heartbeats, in the pitch of our voices. Your children’s muse is waiting for you to call it forth.

Resources for Parents.

Kindermusik

A music and movement class where kids and parents engage in music activities, dance and stories to enhance musical development. Most classes are weekly 45-minute segments than run for a 10-week semester; ages range from infants to age seven. Several locations in the metro area; visit Kindermusik.com and click on “Find a Class.”

Musikgarten

A comprehensive program, Musikgarten starts with music and movement classes for babies and parents, then builds on those lessons to take kids right up to group piano instruction. Musikgarten’s methods are based on solid research into how children develop and learn music. Several locations in the metro area; visit Musikgarten.org and click on “Teacher Locator.”

Simply Music

A “playing-based” approach developed by Australian Neil Moore, Simply Music teaches kids to play piano using listening techniques and symbols before progressing to note reading. Usually taught in a group setting, the program encourages a fun, laid-back atmosphere. To learn more, visit SimplyMusic.com.

Finding Teachers

If you’re interested in private, traditional music lessons, go to music stores like Funky Munky Music (FunkyMunkyMusic.com) to find teachers. Ask for recommendations from family, friends, your child’s school music teacher or the music director in your faith community. “Parents frequently ask, ‘What’s the ideal age to start private music instruction?’ Although all children mature at different paces, usually an appropriate age to begin is around six years of age,” says Jay Pfeifer, School of Music Director at The Culture House. Take into account your child’s level of interest and personality, and interview several instructors to get a feel for their approach, philosophy and expectations.

Claire M. Caterer enjoys sharing music with daughter Melanie, who has been taking piano lessons and singing in choirs for several years.