We don’t give a child much credit for his/her taste in music, but the truth is children love music. You might have caught youngster mumbling along to the car radio or just smiling away happy when a favorite song comes on TV.
But are you worried about what kind of music should you expose your child to? Well, there are a few considerations about songs for kids since they cannot start their musical journey with Thrash Metal or Hip-Hop!
The following section of the article lists all the relevant considerations that you need to take into account while selecting music for youngsters.
Creating the perfect library
Creating the ideal library or the playlist is very important for a youngster. A child will not know the wide variety of musical forms that exist in the world today, so chances are you will have to make a selection for him/her. Moreover, it is just not about listening! It is also about a full range of cognitive processing where a child needs to sing, dance and clap in time to the music. This is ideal for the perfect brain development in a toddler.
Audiation or the ability to think in musical terms is learned by listening, practicing and training the mind. Just the simple act of listening will never develop the mental comprehension of music. There is a difference between singing and speaking. So make sure you teach the distinction between the two from an early age.
Considerations before choosing genres
Focus on interactive music which is a great help when it comes to developing a musical ear from the very beginning. You can even invest in instruments so that your child can start learning and practicing to increase cognitive abilities. Start with simpler instruments so that the young ones do not lose interest right from the start.
Think about musical genres like the food you serve at dinner-time. There is usually a wide variety with the dishes changing daily. Give your child the ample freedom to explore different genres of music, music that speaks of various cultures and has a complete world view.
Starting with the familiar ones
An excellent point to start is always with the more common and favorite songs. E.g., nursery rhymes are songs you started with when you were a kid. Chances are these rhymes will be taught to your child anyway at his pre-school. Start at the simple stuff and gradually move into the ornate classical and rhythmic folk songs. You can consider the list at the National Association for Music Education (NAME). The file, created in 1995 is an ever-growing playlist for the entire family.
When moving to classical music
While expanding a child’s musical knowledge, the clear choice is classical music. A traditional musical piece is not just beautiful, but also teaches a lot of technicalities about music theory and instrumentation. However, the more straightforward classical music is what you should ideally aim for.
These will help your child understand the instrumentation better along with a great story to keep him/her enthralled. Avoid long orchestral music instead go for shorter pieces as they are not demanding of a child’s attention.
Follow these simple and necessary steps while selecting music and songs for kids.