Music can be immensely beneficial for a child’s growth, wellbeing and development. When choosing between live music and recordings, we should try to choose live music every time. In this article, we’ll examine the benefits of exposing your child to live music.
The Joys of Listening
You Can See Where It’s Being Made
Although we may all know and understand how music is created, children often don’t possess that same knowledge. If they have never seen someone playing the piano or guitar, they won’t completely understand the technical skills behind those sounds. This visual element – something that is crucial for children’s learning – is so often lost in recorded music. When you play a CD, you hear the music without experiencing its creation.
When music is live, which may occur in childcare, your child can see it being made. They create that connection between pulling a guitar string and hearing that high note – and even more than that, they can see the human element of music: that it is creative, wonderful and something that they themselves can create.
All of these factors will lead to your children having a deeper understanding of music.
Increased Concentration
Recorded music, when compared to painting or reading, is often not as stimulating as other creative activities. Unless you consciously sit down to listen to recorded music with nothing on your mind, your thoughts will drift elsewhere. The same applies for children. Recorded music solely stimulates their hearing. Without those added visuals, they may lose concentration and interest.
When music is live, it is engaging. There is someone they can see and, therefore, their thoughts will be engaged with that person and the music they are playing. In early learning centres, it is likely that the player will engage further with your child, encouraging them to sing along.
With this amount of added interaction, your child’s focus and concentration will be significantly increased.
Participation
When something is happening right in front of you, you have the opportunity to join in and participate. The same applies to live music, whether the music is played in a day care or a concert. Your child may sing along, clap their hands with the music and engage not only with the song but also with the other children around them. This sense of community is vital for your child’s development of social and creative skills.
Learning To Play
When it comes to learning how to play instruments and music, the same visual advantage applies. By seeing how the process occurs, your child will be able to more confidently apply themselves to playing music. The beauty of live music in childcare facilities is that it is all tailored to your child, with their individual needs taken into consideration. This human element is not present through recorded music.
Think of it as the difference between teaching yourself piano from YouTube videos, versus learning piano with an instructor who has tailored a program for you. Different experiences lead to different outcomes.
Engagement through Live Music
If you would like your child to benefit from listening and learning live music, consider enrolling them in one of our ToBeMe early learning centres, in Burwood and Five Dock.If you have any questions about our activities or if you would be interested in booking a tour, please contact us on (02) 9744 0066 or visit our contact page.
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