Exposing Children to All Kinds of Music
What music do you most enjoy listening to? Is there a favorite song that brings back memories of a place and time? Is it Top 40 or jazz – bluegrass, country or classical? Music is the universal language bringing all people together. Listening to different genres of music exposes the children’s ears to a wide breadth of sound and culture. In addition, it provides exposure to a variety meters and tonalities which are important for musical understanding.
Music at Home
I love almost all genres of music as I was so lucky to be raised in a musical family. My relatives sang all the time, my mom hummed and still hums all the time. I was brought up hearing big band, classical, Broadway and Eastern European melodies. As a young adult I listened to rock, Motown and folk. Over the years I never stopped listening to all that was new on the radio and embraced world music as well.
Did your parents sing to you as a child? Is there a favorite song you can remember that was always sung to you as a baby such as “You Are My Sunshine” or “I Love You a Bushel and a Peck”? These songs seem to carry through the generations and put a smile on grown up faces bringing back their own early childhood memories.
Expand your Horizons
Expand your horizons and listen to African, Celtic, Indian (Bollywood), Middle Eastern music and other world music. The melodies and arrangements are easy to listen to and fun to dance to with your family. This will expose your children and you to different melody lines and instrumentations. It’s springtime! Go to fairs and festivals finding new music, dancing and singing to the old, while always learning, exploring and having family fun!
Kids’ MusicRound® includes some wonderful world music. The children love dancing to “Market Dance” from Syria and experimenting with the unusual meter in “To Rinaki” from Greece. If you are a newcomer to world music purchase one of the CDs from Putumayo. “World Playground” is one of our favorites.