Same Music. New ideas.

One of my favorite things about Kindermusik is the variety of music we listen to.  If you listen through your home CD, you will find music from Asia, Africa, Central and South America, and Native America. Music can inspire so many feelings for a person, and each person’s experience will be different. If you find yourself looking for more ways to enjoy the variety of music on your home CD, consider new ways to work music into your daily routine in the following ways:

      Choose a piece of music to serve as a soundtrack for a favorite story.

Sharing a story is a great way for adults and children to bond. When a story is told to a particular soundtrack, hearing that music will always bring back comforting memories. Things to consider when choosing a story/music pairing: length of story and piece of music, whether the music is in a major or minor key and which would best fit the mood of the story, music and story building to a climax in the same spot, whether you can “hear” the voices of the characters in your music. Next time you listen through your home CD, think through your child’s library and see if any songs just seem to “go” with any of their books.

      Create a “soundtrack” for your child’s playtime.

Make a playlist on your iPod or MP3 player full of upbeat classical music to play during your child’s busiest hours. Stimulating beats and major keys encourage high-spirited play from your youngster. Choose a variety of instrumental and sing-along songs to play along to. Every now and then, throw in a piece with a different mood and observe your child to see if that influences their play.

 

      Draw what you hear.

Get out the paper and the crayons and turn on your CD. Choose a variety of music to listen to as you draw. Observe your child to see if their artistic style changes with the music. Watch for fast and slow strokes, short staccato vs. long legato strokes, note whether volume has an effect on your child’s drawing. When you are finished, play the music as you talk about what you drew. You will very quickly learn what inspires your child creatively.

      Listen to themed music with your child.

There are many classical pieces that are based on a theme. Carnival Des Animeaux by Camille Saint-Saëns and The Four Seasons by Vivaldi are fabulous examples. Take some quiet time just to listen to the pieces, then discuss what connections you and your child can make to your own experiences. Does the music make you think of any particular animal that you know? What, specifically, causes you to draw that connection? Does the music make you want to move any specific way? Thinking critically about what you hear makes a person a better listener and compels us to understand what someone else was thinking when the music was composed.

-Posted by Stacie Lopeman (a.k.a. Miss Stacie)