Make Music A Part Of Your Home

March is the annual Music In Our Schools month, and this year will be the 31st anniversary of this incentive by the National Association for Music Education. NAfME offers teachers and schools the opportunity to have access to music from around the world, and even features videos sent in from schools that can be played in classrooms and as part of the celebration.

It is a great idea for parents also to encourage kids to have an appreciation for music. Children are very open to listening to  and talking about different types of music. With the internet, through Apple and Android-based online music stores and even through a variety of streaming music apps, bringing different genres of music into your child’s life has never been easier.

Make Music a Priority

Rather than just having music in the background during this month, and throughout the year, bring music to the front of the conversation by:

  • Choosing a style or a music genre and play a few songs for the family to sit together and listen to. Then, after the selection or selections have finished, have a discussion about what was unique, different or interesting about the sound and the style.
  • Finding out about music or songs related to your family heritage. Find YouTube videos, a cultural activity, or an event where those songs are highlighted and bring the kids.
  • Having a meal a month where the family all sits together and eats while a specific composer or type of music is playing in the background. This is a great time to introduce kids to classical music or the appreciation of instrumental music.
  • Listening to favorite movies and try to name the songs playing in the background. You can then find the full version online and play it for the children.
  • Encouraging kids to participate in school or community events around music such as singing, dance, choir, taking up an instrument or, when they get older, playing in a school band.

It is also fun for kids to be encouraged to write their own songs. This is a great way to link poetry to music, and to help children to develop a love of language and to be creative in expressing themselves. If you want a dynamic preschool program in Salt Lake City that sees music as integral to education, check out Child Time today!

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