IntroducingKidstoClassicalMusic

Introducing Kids to Classical Music

by Jeannie Fleming-Gifford

I am headed to an orchestra concert tonight and I can’t wait. I wasn’t always this excited about classical music, but how it has influenced my life and how it may impact growth and development is something I am passionate about.

I found classical music through Bugs Bunny cartoons and a great teacher. My love of music led me to playing the French horn and pursuing a college degree. Music opened doors to higher education and lifelong learning, as well as simple pleasures my family and I value.

A recent research article published in the journals of Psychological Science and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences notes that infants latch on to unfamiliar musical rhythms better than their parents do. At an early age, an infant’s developmental path for learning musical rhythm is similar to that used in language and speech. Rhythm in music, as well as pattern and beat, are very similar to rhythm and pattern and beat in language. Language rapidly develops in late infancy and throughout toddlerhood. Music may be another tool in promoting this rapidly developing skill. Rhythm and beat also provide opportunities for movement, which support children’s acquisition of gross motor development.

In 1993, a study revealed that college students’ scores improved on spatial-temporal reasoning tests after listening to Mozart. Although this study, known as the "Mozart Effect" has since been debated, much research has continued to support the positive impact music has on enhancing intellect. From infancy to adulthood, research reiterates the impact classical music may have on learning and development. How do you introduce children to the world of classical music in a way that is fun and enjoyable for both them and you? Check out the following tips.

Classical Kids – Some Do’s and Don’ts

First of all, a "don’t." Don’t start with a two-hour "adult" concert that was designed for quiet listening and little wiggling. Start with a concert especially designed for children and families. The Cleveland Orchestra (www.clevelandorchestra.com) and The Akron Symphony (www.akronsymphony.org), along with other symphonic programs in the area, have designed exciting, engaging and appropriate programs meant for families and children. Here are a few at-home tips for discovering new music and activities:

Read a story and use a piece of classical music as a "soundtrack" to the book. Pick a favorite story and an appropriate piece of music, one that reflects the tone of the story. An example might be to use Haydn’s Symphony No. 94 (more commonly known as the Surprise Symphony) in reading Katharine Holabird and Helen Craig’s Angelina Ballerina book. Read this book, and perhaps others from the same series, accompanied with the Haydn "soundtrack" of music each time. You will be surprised how your child will make an association between this book (or series of books) and this specific piece of music. Don’t be surprised if they remember it for a lifetime.

Creative movement to music. Music doesn’t just have to be for sitting and listening, but provides a wonderful opportunity for expression. Try out different pieces (a couple of examples might be: Pachelbel’s Canon in D, Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers, and Liszt’s Hungarian Rhapsody) and get up and move. Explore tempo (the rate or speed of a musical piece) by encouraging your child to move fast or slow, according to what they hear in the music. Explore pitch (highness or lowness of sound) by having children move low (crawl, slither, scoot) or high (jump, tip-toes, walk upright) according to the sounds they hear in the music.

Encourage musical literacy. Try composing a piece of music with your preschooler or young school-age child. Think about all the sounds you can create. Clap, tap, stomp, use some basic instruments, or create your own "Stomp" ensemble with your kitchen pans. Come up with a symbol (maybe a shape or letter) that stands for that specific sound. Write out these shapes/symbols, just as you would write out a sentence. Read your composition creating the sounds each symbol stands for. You have just composed your own musical masterpiece!

Classical Music Suggestions for Kids

Sprach Zarathustra – Strauss

William Tell Overture – Rossini

Hungarian Rhapsody – Liszt

Symphony No. 5 – Beethoven

Hungarian Dance No. 5 – Brahms

Rhapsody in Blue – Gershwin

Fanfare for the Common Man – Copland

Hoedown – Copland

Ride of the Valkyries – Wagner

Eine kleine Nachtmusik – Mozart

Carnival of the Animals – Saint-Saëns

Jeannie Fleming-Gifford, M.A., is the director of CHABAM, The Educational Playcenter, a research-based music, art and movement program for children and families, facilitated by degreed educators. For more information, visit CHABAM on Chagrin Blvd. in Woodmere or at www.chabam.com.