Feeling the music
Feeling the music
Everyday is an opportunity to kick back and enjoy music with your little one, but have you ever considered pairing music with art?
Music works wonders on our brains. It can evoke joy or sadness, inspire us to dance or float gracefully across the room. So, why not cue up some tunes, lay out paper and crayons, and observe as your child expresses the music's emotions through art? Afterwards, have a chat about their masterpiece. How did the music make them feel? Why did they choose those colours?
Music opens up neural pathways, and exposing your child to various genres – whether classical, jazz, rock, or reggae – helps them grasp musical patterns, rhythms, beats, and sound distinctions. This lays a solid foundation for early literacy and numeracy. Even babies can start recognizing letter sounds, clapping out syllables, and understanding the narrative structure of songs – a beginning, middle, and end.
Even if your little one doesn't grasp the lyrics, they're likely to move to the rhythm, which aids in coordination, strength, balance, and language development, especially when actions are synced with song lyrics.
Integrate music into your daily routine. You don't always need a playlist; your voice is music to your baby's ears. Sing during nappy changes, meal prep, tidy-ups, and bedtime – there's always a perfect moment for a tune.
Check out these timeless classics on the State Library One Search catalogue to ignite creativity and witness the magic unfold:
Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker Suite
Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata
Korsakov's Flight of the Bumble Bee
Chopin's Nocturne in E
Bach's Prelude in C Major
This article has been written to help increase the knowledge and understanding of the Bundaberg community and is part of Bundaberg Regional Libraries First 5 Forever. Learn more about Baby and toddler Storytime at Bundaberg Library here.
First 5 Forever is an initiative of the Queensland Government, coordinated by State Library of Queensland and delivered in partnership with local government.
