On Mother's Day 10 years ago, I was pregnant with my daughter. I had no idea what was coming next...would I have an easy birth? Will my baby be OK? Will I be a good mother? It was an exciting (and a little bit scary!) time. I knew there would be lots of learning along the way, and I hoped that I would make more good decisions than bad ones. I figured I had a good base of knowledge already, since I had been teaching Kindermusik infant music classes for 2-3 years at that time. Recently, I was asked by a colleague what would be the top advice that I would give to new parents and it got me thinking...here are the top 3 things that I did with my daughter that I think had the biggest impact on bonding and my parenting journey, and her learning and development.
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The Hello Song is such an important part of our Kindermusik classes. We are often told by parents and caregivers that it is a child’s favorite song, and here’s why: it signals to your child that you are about to spend time together, 100% focused on each other. Quality one-on-one time of learning and exploring, singing, dancing, playing instruments and making connections together. We see this same excitement in virtual classes and in-person classes, because the adult-child connection is still present and the most important part of class. Recently I’ve been observing how the hello song can help build social emotional skills such as empathy, respect, and self-confidence. According to Zero to Three: "Starting from birth, babies are learning who they are by how they are treated. Through everyday interactions, parents, relatives and caregivers send babies messages like: You’re clever. You’re good at figuring things out. You’re loved. You make me laugh. I enjoy being with you. These messages shape a baby’s self-esteem. Toddlers are starting to develop a sense of self-awareness—that they are separate and independent from others. This new knowledge helps them understand that other people have thoughts and feelings that may be different from their own." What does this mean for your child
What’s in a name? In the baby and toddler classes, including the child’s name is an important part of the hello song. As Dale Carnegie once said: “Remember that a person's name is to that person, the sweetest and most important sound in any language.” Babies learn to recognize their own names during the hello song, and we see their face light up when they hear their name inserted into the song. It’s magical! Toddlers look forward to their turn each week, both to hear their name and to share their greeting idea. Older preschool-aged children are trying to blend in and be part of the group, so in that class, each child chooses a motion for the hello song, but their name is not sung. Everything in a Kindermusik class is intentionally done to support your child at each stage of their development. Set your child up for success: With a baby, observe what he or she is doing, even if it is unintentional. Does he look like he’s trying to wave? Is she trying to clap? Does he always laugh when we lift arms and say “so big!”? Choose one of those as their hello motion. Give toddlers TWO choices, instead of “what do you want to do?” Open-ended questions are difficult for a toddler and you may get an answer of “go to the park.” Instead, try “would you like to clap, or jump for your hello motion?” It often helps to talk about it and choose one before class, so your child is ready and confident when their turn comes. Preschoolers will often choose a complicated motion, such as a compound movement (spin-jump) or something related to pretend play (fly and swoop like glittery dinosaurs)...just go with it! Remember that the idea is to try something new and respect all ideas. Also, if you’ve never flown and swooped like a glittery dinosaur, you are in for a treat ;) If you’d like to learn more about how you can support your child’s social-emotional learning, check out this article. Kindermusik classes, whether virtual or in-person, are a great way to start building your child’s emotional intelligence, self-esteem, and empathy.
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Resilience, or our ability to cope and move through difficult times, is incredibly important to focus on as we continue getting through 2020. Building resilience is like building a muscle: it takes time and intention. I began to ponder the relationship between music and resilience. More specifically, I began thinking about how the Bucktown Music Kindermusik classes that I have been teaching and engaging in with my daughter are helping families build resilience during this year filled with loss, anger, and anxiety. |
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), the components of resilience include connection, wellness, and meaning. We can build these skills through intentional engagement with music, both for ourselves and for our children. Here are some examples of how we can work with music for ourselves and how the activities in our Kindermusik classes support fostering resilience in our children.
Connection
Though we are socially distant, we can still build connection through music. through shared experiences, or more specifically, engaging with each other within a musical experience. You can do this at home with your family by exploring new instruments, discovering new songs, or moving together to music we love. With virtual classes right now, we are finding new ways to connect even though we can’t be together in the same room. For example, in our classes, the children get to connect with each other by showing each other the instruments they own or have made at home and then play together to the same piece of music. Children also connect to each other by sharing unique movements during a greeting ritual and seeing classmates join them in the movement they’ve shared. It’s such a joy to have even 1 year olds recognize their “friends” on-screen and learn each other’s names!
Wellness
One of the ways that the APA suggests fostering wellness is practicing mindfulness, or working to ground ourselves in the present moment. An important part of every Kindermusik class is intentional music listening. This is one of my favorite parts of class, as it encourages our kids to just be in the moment with the music, by relaxing our bodies with our breaths and sitting with the music. When it comes to music and mindfulness, I also think of the steady beat as a way to ground, not only into the music, but into the moment. Each Kindermusik class involves building steady beat awareness through sound and movement.
TRY THIS: Here is a grounding exercise that you can do at home for yourself or with your family that focuses on the music of our bodies: Find a comfortable place to sit. Once you are settled, take three deep breaths, allowing the sensation and sound of your breath to help you relax. Once you are in this quiet space, put your hand on your heart and pay attention to your heartbeat. Spend some time feeling your heartbeat. Allow the rhythm of your heartbeat to ground you into the present moment. Spend as much time here as you need, and when you are ready, play this steady beat on a drum or instrument of choice.
Learn more about mindfulness & music
TRY THIS: Here is a grounding exercise that you can do at home for yourself or with your family that focuses on the music of our bodies: Find a comfortable place to sit. Once you are settled, take three deep breaths, allowing the sensation and sound of your breath to help you relax. Once you are in this quiet space, put your hand on your heart and pay attention to your heartbeat. Spend some time feeling your heartbeat. Allow the rhythm of your heartbeat to ground you into the present moment. Spend as much time here as you need, and when you are ready, play this steady beat on a drum or instrument of choice.
Learn more about mindfulness & music
Meaning
According to Dr. Brene Brown, "We are a meaning-making species-we need to make meaning out of experiences. Music is a creative medium that can satisfy our human need to make meaning." Nurturing creativity feeds this part of ourselves that can help us get through hard times. Both at home and in a Kindermusik class, you can encourage creativity by entering the music experience with your kids through scaffolding, co-creating imaginative play within a music experience, and supporting vocal and instrumental exploration. It doesn't need to be musically perfect to be meaningful. Additionally, music making is one of the first ways infants can engage in meaning making. With even the littlest babies, you can observe signs of musical engagement, such as tracking an instrument with their eyes, reaching out to touch or explore it, or vocal play by exploring new sounds with their voice. We may not all be musicians, but we are all musical beings. Cultivating our intrinsic relationship to music engages us in a meaning making experience, which builds resilience.
Reference: https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience
Reference: https://www.apa.org/topics/resilience
Join us for some joyful virtual music-making!
You're probably asking yourself: What on earth does playing with a ball have to do with music???? Everything, for little ones! All kids love playing with balls, and it's a great activity to do with baby to boost early learning. Kindermusik chime balls are brightly colored and have a little bell inside, so they make a fun jingly sound when tapped or shaken. With babies, you can tap the ball on their body so they can feel the steady beat, or you can move the ball across their field of vision so that they can track it with their eyes (an important pre-reading skill, whether they are reading words or music notes!) |
"Moving the ball along to the music gives children a visual representation of a steady beat, which helps them learn with multiple senses: hear it, feel it, see it. The more senses that are involved in learning an activity, the more likely it is to "stick" in a child's brain." | Using a ball with toddlers teaches turn-taking and hand-eye coordination, an important skill for playing in an ensemble later in life. Preschoolers learn to pass the ball around the circle to the steady beat, and we may even make it more difficult by adding extra balls or changing the tempo (speed) of the song so that they have to coordinate their movements and ball-passing to the beat of the music! Live in Chicago? Join us for a class at Bucktown Music! Not in Chicago? We've got Kindermusik friends all over the world, find a class near you! |
One of the most common questions we hear is “when should my child start music lessons”? The best music classes will consider your child, your family, your goals, and the amount of time you have to commit. There are a lot of music lessons in Chicago, I hope this post helps you find the right one!
Birth to Age 3 This is the optimal time to start those neural connections firing, not only in music, but with early childhood development as well. Your child will need many skills to be successful at playing an instrument. A quality early childhood music program, such as Kindermusik, will actively educate parents and help young children to:
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Many parents want to rush their child into lessons, but we've found that it is much better to wait until they are physically ready to play an instrument, so that they get the joy of mastering it, and want to continue. We want to give them the tools and skills to master it!School Age Children (Kindergarten & up) If you aren’t sure what instrument to start your child on, I would start with the piano. It is a visual instrument, so children can see where their fingers go, and it uses both treble and bass clefs (for non-musicians, treble clef is used for high sounds and instruments such as the flute or violin, and bass clef for low sounds and instruments, such as cello.) Children who start on piano learn to read both clefs, so later on if they want to pick up something else, they already have that advantage. Here are some things to keep in mind: | Preschoolers (3 - 5 years old) Preschool music classes should expose children to music from around the world, in different languages, and teach them about instrument families. The best preschool music programs include:
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- You'll need to decide between traditional or Suzuki method (will discuss in a future post!)
- Find the right music teacher: choose a teacher who is able to motivate your child, and explains lessons to you as well so that you can help at home.
- You will need a quality instrument for home practice. No matter how talented your child is, or how much practicing they do, they'll need a good instrument to sound fantastic! They are also easier to play. Your teacher or music studio should be able to give you a recommendation on what type of instrument to get and where to get it from, and whether it makes more sense to purchase or rent an instrument. Some instruments, such as violins and guitars, come in smaller sizes for children, so your child will need to be measured before you choose an instrument.
- Practice schedule: you will need to set aside 10-15 minutes a day for practice, otherwise your child won’t make progress and will be frustrated. Young children will need your help to read the lessons and know what to practice, and how to do it (See Above #2 about a teacher with great communication skills!). Another great practice tip is to have your child play a song XX times, rather than for XX minutes, I like to use how old they are (7 year olds play their songs 7 times per day, and so on).
Adult Students: The first step is to have a heart-to-heart with your teacher about your goals, expectations, and time. Do you want to learn to read music and play Beethoven? Or are you looking to learn some easy chords so you can play a few songs for your friends at your next party? Would you like to join a community orchestra or form a band, or are you looking for a creative outlet to relax after work? Make sure you and your teacher are on the same page, and that your teacher is comfortable teaching the kind of music that you want to learn. You'll probably need a beginner book so that you can learn the notes and some basic theory behind what you are playing. After a few weeks of learning the fundamentals, you will probably be able to play a few simple songs. |
On guitar, for example, if you learn 3-5 chords, you can play a TON of different pop songs (of course, it does take a lot of practice to change between the chords!) Piano students will be able to play simple melodies and have their teacher (or guitar playing friends) accompany them. Voice students will work on pitch matching, breath control, placement, vowel shapes, and contour. Your teacher will be able to help find music that matches your voice and range. Ultimately your progress depends on: natural ability (a little), determination and perseverance (a lot), and how much time you have to practice. You should see a definite improvement within a few months, and like anything, the more you do it, the better it gets!
Young Students: Parents should be actively involved in young children's lessons. Children who can't read yet will need help going over their assignments and understanding what is expected. It helps to bring in a notebook and your teacher can write down what you should be working on and any helpful tips (rhythm, posture, hand position). The most important thing with music lessons is that it is not only a mental skill, but a physical one as well, that needs to be practiced over and over to master the muscle memory needed to be successful. At the beginning, your child should probably be practicing 10-15 minutes most days. Don't leave practicing until the day before your lesson, you really can't "cram" it in. You'll definitely want to practice the day after your lesson, when your teacher's tips are fresh in your mind. Piano students will generally use a series of 4 books (Lesson, Theory, Technique, and Performance) which work together, and gives your child several different ways to practice one skill, which keeps it more interesting. Guitar, violin, voice, and other instruments will usually have 1 or 2 books to work with. Another tip for practicing is to have your child play each song the number of times of their age (7 year olds will play each song 7 times.) Be sure to listen in and make sure they aren't just rushing through! The goal is to improve at least one thing each time you play.
A child's progress is greatly influenced by certain skills, such as finger dexterity (can your child make "O"s with each of their fingers touching their thumb?), the ability to move each finger independently of the others, their natural ability to keep a steady beat, and their communication skills with their teacher. Everyone learns at a different pace, but most children will get through their Level 1 book in 6-12 months. Older children will make MUCH quicker progress. Keep in mind that a child who takes lessons for three years from 9-12 years old will make SO much more progress than a child who plays from 5-8 years old... |
Make sure your child stays in lessons long enough to get the joy of mastering an instrument, which usually takes until about Level 3 of most lesson book series (approximately 2-3 years). Psst...you're paying for lessons, so you want to make sure your kid is getting the brain benefits everyone is talking about, right???
If your child seems frustrated or bored, talk to their teacher about adding some fun repertoire (maybe music from their favorite movie or video game), or finding an ensemble or performance opportunity to keep them motivated!
If your child seems frustrated or bored, talk to their teacher about adding some fun repertoire (maybe music from their favorite movie or video game), or finding an ensemble or performance opportunity to keep them motivated!
It's very common to hit a plateau with your playing. KEEP IT UP! That means you are making progress and just need to "get over the hump" to make it to the next level! If there is a piece that you are struggling with, ask your teacher for hints, break it up into sections, practice it a million times and move on!
How long did it take YOU (or your child) to master an instrument?
Please comment below!
Yes, it's true! Music makes you smarter and it's good for reading and math...BUT...
Many parents feel that getting their child started in private lessons as early as possible is the best choice. One of the most common questions we hear at our studio is “when should my child start playing an instrument?” I’ve had many (yes, MANY) people who insist that their 1, 2, or 3 year old child be enrolled in private music lessons. What we’ve found is that young children thrive in a research-based group class (such as our Kindermusik program), and the LATER the child starts private lessons, the more likely they are to enjoy lessons and want to continue. |
Anyhow, these inquiries made me start to wonder when all of my musician friends and our studio teachers started “officially” studying their instruments, so I turned to the professionaals. I wanted to try to find the sweet spot, that magic age of when it seems to “stick.” So I interviewed all of the musicians I know to see when they started, and here's the result:
Who did I ask? Out of 40 replies, 32 people are professional musicians, from teachers to performers and music studio owners. 8 people are NOT professional musicians but did retain knowledge of the instrument and could bang out a tune if they wanted.
Many people shared that they started lessons at a young age and then got frustrated and quit, which is what we often see with very young children (under 6). The majority of students who began in the 10-13 range started in their middle school orchestra/band/choir, and most children in the 4-9 year old range began on piano or violin. The very young students (4-5 years old) who continued playing were from musical families whose parents were able to help with their practice. Many of them quit for awhile and then re-start when they were 8-9 years old.
Many people shared that they started lessons at a young age and then got frustrated and quit, which is what we often see with very young children (under 6). The majority of students who began in the 10-13 range started in their middle school orchestra/band/choir, and most children in the 4-9 year old range began on piano or violin. The very young students (4-5 years old) who continued playing were from musical families whose parents were able to help with their practice. Many of them quit for awhile and then re-start when they were 8-9 years old.

The quicker progress that a child makes at an older age gives them the joy and confidence that comes from mastering an instrument. They also need less direct supervision/help from a parent (we know you are busy already!).
THIS is what we do at Bucktown Music, create a solid foundation so that all students will be successful in creating any kind of music they enjoy for many years to come. The message I want you to get is that YOU HAVE TIME!
THIS is what we do at Bucktown Music, create a solid foundation so that all students will be successful in creating any kind of music they enjoy for many years to come. The message I want you to get is that YOU HAVE TIME!
True, some children ARE ready at a very young age, but it is a huge parental commitment, and we've found that if you wait a few years, ALL children can be successful. We are not going to let you miss the window of opportunity, we believe that ALL students, young and old, have the ability to love and enjoy making music, because a good beginning never ends!
Meet Patty LeClair Kennedy, one of our voice/piano and Kindermusik teachers, shares her musical journey: I began piano lessons at age 4. My very well intentioned parents noticed that I gravitated toward music and they enrolled me in piano lessons before my 5th birthday. I could not yet read and I was overwhelmed immediately. Both my teacher and parents were very supportive, but didn’t catch that for the first few years of my lessons I did not read music (or any written notation), and was playing only by ear. Eventually my pieces became too difficult to learn only by ear, and when all of a sudden I couldn’t play my music, everyone thought I must be acting out or wasn’t trying. By that point I was extremely anxious and was so afraid of letting my “grown ups” down. I felt stuck for many years, making very little progress. I remember the day reading music suddenly clicked for me, and it was in 4th grade while I was having the time of my life at choir camp (no surprise that it came through singing for me.) I began studying saxophone privately shortly after that and began studying formal classical voice by 10th grade, and never stopped. I wasn’t ready to read music or study privately until I was 9 years old, and I still went on to become a professional musician! Even more importantly, I went on to a life of finding utter joy in music every single day! In addition to teaching Kindermusik, voice and piano lessons at Bucktown Music, Patty leads the female vocal ensemble La Caccina. |
Author
Jessica Solares is one of the founders of Bucktown Music, along with her husband Luis. She holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Elmhurst College, and is a licensed Kindermusik educator with Top Program distinction.
Jessica was hired as Manager of Business Development, Studio Division for Kindermusik International. She is thrilled to have this new role to train educators around the world to open stellar music studios!
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