Is your little Elsa always singing ‘let it go,’ or do you have a little chipmunk running around the house with a guitar in his hand? It’s normal.

Kids and music go together like peanut butter and jelly. In fact, studies have shown that there are many benefits to teaching music to kids at an early age.

From enhancing cognitive development to helping with discipline, providing your child with a musical education is a rewarding experience.

Parents start playing music to soothe their babies even before they are born. And it continues to happen even when they are out of the oven and running around the house.

There are lullabies to help them sleep and fun songs to make them laugh and dance. This exposure helps plant the seed that will grow into a love for music.

Factors Impacting the Relationship of a Child with Music:

Several factors impact the relationship a child has with music. Let’s highlight a few of them:

1. Culture Plays a Role:

Research conducted in the US in 2018 claimed that 49.3 percent of parents play country music to their kids, while 33.0 percent of parents play pop music.

The choice of the genre that parents choose to play heavily depends on the culture of their city.

If you are someone in Colorado, the sixth-best state in the nation for raising a family, you are more likely to listen to bluegrass with your kids than someone in NYC.

Different cities have different cultures; for instance, Boulder County, CO, is famous for its hippie and liberal culture, also reflected in its residents’ music.

If you are interested in enrolling your child in Boulder County music classes, you can find many options.

2. The Income of the Parents:

It is not surprising that children from wealthier families are more likely to take music lessons and play an instrument than children from poorer families.

A study conducted by the University of Southern California showed that kids from families with incomes in the top 20 percent were nearly eight times as likely to have had music lessons as those in the bottom 20 percent.

This is not because wealthier parents are more inclined toward providing their children with a musical education. It is simply because they can afford to pay for music lessons and instruments, which are not cheap.

However, this does not mean that children from poorer families cannot enjoy a musical education. There are many ways to get around the cost issue, such as renting an instrument or taking advantage of free community programs.

3. Age of the Child:

The type of music a child is exposed to at different stages of development will impact how they relate to it. For instance, if you start playing classical music to a baby, they will become calmer.

On the other hand, if you expose them to fast-paced music, they may become more active.

It is essential to keep in mind that every child is different and will react to music in their way.

Now that we know why some children show more interest in music than others, let’s look at a few ways parents and teachers can make music lessons more entertaining for kids.

4. Use Puppets:

Puppets are a great way to help kids understand musical concepts. You can use them to teach about tempo, dynamics, and pitch.

For instance, you can use a puppet to show how fast or slow a song should be played. You can also use puppets to demonstrate how loud or soft music should be.

Puppets are also a great way to engage kids in active listening. You can use them to help kids identify different instruments and sounds.

5. Make It a Game:

No one says no to games, especially kids. You can use games to teach kids about musical concepts. For instance, you can play ” Simon Says” to teach about tempo.

You can also use games to teach about dynamics and pitch. Games are a great way to make music lessons more fun and engaging for kids.

You don’t want children to yawn and roll their eyes every time you mention the word “music lesson.” Even if you’re teaching music theory, there are methods to incorporate practical activities.

Games like ‘Magic Feet Follow the Beat’ for younger children help guide them about essential elements of music theory in an enjoyable way. It makes learning new words a lot easier.

6. Technology is the Best Teacher:

In this day and age, it’s hard to keep kids away from screens. They are the screen natives, after all. You can use this to your advantage and make music lessons more entertaining for kids by incorporating technology.

For instance, you can use apps to teach kids about musical concepts. Many great apps out there make learning fun and interactive, like ” Piano Maestro” and ” NotateMe Now.”

You can also use technology to help kids create their music and, eventually, a virtual band. There are many music composition apps that kids can use to create their songs.

It is a great way to encourage creativity and expression.

7. Encourage them to Perform to Online Audience:

YouTube channels, performances for friends and family, or even recording themselves playing/singing and listening back are great ways to help kids enjoy music.

It gives them a sense of accomplishment to be able to share their music with others and get feedback. It also helps them understand how an audience reacts to different types of music.

Interestingly, YouTube channels are becoming an increasingly popular way of earning money, so it’s not just a hobby – it could even turn into a career! And what’s better than starting young?

8. Help them Interact with One Another:

Whether you’re talking about artists or listeners, music is inherently pleasant. An individual lesson may not leave an impact as big as a group lesson.

In a group, kids can interact with one another, learn to play together, and understand the importance of teamwork.

It can be something as simple as playing musical games or improvising together. You can also have them work on projects together, such as creating a song or a dance routine.

Children will be able to talk about it, and they may even use what they learned in their daily life. The material will stick with them after they leave the class, and it will become a topic of conversation among their friends.

Meanwhile, kids learn practical talents that will aid them in their adult lives, even if music isn’t a future career.

Conclusion:

Music livens up any situation, and the same goes for music lessons. Making music more entertaining for kids can be as simple as keeping it short, fun, and creative with your teaching methods.

You might have the next Mozart or Beethoven in your class! Use games, technology, and group interaction to make learning fun and interactive.

Most importantly, encourage them to express their creativity and share their music with others.