Is music plays important role in early childhood?

Music is important in our life. It let us shape our mood, make us calm and relaxed. This emotional will eventually response whenever we are listening, performing or watching a performance such as concert, musical, orchestra or anything related to music. The emotion started to form even before birth, babies begin to recognize sound during the third trimester. They can hear and the brain response which make them more alert when the mother speaks. Therefore, the mother’s voice is the most consistent and babies normally will find the mother’s voice to be equated to safety and care. That is why the mother and the baby can achieve an intimate relationship.

Music Elements and Classical

Music has variety of elements. Here are the basic and important music elements that the children will learn:

• Rhythm – refer to repetitive pattern throughout the music and always feel it with beat, a steady pulse, that characterized by strong and weak beat.

• Melody – a sound with particular notation (do, re, mi), as you listen. It either play by the instrument or sung by the human voice.

• Dynamic – refer to the volume in the music, loud and soft. It helps the expression in music that may affect our feelings, moods or emotions.

• Tempo – in Italian means time, which is the speed or pace of a music played, either fast or slow. Fast tempo can be express as happiness, excitement or a feeling of energy. While slow can be express as relaxation, sometimes arouse to negative emotions.

Music and Language

Music often assumed as a universal language. Singing and dancing help body and mind work together, therefore, music has become one of the syllabus in kindergarten. Children of all ages express themselves through music. They dance and move with music. Many preschool teachers use songs that involve counting and spelling, group singing and learning on the vocabulary as well. They sing repeatedly each day which will encourages speech and memorization. Most children would enjoy nursery rhymes and songs on daily activities like greeting, wash hand, keep toys and etc.

Music Movement and Coordination

Music and movement bring benefit for preschool years. It helps develop all areas of domains that include participation, gross and fine motor, social-emotion, intellectual, language, and reasoning skills. These are the examples of music and movement activities:

• Dance with music – This activity is benefiting such as the cross lateral movement, it is also known as crossing midline. It is about the balancing on the both sides of the body and involve coordinated movement of the body with the arms and legs. For instance: touches right elbow to left knee and left elbow to right knee.

• Group singing – This activity helps to improve their listening skills and develop self-esteem. The children will show confident when performing in front of the people. For instance: Choir with some actions when singing

• Playing instruments in group – This activity is to encourage the children to take part in music and to promote their creativity. It also encourages further group learning and social skills such as turn-taking and the cooperation. For instance: Percussion ensemble.

Music and Creativity

Music is to be seen as right brain activity. It direct the left side of the body to perform the tasks that have to do with creativity and the arts. The right brain is usually considered subjective and creative hemisphere. There are few activities that can stimulate the right brain:

• Playing an instrument

• Listening to music

• Music performance

• Drawing

• Sketching

• Hobby such as knitting, quilting, crocheting, sewing and etc

• Meditation

It is obvious music plays an important role not only our life but also on early childhood. Without music, life will not be amused and excited to live on.

“Music is the electrical soil in which the spirit lives, thinks and invents” - by Ludwig Van Beethoven.