What is Music and Movement For Children?

In recent years, Music & Movement classes forexperiential approach to developing musicality and
young children have been all the rage. Yet manymusicianship.
parents do not understand what a music andAs a child listens, moves, sings, plays and interacts
movement class is all about, or what it can do forwith his peers through music, he gains insight into
their children. Many parents confuse it with adifferent musical elements, and foundational musical
traditional music class in which the child learns to playskills. These include a strong sense of beat and
an instrument such as keyboard or violin. Somerhythm, correct pitch sense, musical expressiveness,
believe that Music and Movement classes are aboutunderstanding of musical styles and genres, acuity in
'music appreciation' - a misnomer because, unless onedifferentiating musical nuances, and a passion for
is addressing a specific genre of music to gain deepermusic that would see them through the discipline
insights, appreciating music as an act in itself does notrequired of them when they learn to play an
require attending classes.instruments.
So what is music and movement and its benefits?The constant use and stimulation of the child's five
In a nutshell, a music and movement class uses musicbasic senses not only help the child's physical
as a medium to inspire and encourage children todevelopment, it also facilitates the creative and lateral
experience and participate in the making of musicthinking capabilities. All domains of their development (
through use of the different senses in the body.physical, cognitive, social, emotional, as well as
Hence in a typical class, the child will use his sight,linguistic ) will benefit from participation in such
hearing, vocal chords, brain, and limbs, when he sings,programs, as long as these are well conceived and
reads, dances, listens to sounds, music andtaught by qualified and experienced teachers.
instructions and move to rhythms and beats. It is an