I was in the middle of a drum lesson with a 5 year old, and he mentioned he can sing all the lyrics to “Uptown Funk” by Bruno Mars. I went with it, and we had an impromptu jam. I played drums as the student sang the whole song word-for-word, he even reminded me, “this is where the drums stop!” I was blown away. I asked him how he knew that, and he said, "I listen to that song everyday."
This made think of how little things we do with children can have a big impact. Something as simple as asking questions while listening to music in the car: “do you hear the drums? What sound do they make? Let’s clap to the beat! Read on to find out more ways you can teach your child musical skills even if you never studied music
(If you have limited music skills and want to actively help your child with music practice, try these simple questions to help your kids with music practice)
Participation
Teach your kids the elements of music: rhythm, melody, form etc. without instruments. Singing, dancing, and actively listening and engaging with music is tremendously beneficial to them and will put them many steps ahead if you decide to enroll your child in lessons. I would also recommend letting them watch high quality musical children’s programming (Raffi, The Wiggles, etc ) available on Youtube that will get your child engaged with music. The music they make is designed to grab and engage with children on a level they can comprehend
Experimentation
Another great thing you can do is provide musical environments for your child. Get them musical toys and encourage musical behavior. Show them the basics of how to strike a drum or press a piano key and let their curiosity take over. Ask if they want to make song, and engage with them by playing musical games. Give positive feedback and praise them for their effort to promote continued interest in music making. Letting your child play with musical instruments will give them confidence to be musical and to share their music when they get older.
Lead by Example
If you never learned music, consider learning an instrument yourself! Learn to play a hand drum, or tease out some tunes on a piano or guitar - it is actually easier than you think. Or, if someone in your family, or a neighbor, plays an instrument, have them play with your child. This will teach your child to make music as an ensemble with other people. Also, the experience will teach them that other musicians have unique musical personalities and train their ability to listen deeply.
One of the most helpful things you can do as a parent (ESPECIALLY helpful for non-musical parents) is to participate with your child, or have them participate with you, in singing and dancing. Your music making does not have to be expert in any way. This is merely to encourage curiosity in music and musical expression. NOT A SINGLE PERSON in my entire family played any musical instruments, but my parents and older cousins loved to listen to and sing along with their favorite songs. I am convinced that it was this regular exposure to music and musical participation that primed me for understanding and connecting with music on a deeper level.
Conclusion
Let yourself be an active participant in music and encourage your child to do the same! Be a model music fan for them. Doing so will make it more likely that your child will develop a deeper interest in music and be more motivated to learn an instrument. Put them in musical environments as often as possible. Provide them with musical toys, and consider letting them watch video clips of children’s programming that features music and musical activities.
Has your child shown spontaneous musical ability or interest? How are you sparking their interest in music? Let us know how you nurtured an interest in music for your children in the comments, or let me directly - find my email at the bottom of the page.
BONUS
Here are some inexpensive high quality percussion instruments designed for children.
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