this year, the government announced that it is establishing a ‘youth culture trust’ for school pupils to attend ballet, opera and classical music concerts and broaden their musical experiences. but for children not yet old enough to attend school, what are the best ways for their parents to help develop their enjoyment of music?
the popular uk preschool tv channel, nick jr, has teamed up with one of the uk’s leading developmental music psychologists, keele university’s dr alexandra lamont, to come up with some top tips for parents wishing to actively encourage their under-fives’ burgeoning musical tastes.
1. share your favourite music
reliving your favourite musical experiences and enthusiasm with your child can go a long way. you could tell them the story behind the music, such as where you first heard it, and why you like it. don’t be put off if your child doesn’t seem to appreciate your treasured tunes at first – even adults often don’t like being exposed to new things - so try repeating unfamiliar music a few times to see if they will come to enjoy it.
2. use music from their daily routines
take note of your child’s routines outside the home, for example when they’re at day-care, nursery or being looked after by relatives, and incorporate them into your shared activities. many young children experience a great deal of music at nursery, listening to different kinds of music or singing along to songs. why not make the most of this by singing the same songs on car journeys or playing similar music at home. young children love repetition!
3. notice their musical tastes
be attentive when your child expresses an opinion about music, see how they respond to different tunes - in and outside of the home - and share those situations with them. you could use their favourite nursery rhyme to play a game together or settle down and sing along to their favourite television theme songs.
4. try lots of different musical genres
test out lots of different styles of music until you discover one that your child really responds to. this could mean that they move around a lot to the music or stop moving and listen intently; young children are more likely to stop moving if they experience a new style they haven’t heard before which interests them. don’t feel that you should only play them music aimed at young children – children can enjoy all kinds of music.
5. get physical with music
actively enjoying music means getting active! try playing different musical games involving clapping, dancing, swaying, rocking and changing your actions (and those of your child) when the music changes its mood or speed. sing and dance together to music on the radio, or hold your child on your lap and listen to some soothing music together.
6. make the most of their favourite tunes
start with the familiar as a way of introducing your child to new genres of music. when you know what they like, you can broaden their musical taste by trying things that are closely related. for example, if your child enjoys the theme song to their favourite television programme, listen to the instruments that are used and try to find other kinds of music that also use those instruments.
7. keep going and keep it fun!these are just a few ideas to get you started. all children respond well to music, so keep going until you find a particular kind of music that will get them going or, alternatively, calm them down. do remember that music is something to be enjoyed, so having fun is the most important thing!
joanna o’connell, mum to four-year old jack and charlie, aged three, from gerrards cross in bucks, says, “my sons absolutely love music and they enjoy singing and dancing along. jack loves the theme tunes to his favourite shows, roary the racing car and fifi and the flowertots, whereas charlie prefers the more traditional songs such as ‘the wheels on the bus’. both boys also enjoy singing along to my cds in the car. i’m really keen to encourage their interest in music as i think it benefits their development, and i particularly like the idea of listening to which instruments are used in their favourite music.”
“music is something to be shared at all ages,” says dr lamont. “it really doesn’t matter what kind of music it is, but getting to know music together is a great way of connecting with your children. as well as loving the repetition of their favourite songs and programmes, young children have amazingly diverse musical tastes which you can nurture and encourage”.
今年，政府宣布他们正在建立一个'少年文化吧'为学生参加芭蕾舞，歌剧和古典音乐节，音乐会和拓展他们的音乐认识提供一个平台。但对于那些还没有到上学年龄的儿童来说，什么才是最好的办法来让他们的父母来帮助他们发展他们的音乐爱好呢？
在最受欢迎的英国学龄前电视频道，尼克已经与其中的英国顶尖的音乐发展心理学家，基尔大学的博士亚历山德拉拉蒙特为那些积极培养他们的五岁以下的孩子的新兴的音乐品位提出了一些顶端的秘诀。
1 与他分享您最喜欢的音乐
与您的孩子一起重温您最喜爱的音乐经验和热情是有一个很长的过程的。你可以告诉他们音乐背后的故事。例如当你是在哪里第一次听到它的，你为什 么喜欢它。如果一开始您的孩子并不是那么欣赏您所喜欢的曲调时，您也不要气馁。因为即使是成年人很多时候也不喜欢突然就冒出来的新事物，所以请尽量重复那 他们陌生的音乐，看看他们是否会喜欢它。
2 使用音乐从他们的日常工作
注意您的孩子的日常家庭以外的生活规律，例如当他们在日间护理，托儿所或是由亲属带的时候，同时将其纳入您的共享活动。许多年幼子女在托儿所的时候能接触 到大量的音乐，他们听各种不同的音乐或是跟着一起唱歌。为什么不充分利用这一特征在您的汽车行程中或是在家放同样的音乐呢？年幼的孩子喜欢听重复播放的 歌！
3 注意他们的音乐品味
当您的孩子发表对音乐的意见时，要注意他们面对不同的音乐时在家和不在家的时候的反应并和他们分享这些现象。您可以通过他们最喜爱的童谣来和他们一起玩游戏或一起坐下来和他们一起唱他们最喜爱的电视主题曲。
4 尝试多种不同的音乐风格
尝试各种不同风格的音乐直到您发现一个您的孩子真的有反应一种。这可能意味着他们听过很多音乐之后就停止不再听原来的音乐了。年幼的孩子很可能会因为听到 一种他们从来没有听过的能让他们感兴趣的音乐就停止了转移。不要觉得你只需要给他们放一些儿歌就好可以，其实孩子喜欢听各种各样的音乐。
5 获得物理与音乐
积极欣赏音乐也意味着你会越来越活跃！当音乐变化着情绪或速度时，尝试表演不同的音乐并伴着拍手，舞蹈，摇摆，摇动和改变你的动作（和您的孩子一起）。跟着电台音乐唱歌跳舞，或牵着你孩子的手，并一起听一些舒缓的音乐。
6 作最他们最喜爱的曲调
开始与熟悉的一种方式，介绍您的孩子到新的类型的音乐。当你知道他们喜欢什么，您可以扩阔他们的音乐品味，尝试的东西是密切相关的。例如，如果您的孩子享有的主题曲，以他们最喜爱的电视节目，收听该文书的使用和尝试找出其他类型的音乐也使用这些文书。
7 将它进行到底并保持它的趣味性！
这里有一些观点可以使你轻松开始。所有儿童对音乐的反应都是很灵敏的，所以你要坚持找到一种音乐能使他们动起来或是安静下来。要记得音乐是用来享受的，乐趣是最重要的！
乔安娜，是4岁的杰克和三岁的查理的妈妈，来自雄鹿的gerrards cross，她说： “我的儿子非常喜欢音乐，他们喜欢唱歌和伴着音乐舞蹈。杰克喜欢他很爱看的表演的主题曲，比如：roary the racing car and fifi and the flowertots；而查理则喜欢较为传统的歌曲，如'车轮上车' 。这两个男孩都喜欢跟着我车上cd的歌唱歌。我鼓励他们的音乐兴趣，因为我认为这有利于他们的发展。我也特别喜欢听他们讨论关于他们喜欢的音乐中所用到的 演奏的乐器。
拉蒙特博士说：音乐是所有不同年龄的人都可以共享的。不论是什么样的音乐，只要知道音乐是一种很好的和你孩子沟通是方式就可以了。同时还要进行重复唱他们喜欢的歌曲的工作。你可以培养你的孩子的多样的音乐品位。