From “Songs in their heads” by Patricia Sheehan Campbell
“The musical education of a child should begin nine months before the birth of his mother” Zoltán Kodály
BABY TALK •Higher
pitch •Elongated vowels •Shorter phrases
In “THE SINGING NEANDERTHALS” - Steven Mithen suggests that we speak to pets in a similar manner . He quotes the research of Dennis Burnham from the University of Western Sydney who explored the way we talk to infants (IDS), pets (PDS and adults ADS and found the following:
PITCH – IDS and PDS same – both higher than ADS AFFECT – IDS higher than PDS but both higher then ADS VOWELS – IDS exaggerated but in PDS and ADS the same
“Children probably pick up the pitch range from the voices they hear around them. The noise of the mother’s voice comes through very loudly during pregnancy” Diana Deutsch (taken from The Biology of ... Perfect pitch . Discover Science, Technology and The Future )
RACHEL ARNTSON – ROCK ‘N’ ROLL and SPEECH THERAPY suggests that : Singing in “chains of three” is a very effective way to encourage speech eg. ROLL ROLL ROLL ...... ROLL THE BALL (beginning of Rock around the clock)
What criteria should be used when choosing songs for young children?
SIMPLE RHYTHMS as children use spontaneously
SIMPLE WORDS Which are easy to remember – perhaps use repetition
Opportunities for movement – Music and movement are very closely linked
Have no difficult melodic turns
Have repetition in the melody – not a different melodic motive for every phrase
ONE SYLLABLE ONE SOUND!
BE IN A LIMITED RANGE FOR YOUNG VOICES (a sixth on average for a 3 – 4 year old D – B)
Where should I pitch the song for young children – in a higher voice or a lower voice – does it matter?
Head Voice is physiologically safe – there is no strain on vocal organs Sound is musical – a beautiful clear, unforced sound
The child voice is a delicate instrument. It ought not to be played upon by every blacksmith� “
From The Child Voice in Singing by Francis E Howard
What are the benefits?
Development of musical skills through experience initially:
•PITCH •PULSE •RHYTHM •PHRASING •DYNAMICS •TEMPO •TIMBRE
Holistic development of children through singing. Benefits include:
•Memory •Listening Skills •Positive behaviour •Speech and Language •Cooperation •Coordination •Self esteem •Emotionally uplifting •Sense of belonging •Health benefits – singing is a physical workout!
Music instructor Elizabeth Olson as part of her master’s thesis suggest that it’s not only students’ test scores that can benefit from extra time spent in the music classroom: students’ behaviour and self-esteem can improve as well with as little as 30 additional minutes of Kodály music instruction a week.......
MUSIC PREPARES BRAINS FOR LEARNING: The University of California did a study which found that 2nd graders who were given singing lessons scored 27% higher on a test of fractions and proportional math than their peers who were not given musical instruction
Scientists at the University of Frankfurt in Germany tested the blood of people who sang in a professional choir in the city before and after a 60 minute rehearsal of Mozart Requiem. They found that concentrations of immunoglobin A – proteins in the immune system which function as antibodies – and hydrocortisone, an anti-stress hormone, increased significantly during the rehearsal. A week later, when they asked members of the choir to listen to a recording of the Requiem without singing, they found the composition of their blood did not change. (US Journal of Behavioural Medicine)
Dr Lorna Heyge states: “While educational leaders turn to early childhood music because it promotes brain development, children will stay with music because of the joy and stimulation experienced in actual music making. Music learning requires total involvement – that is why it appeals so much to young children”
Every child deserves the right to experience the joy of good quality singing. “only the best is good enough for children” ....Kodály
Every child should waken up with Songs in their Heads