It’s the beginning of the year, and music is a great way to
start the year.
Music can be a lifelong joy. And that joy can begin early
in life. Tomoko knows.
Her father had played the violin in his youth, and her mother
sang hymns as she cleaned the house. Her family had a record player, and listened
to classical music. Tomoko liked listening to music on the radio too.
Singing songs
was part of the Japanese educational curriculum when Tomoko was growing up.
There were textbooks all public and private schools had with songs for
schoolchildren for each elementary grade. The government wanted to make sure
everyone had a music education. Tomoko recalls: “When I was in grades 7-12 at Ferris Academy we
had mass every morning and had to sing, of course. I enjoyed the singing, and
all the students knew how to sing well.”
It’s never to
early to begin the love of music in a child. Mothers and fathers can sing to
their babies. Lullabies are very soothing, but folk songs and even modern songs
can be pleasant to hear; the main point is for the singer to enjoy sharing the
song. There are many nursery songs that children can learn, and when the family
sings together it is special. Tomoko says, “It’s a good way to communicate.”
Play music in
the home, be it on the radio, on a DVD, or on the computer. Music is not only an esthetic experience; it is also educational. Listening to music
helps children learn the concept of rhythm, which helps them learn language
too. Having a musical instrument is
wonderful because children can see how music can be created, and explore the
instrument’s physicality. Music and science go hand in hard.
There are so
many ways to bring music and harmony into people’s lives. Begin now!
