” There is music in everything, if you know how to find it” MUSIC FROM 0 MONTHS TO 3 YEARS

Terry Pratchett

From the first months of life it is important to create a stimulating sound environment, starting with your child a step-by-step path to discover music in its various forms.

Distinguishing the voice of mum, dad and closest family members is already a first form of musical recognition, which then turns into imitation and “lallation” with which the child tries to communicate with the adult.

The interest in everything that produces a sound, from the new musical toy received for the birthday to the sounds of the surrounding environment, induces the child to distinguish pleasant sounds from noises; songs, nursery rhymes and lullabies stimulate the baby to pay attention and play pleasant sounds, while loud noises such as screams or house noises can frighten him and make him cry.

The growth of the child up to the first year of age is in fact characterized by different forms of musical recognition : listening to sounds and trying to imitate and reproduce them with his voice, discovering the difference between spoken and sung, the identification of the body as a musical instrument (just think of the famous song “Beat your hands …”) that leads children to create new rhythms performed with greater precision.

This discovery phase does not require the respect of precise musical rules; the child has to experiment, make mistakes, try again and then find “his” sound , the one he likes best, the same sound that pushes him to do it and do it again several times!

The child must find with music a way to express his emotions, making adults feel as many ; how much curiosity is felt in hearing a child sing a song, perhaps improvised and incomprehensible, while he is playing with his games?

How many laughs do we have to see the clumsy and funny movements he invents by dancing to his favorite song? How much satisfaction do you feel in singing a song together (even if not completely in tune)?

When music is present in daily life, the child learns to sing as well as he learned to speak. And if the passion for music is born in the family, playing together with the voice and the rhythm, the emotional bond is enriched and strengthened .

So… play music at home, sing and dance together, create new melodies by adding the clapping of your hands and feet to your voice, invent objects that can become real musical instruments.