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The Benefits of Family Music Making
By Cristina Filgueira
“When the human being hears music, he has a sense of wellbeing, because these tones harmonise with what he has experienced in the world of his spiritual home.”
– Rudolf Steiner
A quick Google search will show you that there have been a multitude of studies to discover the benefits of music making as a family. These benefits are many, and wide ranging from helping to build relationships to benefitting children’s development.
Children are born musical, and there have even been studies to show that babies can recognise melodies that they heard while they were still in the womb!
At West Coast Steiner School we aim to nurture each child’s musical ability but you as the parent are in the unique position of having a front row seat to your child’s musical development.
Making music as a family has social, emotional and developmental benefits for children.
I have spoken to many parents who are worried that they do not have any musical background and even parents who think that they might somehow impede their children’s musical development if they are not able to sing perfectly in tune. The wonderful news is that research has shown that even the children of parents who are tone deaf and completely unable to sing in tune (which is very, very rare) still receive 80% of the benefits of having their parents make music with them as the children whose parents are able to sing in tune.
One of the ways of encouraging music making as a family in your house is to have a music space.
You can fill this space with instruments, if you have them (for young children a pot and a wooden spoon makes a marvelous drum if rather noisy drum), or it can just be a space where you and your children can meet to sing, dance and play music games. Your music space does not even have to be a specific space in the house. It can be a time, such as a certain time once a week where you gather to make music together.
The commute to and from school is another fantastic opportunity to engage in some music making with your children.
No doubt your children already tell you all about their day as you make your way home with them, but why not ask them what songs they sang that day and if they can teach them to you? Many of the songs that the children are singing at school also incorporate movement, dancing or games, which are probably best saved for the living room or garden at home, rather than the commute. Siblings can teach each other the actions to songs and perform clapping games and dances together with you as well.
If your child is learning an instrument they will find joy in you taking an interest in what they are working on.
Class 2 and Class 3 children will surely love to teach you a song on the recorder or the lyre. Siblings can also help each other with their instruments and practise together, especially if they are in orchestra or choir together.
Your child may not feel confident enough to teach you a song yet, if they are not used to singing on their own. However, you might like to teach your child a favourite song from when you were their age.
If you cannot remember what your favourite childhood songs are perhaps your parents or grandparents can help you out. It might even be a fun family project to find out and learn every family member’s favourite childhood song!
Of course making music does not have to be a big effort and you certainly don’t have to put on a full family production a la The Sound of Music. Sing a song, or listen ton your children sing a song in the car, make up a song or rhyme about ducks during bath time, have a boogie in the kitchen and most importantly have fun with it!
Cristina Filgueira is the Music Teacher and Strings Specialist at West Coast Steiner School and a passionate advocate of family music-making!