A Great Music Together Moment

One of the most rewarding things about teaching Music Together is seeing a child make a real breakthrough in her growth.

I had a not quite 2-year-old in a class who was very shy about participating in any way. Bella (not her real name) clung to her grandmother most of the time, and didn’t interact much with the other children. Her grandmother wisely kept bringing her to class, realizing that Bella was, in fact, not really shy, but rather preoccupied with observing everything that was going on around her.

Sure enough, the quantum leap came on the last day of the semester. We had just finished “I Had a Little Frog,” when Bella got a very excited look on her face. I could tell something big had dawned on her. Suddenly, she stood up in front of the whole class and recited the chant, all by herself, in perfect rhythm, complete with hand motions! It didn’t seem to bother her in the least that everyone in the room was watching her! She was beaming! Thrilled, her grandmother gave her a big hug. I gave her a big smile, and exclaimed, “Right, Bella!” It was an inspiring moment for the whole class.

Of course, other children may respond differently, but this is one instance which bears witness to the fact that children process music in their minds, even though it may not be visible to us at the time. The longer children are exposed to quality early childhood music instruction, the more they’ll retain, and the more noticeable the end product.