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Pursuits and Passions Pursuits and Passion Children and Music Confucius, the renowned Chinese philosopher believed that, “music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without,” and truly, it is impossible to imagine a world without music. Be it classical or pop, Indian or Western, music is an essential part of our lives. Music is a very personal experience, and different people enjoy different genres. However, the beneficial effects of music are universal, regardless of genre or person. Image Courtesy: Harmony Music School, Bangalore Soothing the savage breast: the benefits According to US-based Dr. Ajay helped me through a lot of stressful of music Divakaran, who has a passion for, times.” Music has been shown to be beneficial to and training in, Hindustani music, children in more ways than one. While “Children become more confident Sandra Oberoi, a western classical music the lasting impact of the much-hyped when they learn music. Some time educator with a double degree in Music Mozart effect (which says that listening ago, I started teaching a child with a Education and Vocal Performance, sums to music can improve a child’s IQ) is under speaking disability, and now, thanks it up - “There are numerous benefits question, various studies have shown to music, not only has he overcome that come with learning music. It that learning music may enhance math, his disability, but is also eager to engages both parts of the brain, thus spatial-temporal and verbal abilities perform on stage!” making vital connections between along with improving general intelligence. them. A study showed that high school Music is said to be capable of actually re- Adds Smitha Krishnan, a proficient children’s mathematics skills became wiring the brain’s circuits in a particular violinist (western and Carnatic better if they were enrolled in music way, such that songs linked to new pieces styles) and vocalist (Carnatic) who lessons. Music enhances an individual’s of information can cause the latter to be lives in the US, “Learning music has spatial intelligence. It builds self-esteem imprinted in one’s mind! been the most important thing in my and confidence. Music helps to improve life. Music taught me discipline. It creative thinking, particularly when you Science aside, musicians, experts in taught me that dedication is required are involved in areas such as composing. the field, parents of children who learn for anything and everything I do. It It also helps to improve social skills, music and the children themselves are all has taught me that while giving up especially in choir settings. Aural training in agreement that learning music has may be the easy thing to do, it is not sharpens the mind, allowing an individual many beneficial effects. the right thing to do. Music has also to become more alert and sensitive.” 86 | ParentEdge | May - June 2012 Pursuits and Passions Pursuits and Passion Evidently, music plays a useful role in our lives and, as parents, Building Proficiency you may be interested in exploring if your child can benefit from As the child advances in musical training, naturally enough, the experience. That brings up another, possibly more relevant, demands on time and effort increase, with the student needing question. How do you find out if your child has an inclination to increase the hours of practice he puts in. Anders Ericsson, a towards music? Swedish psychologist, has articulated the popular “10000 hour rule”, which states that a person needs to invest around 10000 hours to gain mastery in his chosen field. Little wonder then that experts and students of music alike underscore the importance of Yous Hendriks, owner of Dutch Touch practice in building proficiency in music. Edutainment and a passionate musician, offers an interesting perspective. In her view, every child has an innate sense of rhythm and music, which can be tapped if he is exposed to music at a young age. For over a decade, Hendriks has been offering “music education” to groups of very young children—infants to six year olds. In her classes instructions are delivered through songs. Children learn to do age-appropriate tasks through music. Hendriks says that through this method, children have a lot of fun; they become expressive and confident while also learning discipline. Music- led group activities also have a positive impact on emotional and social skills. Striking the right notes: is my child musically inclined? Here are some ways to gauge your child’s inclination towards music at an early age: • Children who are musically inclined, may, even at an early age, lean towards tunes, get up and dance, and show a visible bodily response to music • Let children try out music; watch them and see if they gravitate towards any instrument without any external pressure, maybe While initially, daily practice sessions of 15-20 minutes may suffice, teach them a little and observe their response this will need to increase to an hour and later, two hours, as your • Observe if the child has an ear for music — can he reproduce child advances. Traditionally, early morning has been recommended tunes, or identify ragas? as the best time for the daily riyaaz or sadhakam, in order to ‘open up’ the voice. With children having to leave for school early, this Initiating formal training in music may not be always practical. Some teachers suggest that students Once you establish that your child is musically inclined, you will practise at least for 15 minutes in the morning. naturally be anxious to enrol him in formal music training. But what is the appropriate age at which to start formal training? Experts believe that around six or seven years is a good time, as the child will be able to appreciate music or handle an instrument comfortably, although it is alright to start earlier if you can spot definite signs of interest. Proficency = Practice + Passion A very important step in getting your child started off is to identify a good teacher who can lay the right foundation and also nurture your child’s love for music. Parents need to be diligent about this and not be tempted to seek out convenient choices, as the pain of unlearning can be quite high if proper guidance is not provided in the initial stages. May - June 2012 | ParentEdge | 87 Pursuits and Passions Pursuits and Passion Some practitioners of music feel that exams are unnecessary because they are not a real measure of how well a student knows his music and his instrument; rather, they are a measure of how well he knows the syllabus for the exam. However, there are others who feel that exams help inculcate in the learner a wholesome approach to music. Most of the time, the syllabus is well thought through, and it boosts your technique and knowledge substantially as you progress from grade to grade. “Exams play a role in motivating the child. When you are young, sometimes it’s hard to push yourself, but once you commit to exams, you get that desire to do well,” says Barbara Thomas, a pianist and music teacher from Bangalore with over four and a half decades of experience. Oberoi however questions the merit of exams, especially for younger children. “Younger children are especially vulnerable to the exam pressure. Might I ask, is it right to judge the capacity or proficiency of a child based on that one test that she has taken? Examinations more often than not take away the fun aspect of music, and this is especially true with children younger than eight years.” Exposure to music, other than just lessons and practising, is equally important to gain proficiency. Listening to music, attending concerts, reading about music, interacting with peers who are passionate about music and participating in competitions and festivals are some ways to expand your child’s horizons. Today the internet has made available many resources that can be really useful. Music lessons are available online, and online classes (offered through Skype) are becoming increasingly popular. Older children, especially, can make good use of such resources. In addition, many CDs that aim to make classical music child-friendly are also available – ‘Mozart for Children’ (Eclipse Music Group) and ‘Tyagaraja for Children’ (Virgin India) are two such excellent adaptations. The method in the madness: are music exams really necessary? Music exams are highly recommended by some, but dismissed by others. So, what are these exams exactly? And what value do they add? Music exams are just like other exams one can take. They have a syllabus whose content has to be learnt by the student appearing for the exam. You have the option of answering both theory and practical exams, or only practical exams, depending on the genre of music you are studying and the Board you have opted for. Here are the different ‘Boards’ that offer music exams and certifications: • The Trinity College of Music, London (Western Classical) • The Associated Board of Royal School of Music, London (Western Classical) • London College of Music Examinations, London (Western Classical) • Gandharva Mahavidyalaya, India – Hindustani • State Boards offer Carnatic music examinations - Karnataka for example has a three tiered—junior, senior and vidwan— examination syllabus 88 | ParentEdge | May - June 2012 Pursuits and Passions Pursuits and Passion Singing for your supper: making a career out of music Young children (4-10 years) Proficiency in music not only allows you to spend your leisure time • Ensure regular practice (20 minutes a day for beginners) profitably and pleasurably, express yourself and demonstrate your preferably at the same time every day expertise through performances, but also opens up career options • If you have some prior knowledge of music, sit with your child (check out the Cross Roads feature in our November 2011 issue where and practise with him we speak of Music Production and Engineering as a career option).

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