Music is a universal language. All of us listen to music from different parts of the world. Without a doubt, music unites us. Many studies confirm that it is valuable for women to play music for their babies while they are pregnant, as the first sensory organ with intrauterine development is the ear. Truly, sound is our first connection with the outside world.
As music grabs our attention, it captivates and stimulates our imagination. We also associate our memories, without realising, with music. Have you noticed how certain songs remind you of events in your past, or how a happy tune from a happy memory can influence your mood? Music reduces stress, anxiety, even physical pain, and is capable of improving moods. Scientists claim that there is a direct link between music and our cardiovascular health.
When we play an instrument we further expand on all the benefits music provides: we improve our cognitive and language skills, we understand and work with patience and we develop our gross and fine motor skills. Through music we are continually learning and exercising our brains.
Playing an instrument furthers this brain activity, it helps us to be more methodical, with the ability to plan tasks and focus. It is a means of expression, by which we connect not only with our feelings but also with an empathetic exterior that helps us to take risks, overcome fears, giving us security and self-confidence. It gives us the opportunity to work as a team, whether in an orchestra or in a group, thus improving our practice, discipline and our hearing.
Children experiment with sounds and noise all the time, shouting with joy and expressing themselves loudly just for fun. Perhaps they are not aware of certain melodies when they are younger, but as they grow older they begin to show more attraction and interest in music. It is important that we give them the space to experiment with music, without forcing them, when they begin to be more sensitive to music. This can be done from home, or with the guidance of experienced music teachers working with children.
Learning and studying music has untold benefits, not just for children but for adults too. Learning a new skill helps us to grow our potential, so why not have fun, learn, and channel your emotions through music.
It is a beautiful road that you will never want to leave!
Learn more about how our brains are affected by music here. And how you can keep your brain young! And discover more on the “Mozart effect”, where studying and learning music, has improved students skills in mathematics, and other subjects!
You can play on your phone or tablet, even your computer, with some of the exciting musical experiments by Chrome Music Lab. Chrome Music Lab is, in their own words, “a website that makes learning music more accessible through fun, hands-on experiments”.
Teachers have been using it in their classrooms to explore music with their students. You can make your own songs and sounds with many of the interactive elements of the various “labs”. And if you are a coder you can even build your own to add to the lab. Here is a quick look at some of our favourites.
Make your own Rhythm by choosing and placing different drum effects.
Play and listen to the various oscillations by tapping on the little characters.
Record your voice and speed up and decrease the sounds.
One of the most advanced “experiments” you can make and play your own songs!
Experiment with the Minor and Major chords on this simulation keyboard.
Check out this song created using the Song Maker experiment.
Visit the Chrome Music lab, and let us know which one was your favorite.
A true master of the arts, Prof Sajin is the original founder of Shine Music School in South Africa, Germany and Serbia.
Professor Sajin was one of the principal motivators of the proliferation and development of classical guitar throughout former Yugoslavia during the second half of the twentieth century.
The Barcelona branch of the Shine School of Music was founded by Professor Sajin’s son Milos. It started out as The Shine School of Guitar in 2008 with the primary goal of providing quality guitar education and was the first specialised guitar school in Barcelona to offer Guitar Classes in all styles of guitar with a qualified and experienced guitar teacher in English, Spanish and Catalan.
Because both schools operated on different continents, it was not long before they both began to offer online classes, as a way to connect students in both Europe and Africa with a wider range of teachers. These days, Prof Sajin teaches a wide array of instruments with and spends his time sharing his profound knowledge and experience between the Shine Music School in Johannesburg, South Africa, and the Shine School of Music in Barcelona, Spain.
In 2009, Shine was one of the first music schools in the world to start teaching on Skype and, now with more than 10 years of experience, we have ensured that the medium works smoothly. Currently, teachers at Shine bring music into the homes of students around the world in 23 countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas.
Shine School of Music has been instrumental in modernising teaching methods and promoting the use of telecommunication technologies in the classroom. As Internet speeds have improved and video conferencing technologies became more accessible, it has become ever-easier to communicate over large distances, and the proportion of students choosing to attend music classes online continues to grow.
Over the last few years, private music classes over Skype* have become increasingly commonplace practice here at Shine as an ever-growing number of our students are actively taking advantage of continued music education across large distances with our online music lessons.
Shine School of Music Online offers live online music lessons with qualified and experienced music teachers in guitar, piano, keyboard, bass, ukulele, cello, violin, saxophone, clarinet, flute, singing, accordion, trumpet, trombone and a range of range of other instruments and music subjects.
What could be better than creating your own band with instruments built at home?
Children love noise and creating sounds. Spent time together to create something new and fun. Be creative and learn at the same time!
Build instruments together with your family, start discovering different sounds and how to create them by playing on your new instruments! Now you can make your own songs just by using your imagination and creativity … Hey Presto! You have your own band!
1. Maracas made from old plastic Easter eggs:
Many of us keep plastic eggs from last Easter and don’t know what to do with them. Well here is the perfect way to reuse them! All you and your child should do is collect some seeds, stones or other similar elements that can generate sound (if you don’t have anything on hand you can use coins!). Put them inside the eggs. Tape them to keep them from opening. Decorate them with colored paper or paint. Get some tape to make sure the eggs don’t pop open as you shake them. You can even use the plastic “shells” from Kinder eggs. If you want to be fancy, tape plastic cutlery to the egg to make a handle.
2. Drums made from empty containers:
Search your home for containers ( anything from chips to cereal, even tupperware works), they will be your drums. Making them is very simple: you cover the container with paper and decorate the sides it as you like. Then you must make the skin of the drum. For that choose the material you want. You can experience different sounds depending on what you use: aluminum foil, cloth and plain paper. Wax paper that your mom uses for baking might work really well! Tape this paper over the top of your container. Two pencils can work as your drumsticks. Begin tapping the top of your container and see what sounds your drums make. You can even attach a string and hang your drum around your neck. Make a marching band, and march around you house to the beat of your drum!
3. Guitar made with a shoe box:
To make your own guitar you will only need a shoe box, glue and elastic bands. Cut a round hole in the lid of the shoe box. Glue the lid to the box so it won’t come off. When it dries, stretch the rubber bands across the box. Try it and find out what it sounds like! You can have fun painting and decorating your guitar.
thanks to https://www.parents.com/fun/arts-crafts/kid/craft-guitar/
4. Handmade Shakers / Shakers with pebbles or beans:
Use any cylindrical container: these can be tubes of potato chips, toilet or paper rolls, or empty soda cans. You’re going to need crayons, glue, paper, and dried beans (or any dried seeds, like rice or lentils). Cover the cylinder with the paper, decorate it with crayons as you like. Place the dried beans inside and seal both ends with paper, making sure it is well closed by gluing it on o using tape.Try shaking them! The different seeds on the inside make different sounds!
5. Harmonicas made with combs:
Search your house for hair combs (different colors if possible) and sheets of waxed paper. Fold the paper over the teeth of the comb, making it equal on each side. The side of the paper that has wax should be away from you. Now you can blow on the comb and play your homemade harmonica! The vibrations on the paper make the sound! Try adding some words or humming as you blow to change the sound!
6. Symbols made with kitchen pot lids:
To make these fun and noisy instruments, you must use two pot lids and a little ribbon or thread. You tie the ribbon around the handles of the lids and you will have the dishes ready to use. Use these instruments sparingly and with care! They work well as the final “BANG!” at the end of your song!
7. Mini Lid Banjo:
These little instruments are super easy to make. For each mini banjo you will need a wooden stick (an ice cream stick works well, otherwise cut a similar shape from cardboard), 4 rubber bands (small ones), adhesive tape and glue. Place the four mini elastic bands over the lid and secure it in place with a piece of tape. You can decorate the wooden stick with printed ribbon or paint it. You can use duct tape or industrial masking tape to secure the elastic bands and the “stick” to the lid. Decorate your Banjo handle. Start plucking! What sounds does your banjo make?
Thanks for the inspiration from https://www.thecrafttrain.com/mini-lid-banjos/
It’s awesome for little ones to build their own instruments and to experiment with sounds. These activities are great for developing imagination, creativity, as well as working important motor skills by playing and learning music. Building instruments and playing them is great fun for adults too! Take advantage of time at home to play and learn while making a fun music band! What’s the name of your band?
Musical statues or musical chairs is an excellent game for developing auditory discrimination. Children have to listen carefully to the difference between sound and silence and engage their entire bodies during play. You can play musical statues only with your child, but musical chairs are best played with at least 3 or 4 family members or friends. They both work different motor skills, so you should try them out. Musical statues are great for developing body control and strengthening your body in the “freeze” positions. Musical chairs, on the other hand, teach children to move through things and get a feel for their position in space as they run around trying to find a chair to sit on, without hitting others.
How to play musical statues:
Play music on a CD player or cell phone. While the music plays, everyone dances around the room. One person in charge of the game stops the music every now and then and everyone should freeze in the exact position they were dancing in when the music stopped.
If you move, you are “out”. For young children, it’s a lot of fun to keep freezing without anyone “going out.”
How to Play Musical Chairs:
Place chairs around the room (one for each player). Play music on a CD player or cell phone. As the music plays, everyone dances around the room. Again the person in charge should remove a chair while everyone dances, then they stop the music every now and then and everyone should run and sit in one of the chairs. Whoever did not get to the chair on time is “out”.
Repeat, removing one chair at a time until two people remain and the one who sits first in the remaining chair is the winner
2. Pass the parcel
Traditionally played at birthday parties, this game is not new. Play at home and you will make your children move and listen carefully. It can be played in two (going back and forth), but if there are 3 or more players, you can pass the parcel around from one to the next in a circle formation.
How to play Pass the pack:
Wrap any object in many layers of newspaper or wrapping paper. You could back cookies and wrap them in the center, get the kids to help wrap, or even to help to make the paper by decorating the newspaper with paint beforehand. Make the layers easy to remove. Play music on a CD player or cell phone. The package is passed clockwise (teach your child this word while doing so!) When the music stops, the person holding the package can remove a wrap layer. When the music continues, the packet continues to be passed along, until the music stops again and another layer is removed.
The person who removes the final layer of wrapping to reveal the package is the winner.
Change direction for each new round (clockwise to counterclockwise).
Make sure the package is received with both hands and passed to the next person with both hands (to make sure you cross the middle line, which is a good exercising technique )
3. A little elephant
In this game, you will teach your children to count and understand how numbers increase in value by 1 each time, and will also practice the important ability to balance and walk in a straight line.
These are the lyrics:
A small elephant swinging
step by step on a piece of string.
I thought it was tremendous fun.
(Insert name) called another elephant to come.
Two little elephants …
Three little elephants …
Five little elephants swinging
Step by Step. a piece of string
Then the rope broke and everyone fell. ¡
No more little elephants!
How to Play A Little Elephant:
Put a piece of string on the floor. Start the game by being the first elephant to walk the length of the rope and use your arms to balance yourself. Sing the song together. Choose a child to join the second verse and continue until all the players walk step by step on the rope. For the last verse, the rope breaks and everyone collapses on the floor
4. How many instruments can you hear?
In this game, the objective is to listen and identify different instruments. Your child must have had some exposure to the instruments and recognize the basics. But if not, it’s a fun way to learn about the different instruments.
We have included some videos you can play.
How to play How many instruments?
Play a song on a CD player or cell phone. Any Song with various instruments will do (try the song below or search YouTube for the instrumental version of songs) You and your child each have a piece of paper and you must draw the instruments you hear. At the end of the song, compare drawings and see who heard the most amount of different instruments.
Here is a song you can use to identify various instruments:
5. Match the Sounds
For this activity you will need a variety of basic instruments (or even handmade or improvised instruments). The goal is to listen to the music and try to find the right instruments that match or blend well with the sound. Play a song and use your instruments to play along.
Some examples:
Hitting a triangle (or two pieces of cutlery together) for small, loud sounds. Hitting the drums or a box for a slow deep voice. Bang the cymbals together (or pot lids) for a loud, high sound. Shake or rattle bells or a tambourine for fast music. There are no rules here. Demonstrate a song first by making suggestions about what elements might match the sounds and ask for your child’s input. Then play songs and let your child freely play their choices with music.
6. Draw the music
In this activity, children literally draw music as they listen to it. Provide pieces of paper and pencils or wax crayons and ask your child to draw what he hears.
They could draw:
How the music makes them feel. Draw wavy lines or zig-zags to represent slow, flowing music or fast, choppy music. Draw the rhythms they hear (for example, drawing short and long lines for short and long sounds)
Allow your child to surprise you with the way he interprets and draws music. Draw your own performance at the same time and see how your images differ.
It’s time to put together your own music band!
