Is your child getting a balanced (musical) diet?
If you are like most parents today, you are concerned about your child’s
nutrition. We make sure they eat a balanced diet representing the basic
food groups, offer them a variety of fruits and vegetables, and limit their
consumption of sugar and junk foods so they grow up healthy and strong.
As parents we are very concerned about what goes into our children’s
mouths. But do we consider what goes into their ears?
Music nourishes your child, too, in a multitude of ways. Numerous studies
have shown the physical health benefits of music. Music can lower blood
pressure, relieve pain, aid digestion, and even reduce the length of time premature infants and
surgical patients stay in the hospital. Music promotes cognitive growth as well. It stimulates
neural pathways associated with higher forms of intelligence, like memory, mathematics, and
language development. Music impacts our emotional health. It lowers stress, provides
catharsis and comfort, and allows people to express feelings and emotion. Because music
transmits cultural values and traditions, it plays a big part in our social health and well-being.
Finally, imagine the spiritual highlights in your family’s life, like Christmas or Easter, without
music. Is there a more profound way to communicate God’s love to your young child than by
singing “Jesus Loves Me”?
Children need a varied and balanced diet. While I risk making some gross generalizations, I like
to think of music in terms of nutrition, and I suggest that there are four primary “music groups.”
PSALMS, HYMNS, AND SPIRITUAL SONGS: SOUL FOOD
The ancients Greeks thought of music as a gift of the gods with divine
qualities. In fact, the word “music” comes from the Greek adjective, “of
the muses (or demi-gods).” According to Plato, “Music is the movement
of sound to reach the soul for the education of its virtue.” Christianizing
the ancients many centuries later, Martin Luther wrote, “Music is no
invention of ours, it is a gift of God . . . Next to the Word of God, the noble
art of music is the greatest treasure in the world.”
Hymns like Amazing Grace and Jesus Christ My Sure Defense, serve two purposes. First, they
communicate God’s message to listeners, and secondly they give voice to our thanks and praise
in response. It’s been said that “he who sings, prays twice.” Hymns are a spiritual dialog.
Singing hymns is also a multi-generational experience, meant for congregational or choral
participation and traditionally accompanied by an organ, keyboard, or other instruments. The
first hymnists were the ancient psalmists, and the earliest Christian hymns come straight from
the New Testament. Christian hymnals today include hymns that date back all the way to the
4th century AD! They also feature the contribution of theologians like Luther and Wesley and
great musicians like J.S. Bach.
The tradition of hymn writing flourishes to this day. While various denominations embrace
different traditions, hymns have withstood the test of time, forming a bridge from the ancient
world of the Israelites to present-day disciples. No formal education is required to sing along
with the congregation. Because they are informed by theology, however, the hymns actually
educate the singer and convey biblical truths. Your baptized child belongs to Jesus—the one
who called himself the “Bread of Life,” and the one who offers “living water.” Sacred music that
communicates this message quite literally nourishes your child’s soul.
FOLK MUSIC: BIRTHDAY CAKE, COMFORT FOOD, AND HOMEMADE COOK’IN
Folk music, or music of the people, has evolved around universal
experiences. For example, mothers around the world sing lullabies
to their babies. Many folk songs have developed around universal
special occasions, like birthdays or new year celebrations. Can you
imagine a candle-lit cake without “Happy Birthday,” or your
champagne toast at midnight without “Auld Lange Syne”? Other
examples of folk music celebrate local traditions: campfire songs at
summer camp, or your home team’s fight song at half time. These
are the songs that everybody knows, though ironically the artists are largely anonymous.
Folk music is primarily an oral/aural tradition, varying from culture to culture. Just as every
region has its local culinary favorites--whether it’s brats in Wisconsin, gumbo in New Orleans, or
stinky tofu in Taiwan—folk music is characterized by local flavors. Songs are often
accompanied by indigenous instruments, often played by amateur musicians who may be selftaught. Such instruments include the harmonica, spoons, dulcimer, and accordion, just to name
a few. Like the hymnody, folk music is multi-generational and intended for audience
participation. The simple melodies are easily learned and easily sung, which may be one reason
young children find folk music so appealing. Without the emphasis on performance, children
are able to participate and make music along with everyone else! While listening to music is
good for children, experts in the field have determined that active, participatory music making
is even more important in their musical development. Folk music is timeless, but like homecooking, it may be endangered in our hectic world. The folk tradition must be preserved like
your grandmother’s recipe for homemade apple pie, or the tradition could be lost.
CLASSICAL MUSIC: GOURMET DELICASIES
Primarily performed on orchestral instruments, classical music is
an art form that showcases the pure aesthetics of music—
beauty, virtuosity, form, style, balance, artistry, etc. Vivaldi’s
Four Seasons. Mozart’s Eine Kleine Nachtmusik. Beethoven’s
Ode to Joy. “Classical Music” is usually divided into distinct eras
(baroque, classical, romantic, modern). Composers with extensive musical education write
classical music that is then performed by professional musicians with extensive musical training.
Listeners prefer to experience classical music live at concerts where audience participation
would be unthinkable. It is music for the elite, and, like escargot or liver pate, is considered by
some to be an “acquired taste.” There are exceptions to this rule, however. As you know, all
good cooking (including gourmet fare) starts with butter . . . and who doesn’t like butter?!
Many studies show that babies and young children prefer classical music because it is pleasant
and harmonious, rather than harsh and dissonant. In fact, many examples of classical music
are universally appealing to all ages for the same reason. But to fully appreciate the art of
classical music, one requires some degree of education and musical literacy. And then its
delights are exquisite indeed!
FAST FOOD: POP MUSIC
How did the world exist without take-out pizza or the local
drive-through burger joint? Just like fast food, pop music is
popular because it is easily accessible and has mass appeal.
Commercial music that originated with the invention of the
radio, it is produced for mass distribution and consumption.
Thanks to the internet it can be distributed as never before.
Consider the phenomenon of Gangnam Style with its billion
views. We truly live in unprecedented times!
While there are countless subcategories, pop music is usually characterized by a lead vocalist
and electronic/digital instruments. A pop artist may or may not have special training.
Regardless, pop music culture revolves around pop “stars,” whose image or personality is
arguably as important as the music itself. Think about the cult of celebrity that surrounds
American Idol or The Voice. The pop music artist uses this genre primarily as a vehicle for selfexpression, while the audience listens to this music for its entertainment value. Ironically, pop
music may be part of the solution to the “Fast Food Nation”—many people, like yours truly,
simply cannot imagine getting through a work-out without it! Some studies indicate that young
children enjoy lively music with upbeat tempos and a strong emphasis on rhythm, which would
explain why some styles of pop music appeal to children.
While there are numerous “niche markets,” pop music lovers are usually defined by their
generation. This is why pop music sounds trendy when it’s new, but quickly sounds dated as
time goes by. Consider the staying power of Milli Vanilli’s “Girl You Know It’s True” from 1988.
(Milli who?) While popular music can be enjoyed communally at concerts or at the gym,
listening to it is most often a solitary, individual experience on your ipod or iphone. (You’ll want
to check the nutritional content of some pop music lyrics before serving it to your small child—
some songs have less than wholesome additives and preservatives.)
BALANCED DIET
Sometimes I am asked if I have a favorite type of music. It’s
easier for me to list the few categories I don’t prefer. (That
would be all of the “metal” subgenres and “easy listening”
from the 70’s. Shudder!) I love variety and I think variety is
good for my children, too. However, I am concerned that
our culture is promoting an imbalanced diet when it comes
to music.
Pop music can encourage physical activities like dancing or aerobic exercise, and for that reason
I think it can be part of a balanced musical diet. (My kids recently had a “disco party” in our
basement after I dug out an old CD, and we seriously had a blast!) But I don’t think that any
one type of music can satisfy all of your child’s developmental needs. I have no doubt that your
child will get all the pop music he or she requires without you having to do a single thing: pop
music is everywhere! But before you blink, your son or daughter will be a tweenager in the
back seat of your minivan, ear buds plugged into the latest device, tuning out the world and lost
in the music of his or her own choosing. Just as we need to be intentional now about
introducing our children to healthy foods so that they develop good eating habits, we need to
be intentional about introducing our children to edifying music that nourishes them as multifaceted human beings.
When I began to seriously investigate early childhood music programs, I was genuinely drawn
to Musikgarten for many reasons. First of all, I think it is so important to give children an
opportunity to make music in a community setting, and I love that families get to take such
high-quality music home. Read through the parent activity book and you will see that listeners
are exposed to a tremendous variety of styles . . . not to mention instruments. Here is just a
partial list: harp, mandolin, orchestra, harmonica, bass, clarinet, spoons, guitar, bells,
vibraphones, accordion, bassoon, celeste, flute, MIDI, folk ensembles, oboe, piccolo-trumpet,
recorder, drum, erhu, children’s choirs, yang qin, dulcimer, jaw harp, gong, fiddle, organ, guiro,
etc. I also highly value musical literacy—the ability to read and understand music on a deep
level—and I think this program sets children on a pathway towards this goal. Finally, I was
immediately drawn to the repertoire. This curriculum is built on a foundation of folk music
from around the world, features classical music throughout every level of the program, and
offers a parallel sacred curriculum for use in a church setting.
Folk music nourishes your child’s social development. Aside from “Happy Birthday” and the
national anthem at the ball park, many children today are missing out on the opportunity to
make music in community. I think back to my childhood. My grandfather was one of the last
actual cowboys. He used to sing cowboy ballads around a campfire on the lonesome prairie
with his fellow cowboys, and he sang them with me when I was small. Now that he’s gone, I
can only faintly remember a few phrases. I remember they were haunting and filled with
poignant emotion. I consider this a great loss.
Although some children’s recordings preserve the lyrics of our folk tradition, a great many
producers have replaced the hurdy-gurdy with the synthesizer. In other words, folk tunes like
“I’ve Been Working on the Railroad” or “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean” are often presented
as pop music for children, featuring a lead-singer backed by digital instruments. Pop
arrangements usually promote performance-driven entertainment rather than group
participation. They may encourage your child to become a consumer or a fan, instead of a
creative musician.
One could argue that classical music is also threatened in our society. Admittedly, learning to
appreciate the classical repertoire or developing the skills to play classical music requires an
investment of time and energy. But the cognitive benefits of studying music as a discipline are
worth the effort. And what child isn’t enriched by beauty and harmony?
Finally, consider the importance of hymns and
spiritual songs in your child’s spiritual
development.
Your child will find that the
experience of singing with other believers in your
congregation becomes a source of strength and
comfort throughout his or her lifetime. My
husband is a pastor, and he sometimes visits
Alzheimer patients. It is striking that when they’ve
forgotten everything else, many of these individuals
will still be able to pray the Lord’s Prayer, recite a favorite Bible verse, or sing a favorite hymn.
Consider adding spiritual songs or hymns to your child’s bedtime routine. Let me assure you
that your child loves to hear you sing, whether or not you think you can carry a tune. Your child
loves you and the very sound of your voice.
--Heidi Fields, 2014