Music certainly invades every aspect of all our lives, from enjoying our favourite tunes to advert jingles and the rhythm and hum of our noisy world. Most parents would agree that music is a “good thing” or they wouldn’t attend music classes and encourage their offspring to take up an instrument or join the school choir. There is an abundance of scientific evidence to prove its many benefits and in 1997 a huge research project proved that parent and child musical activities help children’s mental and physical development. In particular, children exposed to live music made faster progress in speech, hand-eye co-ordination, visual tracking, facial mirroring and general motor co-ordination.

Memory and Maths

Scientists believe that music positively affects the way the brain grows, develops and organises itself. Music is an invaluable memory aid as we can remember more information if put to music. How many of us can remember a song, musical ditty or rhyme we learned at school far easier than a piece of prose? Making music is also an invaluable tool in early mathematical learning. You can help by counting in the beats before starting a song or singing nursery counting songs with your child. Later on, when a child learns to read music it has to assimilate rhythm patterns containing much more sophisticated mathematical information.

Rhythm and Co-ordination

Physical movements are only controllable with a sense of inner pulse. Babies are born with many rhythm mechanisms in place. There probably is not a baby on the planet who won’t kick their legs and arms in time to a simple strong beat. As soon as they can grasp, give them something to hold that makes a sound. Encouraging your baby to move to music and rhythm really helps to advance physical dexterity and motor co-ordination. So sway, bounce, clap and boogie with your baby whenever you can and next time they bash on the table with their spoon, get some saucepans out and join in. Help your child with the actions to simple songs until they are about one year old. Then they begin to prefer to mirror what you are doing so face your child and do simple action songs.

Well-Being

Music has immense power to stimulate, calm and evoke the strongest of emotions. Studies of “special care” babies show dramatic improvement when music is played to them in hospital. We all know the wonderful calming effects of lullabies, but did you also know that this is because music stimulates the production of melatonin, the hormone that helps us sleep? Exposure to live music can also stimulate production of the ‘feel-good’ chemicals - endorphins while reducing stress hormones such as cortisol. So singing makes you feel good too!

Confidence and Self-Expression

Group music classes are a great way for you and your baby to make music, learn new songs and encourage social interaction like listening, sharing and taking part. They also help to build your child’s confidence and ability to express themselves. The benefits are even greater if they are well-written, good quality with live (rather than taped) music, and if you actively participate by singing, doing the actions and showing that you are enjoying yourself too! Your little one won’t mind if you are out of tune, or if you forget the words, but they really will love and benefit from all those special musical moments.

Written for us by Annie Houseago of Tin Pan Annie Music - London’s leading pre-school music company. For classes, parties, shows, C.Ds and more please contact 020 8670 0644 www.tinpanannie.co.uk