I don't know anyone who doesn't like music. Some like some styles and others, others, but almost everyone enjoys music and children, of course, are no less.
It says a well-known phrase that "music tames the beasts", very accurate when it comes to children because the music centers them again when they are nervous in a particular stimulus, because a nanny helps them sleep, because they have fun dancing ...
The fact is that this power of music does not go unnoticed and there are already many centers that use it to help children stimulate or improve their abilities or, if necessary, to help in their development those who for some reason go slower than their peers.
The therapies that are carried out with music as the axis are called music therapy and personally they seem wonderful to me, as does risotherapy as well: can you think of a better way to learn something than having fun?
How can music help a child?
Well, in many ways. For example, a child who pays attention to a particular music or song is already doing something: pay attention. Many children have difficulty focusing on specific activities and many do so for only a few moments. With music as the axis, and from that attention, you can work on other things such as the articulation of words (help you vocalize correctly when you are singing), the construction of phrases (“we will put lyrics to this song”) or Simply (which is not a little), treat complex emotional situations with the joy and fun that music provides.
Why music?
Well, it may be more appropriate to say, why not? As I said above, it is to play music and children are activated, if it is fun and we get them to participate in the moment, or they relax, if our intention is to focus on soft music and breathe deeply and relax .
Anyway, answering the question, music itself (looks like a television show) because it is fun, because children like it, because with it they are uninhibited, because music, more or less beautiful or more or less rhythmic, can make anyone, even children, and so they can work with her and through her.
More examples of music as therapy
The music can be done by one, without the need of anyone else and escape in a certain way from the world, focusing all the attention and motor skills on making what you have in hand. This can help children know their skills, sounds, ability to do new things, develop psychomotor skills (Now I play this key, now this one) ... and music can be done in groups, with other classmates who also make music, sharing time and moments with them, promoting relationship, coordination, understanding with others, etc.
On the other hand, with a little imagination, music can serve to give value or fun to tasks that children must do. For example, if you have to do breathing exercises, you can use an imaginary flute or trumpet to the rhythm of the music that plays (when breathing for breathing in a certain way is extremely boring). Other tasks, such as those involving memorization, we all know, with a song you learn much better.
What can music therapy treat?
Music can be an important axis of action when trying to develop a child's cognitive, social, emotional or motor side. To give some examples, music therapy can treat language delays, maturational delays, emotional problems, behavior, learning, lack of social skills, mental retardation, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome, autism, etc.
But obviously it doesn't have to deal with something concrete, but can be used with any child (and adult), because fun is something that can never be denied to anyone and, if it also serves to stimulate and generate learning, everyone should be able to make use of music if they want.
If I take my son to a music therapy center, what will he do?
The most common thing that is done in a center where music therapy sessions are held is:
- Sing songs, with which you will learn the lyrics of those songs, words, phrases, etc.
- Listen to music to attend, to learn to discriminate sounds, to stimulate or to relax.
- Musical games: directed activities in which some instrument intervenes, with a specific objective and norms.
- Composing songs: to give free rein to imagination and creativity, being able to invent music and lyrics, or changing the lyrics of a known song.
- Improvisation: playing for the simple pleasure of playing, or singing ... inventing and enjoying it.
- Travel with music: use music auditions to move children to other places with their imagination, as if they were entering a story for a moment.
- Play various instruments: alone or in a group, so that they learn their sounds, how they play, different movements and gestures necessary to make them sound, to coordinate with their peers, etc.
And at home can it be done?
Of course. Everything explained can be done at home, so we can set up our own music therapy sessions if we want with our son. We, for example, usually include some instrument when they play gifts. When they are small, percussion is highly recommended, including the xylophone (sorry for your ears) and typical children's keyboards.
With them they can make music and we can be with them sharing time, learning, experiences and doing everything we have commented. You can even take advantage of the Karaoke videos that can be found on the web to invent new lyrics with familiar songs, for example, or just hang out inventing music, as if from a jam session It will be.
