What are the advantages and disadvantages of a musical education ...

musical activities in which the children took part helped to build confidence, creativity, and
concentration. The ages of the children ranged from three to six but even the youngest of
children were able to pick up the songs and join in with the rhythm exercises.
Throughout the event there were often occasions where the children had to share the
instruments with one another and as the day went on it was evident that the children became
more willing to share and help one another. At the start of the event there were fears that the
children would lack focus and become easily distracted, but this wasn’t the case. The children
seemed enchanted and excited to get involved with the activities. Even the children that
seemed unwilling to join in at the start soon felt comfortable and were then able to get
involved. Once the children had been introduced to all the different and fun aspects of music
they became inquisitive and eager to learn more.
The experiment was extremely informative and eye opening. The musical activities helped
the children to become more confident, they were able to work well with others, and listen
and respond to the music while at the same time having fun. At the end of the event parents
were able to buy the different musical storybooks and CDs so that their children could
continue learning and having fun with music at home. The response was overwhelming with
every single parent purchasing the merchandise. This proved that if music can be made fun
and accessible for all families then parents would be willing to introduce their children to
music. Music events such as these can have a positive effect not only on the children but also
on the parents as it gives them an opportunity to see how well their young children respond
and learn through music.
Disadvantages
A frequently asked question surrounding music for babies is - what type of music should I
play to my baby? There are many different opinions surrounding this subject. People agree
that it is important to choose stimulating and positive music for children to listen to, but what
people regard as the right music is then what causes a conflict of ideas. Many people believe
that music written by well renowned classical composers such as Mozart is best, but Raimond
Lap, creator of ‘Lovely Baby’, believes that this isn’t always the case. ‘Contrary to what most
people believe, you should not play classical music for babies, as it was originally intended
for grownups. Most recordings are too fast and too intense to be absorbed by a baby in a
good way. However, by changing the orchestration and tempo, classical music can be
successfully adapted for babies, offering wonderful benefits’ (Lap, 2002). In an article written
by S. Jhoanna Robledo she interviews Rosalie Pratt, a professor of music medicine at
Brigham Young University, who argues that you should let young children listen to whatever
they like and that you should experiment with several different styles of music.
Music Education in Regard to Children CM6002 Emily McGregor 163930
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