ARTS (MUSIC)
3 Ways To Know if Your Child is Music Smart
Renowned psychologist, Howard Gardner, is famous for his “Theory of Multiple Intelligences.” Did you know music is deemed one of the eight multiple intelligences too? In the first part of the Multiple Intelligences series, we will dive into Musical Intelligence.
What is Musical Intelligence?
Musical Intelligence is used to describe individuals who can identify the rhythm, pitch and tone in music easily. They can commit to memory a piece of music just by listening to it several times. They are aware of the patterns in music and how many times each tune or rhythm has been repeated, facilitating their ability to play long compositions without referring to the score. Often, individuals with Musical Intelligence can be seen to react very quickly to music, by dancing or tapping their foot.
Is my child “Music Smart?”
Here are some ways for you to identify if your child is musically inclined.
01
Children with strong musical intelligence have very sharp hearing. You can use the following methods to identify if they are indeed “music smart”. Play the correct version of a tune. Next, play the incorrect version. “Music smart” children can identify which segment is incorrect. Parents can get children to replicate the correct tune; they usually execute this confidently, with some even mimicking the sound of the instrument. Another strategy is to play music in a noisy environment
where there is a lot of auditory clutter. When the music ends, parents can pose questions like, “What instrument was playing in the background”, “Can you hum the tune you heard?”
02
Music is an emotional outlet for “music smart” children. Observe what your children do when they are emotionally overwhelmed. Do they throw tantrums, hop around in excitement or dabble in music? Musically intelligent children use music to express themselves emotionally and the music they make or hear can be associated with how they are feeling. For instance, when they feel despondent, they will hear or play slow music that evokes a distinct feeling of sadness. Whereas, when they are in high-spirits, parents will catch sight of children listening or playing music with a fast tempo. This is one of the major indicators. Musically intelligent perceive music as their emotional crutch; they depend greatly on it and some parents may even say they obsess over it.
03
Another feature of “music smart” children is their ability to play instruments without proper training. They have a keen sense of rhythm and can read notes without formal instruction. When making music with other individuals, they can harmonize and play in unison. Children deemed to be musically inclined are zealous about music. They are fascinated with significant and influential musicians and show great commitment towards practicing. Often, parents may hear them playing tunes that are unheard of. They use their knowledge about music to compose refreshing tunes. They find joy in doing so and will perfect it, until it meets their expectations.
WHAT CAN I DO TO HELP
MY CHILD BECOME
“MUSIC SMART”?
Parents, please do not panic if your children do not possess the above characteristics. You play a very important role in your children’s musical education and the first thing you need to change is your mindset towards music. Research suggests that parents who hold a great interest in music are the ones who provide their children with a music-rich environment. On the contrary, parents with little interest in music rarely introduce or play music at home.
You do not need to buy impressive and expensive musical instruments to foster your children’s interest in music. For toddlers, you can play repetitive songs such as, Mary Had a Little Lamb or Old MacDonald. When your toddlers are familiar, you can change up the animals in the rhymes or place some pots and pans for them to tap, to reproduce the rhythm.
As for preschoolers, majority of them enjoy singing. They are experimenting with their vocals and will play around with the pitch of their voices. Parents can use either music with strong beats or those with actions incorporated it. Examples are, “Tooty Ta”, “Hot Potatoes” and “Hot Cross Buns”.
There are many ways to help your children grow into individuals who are musically inclined. Some children might not enjoy playing a musical instrument. They might be more fascinated with going to the theatre to watch how others perform and interact with their instruments. There is no one-size-fits-all approach when it comes to music. Explore and provide a multitude of musical experiences for your child. When children grow to love music, they will naturally want to learn more about it.