Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Introducing music performance to pre-readers




I have a 4-year-old.
She is very interested in the piano.
I find I don't really have the patience necessary to give her any formalized lessons.
I don't know if it is her age, or the fact that she's my daughter.
I have, however, found a way to teach her some songs.
The elder Hug-a-Bug has a little blue xylophone piano.
I am sure that most of you folks out there have one too.
The keys are rainbow colored from purple at the lower octave up through pink at the higher.
I painted some cards with strokes of color corresponding to the keys on the piano and when she plays them in order she can play a song.
I also added pictures of the titles since she doesn't read much yet.
We haven't gotten into note length or rests.
Her musical instincts take over to some extent.
It is really rewarding for both of us when she successfully plays a song.
She is so proud of herself.
She played Mary Had a Little Lamb!
It's also fun to take out the paints together and make some art.
Sorry the color is so bad, the paint faded darker than I anticipated and here on the screen it looks like all the same notes, but I will take a moment to blame little tykes because they have two very similar greens next to one another and that is difficult to paint.
Sleep well,
Jess.

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