Growing up by the water, it was inconceivable to me that other kids did not have beaches and boats as their playgrounds. I guess we learned our way around the water just as kids from the city learned their way around the streets and subways. We knew to make plans by the tides; to judge wind direction by the breeze on our cheek; and how to tell a big storm was coming. [Read more…]
Fostering Freedom in Music
July 6, 2013 By
It’s the time of year when there is a cluster of patriotic celebrations in this country – Memorial Day, Flag Day and Independence Day, the 4th of July. As a child, I was raised to value and respect the liberty and opportunities available as a citizen of the United States. I tried to pass these beliefs on to my own children while teaching them that these privileges came at a price and a responsibility. The lesson was very close to home, since their father was an officer in the Air Force and was deployed during the first Iraq war. As small children, they experienced the burden of responsibility to freedom when saying goodnight to Dad meant writing him a letter or waiting for a phone call from overseas. [Read more…]
The March Leprechauns, Bunnies, Lambs and Lions Are Here: Making Imagination Flourish through Music
March 10, 2013 By
In my work as an educator and consultant I have plenty of opportunity to visit early childhood centers and schools. Most of my visits are very pleasant, and I get to see some really excellent programs.
This time of year, though, I am always amused to see hung on walls and decorated in projects the lasting vestiges of the March Imaginarium: Leprechauns, Bunnies, Lions and Lambs. How come these symbols and icons have lasted so long? And how come they sometimes become the foundation for educational curriculum? [Read more…]
Love Songs 101: Music and Affection in Early Childhood
February 3, 2013 By
Somehow the round green wreaths on the front doors of houses in my community have morphed into red or pink heart shapes. Even when they are covered with snow, the colors and shapes of these decorations send the message that love is in the air.
I’ve been so lucky as a daughter and a wife and a mother to love and to be loved. I’ve been fortunate also in my work with young children to feel a different kind of love for the little ones and for their families. As a music therapist and an educator I have examined the idea of love and affection and bonding from all different kinds of perspectives – developmental, biological, neurological, behavioral, social and emotional. What this research and clinical experience has shown me is that one of the most important things that can happen for a parent and child making music together is to experience a feeling of love. [Read more…]
Moments of Wonder and Awe in Music
January 11, 2013 By
It’s a wonderful life. It’s the most wonderful time of the year. Star of wonder. Winter wonderland.
So many songs of the holiday season remind us that the world promises moments of awe and amazement and wonder. As you read this, you might be picturing or feeling or reliving one of those moments. One slice of time sticks out for me from this past year. The lights were glowing soft and the room was cozy. My family was bundled together doing what we always do – sing. There is a moment in singing one of our favorite scores when the close, warm harmonies take a sudden enharmonic turn. Each time I sing these same few measures I get a tightness in my chest and a catch in my throat. The beauty of the sound is indescribable and seems to take me to a whole different world. The feeling is one of wonder and one of awe. [Read more…]
Peeling the Onion – An Occasional Series
October 27, 2012 By
Peeling the Onion
One thing that I find most satisfying about music is how it connects the head and the heart – cognition and emotion – without requiring the landing spot of language. That’s one reason why music is so perfect for young children who are just developing speech. Music creates a feeling and thinking space where children can experience deeper and more abstract parts of being human that they might not yet be able to put into words. As music therapists, we know how to create that special space through musical elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm and timbre. As I compose or adapt music for my young ones and their families, I question myself about the meaning of the musical material or lyrics that I choose. How can the experience of being in the music give children a chance to not only make music, but feel and think and question and test and problem solve? What is the deeper meaning in the songs we choose for our children? Why are certain songs so popular? I call this type of examination ‘Peeling the Onion’. In this occasional series, I want to share with you some of the ideas I have about holiday songs and how I try and ‘peel the onion’ of meaning behind our cultural traditions and the music that we choose. There is the outer layer of specific words and concrete objects such as learning the color orange in a pumpkin song. Peel to the next layer and you might find that the song about the winter holidays use words about family or presents. Peel another layer and there might be a deeper shared meaning of love or belonging. I think knowing how to peel the onion when creating music experiences for young children is one way that music therapists are unique in the world of early childhood music. I hope you will share with our Raising Harmony community your thoughts about ‘Peeling the Onion’. [Read more…]
