Intelligent Musical Children

What kind of music is appropriate for my children?

medievaluser — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 04:03:27 +0000

It has been proven over and over that music education greatly improves the child’s development. The benefits of early musical training cannot be disputed.
But there is a big problem: what kind of music is appropriate for children?

For the younger age (2-5), it is obvious that childish simple songs are the best repertoire. Children enjoy it without any difficulty.
But the problem arises with the next stage (5-10), which is the most important for musical development. Here is the core of the matter. Usually teachers enforce their own choice, which most of the time is classical music (Beethoven, Mozart and after). If watched carefully, children don’t seem too enthusiastic about this.

The choice should belong to the child. But unfortunately the child’s taste might be influenced by peers or tv shows in the wrong way.
The wrong way means: for the girls, most disco and rap music pushes them into a too premature understanding of sex; for the boys, most heavy metal transforms them, more or less, into young evil monsters. Some parents may find both situations to be quite funny, but they are not.

Can parents influence their children’s taste?
Unlikely.
Is it ok to enforce a certain type of music over another?
Enforcement – not a good idea, in the long run will have reversed effects.

What types of music we shouldn’t expect a child to enjoy?Let’s eliminate what most children do not like much or not at all: classical music (oops! controversial) and jazz.
What music can we expect the children to enjoy? Pop-rock and pre-classical (baroque). However pop-rock should be selected with much care. Also baroque is nice to listen to, but, for a child, it is difficult to play.

However there is a certain type of music, more appropriate for children, which has been completely neglected: the Medieval music.

Why Medieval?.
In order to understand this, let’s look from a different point of view :”What kind of literature do children enjoy most?” The answer is: FAIRY TALES. The young mind is mesmerized by the magic and the filtered reality provided by these stories.
What kind of music relates best to fairy tales? Obviously, the music of the Medieval and Renaissance age. And there is no better alternative to that.

In conclusion:
- music is very important for child’s development
- children don’t like most of the music they are supposed to learn
- the best choice and most acceptable is the medieval music, related to fairy tales which children love.

Children should learn music. The most appropriate repertoire for them is the medieval songs.
Watch them at play…

Beautiful music for children

medievaluser — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 02:50:33 +0000

Probably this is the first and only children band playing medieval music. Children love fairy tales and it is only natural for them to get familiar with this type of music.

Stefan (9) – violin, recorder, keyboard, trumpet, guitar, drum, xylophone, harmonica, harp
Olga (8) – violin, recorder, keyboard
Cornelia (5) – percussion, keyboard

Their musical abilities have been enhanced by playing with music training software available at http://www.earpower.com

Mon Amy – by Tielman Susato (1510 — 1570)
Watch Stefan performing on all his nine instruments! He is probably the youngest multi-instrumentalist in the world! Guinness Records confirmed it unoficially, but they have no category for this.

Ecco La Primavera, by Francesco Landini (1325-1397)

Tourdion, by Pierre Attaingnant (1494 — 1552)

Mohrentanz – by Tielman Susato (1510 — 1570)

Pavane 13 – Pierre Attaingnant (1494 -1552)

Scarborough Fair – Anonymous (England – about 1600)

Nota – Anonymous (1200)

Rock Music Covers

medievaluser — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 02:43:34 +0000

Love Me Do – Beatles

Changed some of the words, made it more appropriate for a children band and for this era.

Heart Full of Soul – by Graham Gouldman

Talking ’bout You – by Chuck Berry

Ich Will – by Rammstein

Carols

medievaluser — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 02:42:20 +0000

Christmas carol – Anonymous (England – about 1600)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen – a beautiful old carol played and sung by innocent children, in an uncertain world….

Romanian Christmas Song
“Astazi s-a nascut Hristos” – Christ Was Born Today

Compositions made by children

medievaluser — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 01:31:29 +0000

Trumpetto-Z-tion

Stefan’s first trumpet composition. Middle part is improvised. He is 9 years old and started the trumpet 3 weeks ago.

“Mens sana in corpore sano”

medievaluser — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 11:50:38 +0000

Besides music, sport should also be a priority, as part of a good educative strategy. Especially for the homeschooled children. Most of them are not overloaded with schoolwork and still perform very well on the academic level. But what about socialization? (ugly word!) – well, among others, playing on a team is a great solution.

Here is Stefan, a musical prodigy, scoring his 8th goal of the soccer season (he’s also fond of swimming, sword fencing, archery and got a karate red belt). It’s an interesting scene – after long seconds of sluggish play, the goal happens unexpectedly:

And Olga, defending her post:

Some swimming too…