Parenting & Guardianship

with Roberta Smart

Making magic with music

“If music be the food of love –play on.” William Shakespeare Nothing fills the heart quite like making music, and these days it can be so easy to learn an instrument and make your own music using online resources.

Kids of all ages will benefit from spending time practising their instrument; creating their own songs on the piano or guitar, singing along to their favourite bands and imitating their idols.

Any form of performance art is great for building resilience, commitment and skills, as well as being enjoyable as a pastime, but long gone are the days of playing boring scales endlessly or practising classical pieces for grading exams.

Find a teacher to suit you and your style

These days you can access amazing tuition online –check out YouTube for an incredible array of music teachers to find one that suits you, your family and your preferred style of music.

Why should the kids have all the fun? If you hanker to learn yourself, there is no better time to start, so why not make it a family affair?

In my house, my partner plays guitar – self taught – with a band, and our son now loves to noodle on the acoustic to relax in the evening. He has even created some rather nice pieces for himself. I, however, am into my second year of studying the piano because I believe in the old adage – you are never too old to learn something new.

There is nothing to beat the joy of playing with others, so getting together with other musicians, attending gigs, festivals, family events and parties and bringing the instruments out is such a great way to bond and feel truly connected to each other – and who knows you may have a future Ed

Sheeran or Taylor Swift in the family!

If your kids love technology they may prefer to explore production and love nothing more than creating music using their laptop, mixing software and recording apps. So much modern music is made in a room at home these days, without anyone even touching an instrument, so there really is no barrier to creating soundscapes that you love, just for yourself if not for the mass market.

Percussion is always a winner for little ones

To start the little ones off, percussion is always a winner; why not treat them to a ‘sound box’ filled with drums, shakers, rattles and bells, and give them the gift of music – I can guarantee you will see smiles for miles.

For the crafters among you, why not make instruments out of household items such as sticks, nuts and seeds, or rice, and decorate as part of your indoor play activities? Making magic with music is so much fun, and you will never regret opening the door to your child and their musical world.