When my son was around age seven, he was interested in tennis so I dutifully signed him up after several failed attempts at other sports. You know what it's like as a parent looking around for something your child will love and thrive in. Maybe even enjoy for a lifetime. So I was hoping tennis would "take." The price for a set of classes for homeschooled students was really a bargain so I didn't think I had much to lose even though it was a bit of a drive.
Long story short, it did take. And in a remarkable way that I remember long after the fact. I recall his teacher's words as if they were spoken yesterday. "Your son learns best by watching." I think he was hoping to inspire me to pick up a racket. Oh well, if wishes were horses...
Fast forward to today, July 21, 2022 and a news story about a seven year old boy who saved a friend's life in the school cafeteria using the Heimlich maneuver. He saw his friend choking, and just jumped into action. Asked later where he learned how to do that, his answer surprised me, and then I found myself nodding my head. He revealed he had seen this life-saving technique on TV. There you have it. He learned it merely from watching someone else do it.
But that really isn't so "merely" is it. Young children are wired with powers of observation that we can scarcely imagine. Think about what your children are learning from you, and from others in Music Together® class. What takes place in a loving, nurturing, fun, and exciting 45 minutes with loved ones and friends packs in all kinds of learning including social and behavioral development, language development, mathematical thinking and more. And that list didn't even mention musical sensitivity leading to what we in Music Together term, basic music competence. Music Together teachers consciously model accurate beat, pitch, and a myriad of musical concepts in every song we sing together with families. When our guidance is enthusiastically followed by parents and caregivers alike, it creates a magical atmosphere that enriches all our lives in countless meaningful ways.
My son started out in Music Together classes with Ms. Karen. Her classes were truly the highlight of our week. Mine, my husband's, and our son's. If you want to instill a love of music and the arts in your children, you can do no better than to fully engage in class with your child. It's not just a music class, it's family bonding time, community building time. It's so much more than enriching, but it is certainly that, as well as a gift that will stick with your family throughout a lifetime together.