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The Big Stage (Age: 5+)
Five children in the group form a small band, and prepare a short musical piece with the five different instruments. It isn’t about performing a marvell-
ous piece of music, or about “right” and “wrong” playing – it’s about giving the children the experience of presenting something to a group. Praise the
children for their courage, and applaud them with the rest of the group. In this way children can acquire self-confidence, and learn the skill of listening
to others.
The body as an instrument (Age: 4+)
The children can also use their bodies as instruments – this way of making music is called “body percussion”. Let the children clap their hands, snap
their fingers, stamp their feet, etc. Are there other ways of making rhythms without using instruments?
The sounds of nature (Age: 4+)
Make instruments with the children from natural materials. For instance, you can make castanets from corrugated card by sticking two empty walnut-
shell halves on the inner surface. Claves can also be easily made from sticks. In nature, too, there are many sounds to be discovered. Take the children
into the forest and “collect” the sounds of nature. How many different sounds can the children recognise?
Tips for parents
Playing instruments is a great opportunity for children to learn more about the world and gather their own musical experience. Many cities with opera houses
have performances designed especially for children – not too long, and dealing with topics that are of interest to children. Find out whether there are music
programmes in your city that are especially for children, and attend them together. The special atmosphere of a visit to the opera is also a unique experience
for children and one they will remember for a long time to come.
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