Her songs are simple, repetitive and often interactive, writes Elizabeth Coombes. They encourage children to respond, copy gestures or sing along. For many parents of babies and toddlers, there is one YouTube channel that is a household name. Ms Rachel and her Songs for Littles has attracted...
Why a musical instrument is the perfect gift this Christmas, says Wendy Hargreaves, and some suggestions for which ones you could get. Christmas is the season to be jolly, but it’s wrapped in some cheerless trials. There’s car park mania, pre-dawn pilgrimages to purchase seafood, and...
Timothy McKenry advises that there are many reasons why a child should learn a musical instrument. Not only does it give them the opportunity to make music, a significant body of research points to benefits for cognitive and academic achievement. This is why a current New South...
Indigenous-led songwriting is helping to celebrate cultural knowledge, revitalise language and improve wellbeing in a remote community in the central Kimberley The benefits of music are something many of us understand intuitively. The fact that music can improve health, well-being and community has become increasingly well-documented...
‘Just as important as English or maths’: report researchers Margaret S. Barrett and Katie Zhukov The National Music Teacher Mentoring Program was established by Richard Gill in 2015 and implemented through the Australian Youth Orchestra. The mentoring program uses a simple formula: experienced music specialist teachers (the...
Why do so many schools have cupboards full of musical instruments gathering dust? Dr Alexander Crooke looks for possible answers. Musical participation in schools has been increasingly linked to a range of benefits deemed critical for today’s students. This includes fostering creativity, offering unique ways of...
If you want to fast-track your child’s development, forget CDs, books that beep, and toys that whirr, writes Liam Viney. Play music with them, with the emphasis being on “play”. Forget the Mozart Effect and Baby Einstein, take it easy on acquisitions for your two-year-old’s private...
Australia is considered one of the most multicultural countries in the world, writes Renee Crawford. That's why governments must recognise the importance of an arts-based education However, as globalisation becomes the norm, and we begin to welcome people from countries with vastly different backgrounds, experiences, ideologies,...
Music education isn’t a luxury, writes Leon R de Bruin. It can enhance general learning in many ways. Learning music can increase thinking skills, enrich strategies for learning and creativity, and enhance connections across subjects. We keep discovering more reasons to foreground music education in our...
Nikki Rickard writes about the benefits of music education in enhancing not only children’s intellectual development, but also their emotional wellbeing. As always, parents play a key role in encouraging music engagement in children. Music education gives children the foundations for a lifelong love of music,...
