{Guest Post by Jesse Lewis, Music Producer, and Sound Director, at TA-DA! Language Productions}
Sound and music is a point of entry for the next generation. Just like food and diverse books, music carries language and culture for kids.
So, I noticed that when music comes on, she stops everything and stares far away.
That thousand-yard stare is usually one I see in our 4-month-old right before the diaper… uh, right before he looks at me and grins…
But for my daughter, almost four years old, this beam tells me she’s experiencing something I can’t see, a complete and vivid scene in her imagination. She is hearing, learning, and internalizing as she listens in delight to EVERYTHING she hears.
So, I had to know – What makes music and stories so mesmerizing and memorable to our littlest learners?
What if music could be used to show our kids sounds of language and music from other places? Could just listening to music plant seeds of awareness and empathy, and give them comfort with people from other cultures and places they haven’t even met? Is there a way to activate a mind’s eye in young kids for a better future, while they listen in delight?
Whoa, I thought… this… could CHANGE the world.
Music gets Kids Going
Music gets kids going, truly, at the core. Much of your child’s biology is rhythmic for instance – the heart, the lungs, their stride, their speech all have a rhythm; so, rhythm is satisfying. When they hear a beat, their bodies can’t help but fall into sync. Take a look at this incredible video by Dr. Laurel Trainor if you need help being convinced:
Music Carries Language and Culture for Kids
All music comes from someplace and brings with it the vibe, the culture, and the language. Every culture has a sound; each place its own music, soundscapes, and (needless to say!) language. And the earlier kids hear something, the deeper that memory sets in, and the more readily they’ll recall that information or perspective in the future.
Sound and music is a point of entry for kids – Just like food, a new place, a new language, a person who looks a little different. When young children build familiarity with our diversity, they’ll be more open when they’re older.
From the Grammys to the Kids
I’ve been in music all my life, and never have I found so much purpose as I have in bringing music to kids. We can give the gift of music—and all of the learning benefits, cultural context, language, empathy, math, and science—from the moment they emerge from the womb! I have 4 Grammy Awards and produce commercial albums for some of the most wonderful artists in the world, but now, for me, I cannot think of a more potent use of energy and passion than to turn my focus to kids.
About TA-DA! Language Productions
TA-DA! makes language and culture fun for kids, by weaving it into stories, music, and games.
Our first sound books come out in April (Language Adventures Series) and August (Children’s Talking Dictionary). Kids will learn and grow while they have oodles of fun. My co-founder, Michelle Glorieux, is a quick, smart, fun mom of a trilingual kid, and a globetrotting language teacher currently living in Europe. I’m a cellist and music producer; my wife, Megumi, is an inspiring professional violinist; and we are raising two little bilingual kids in Boston, Massachusetts.
Our whole team is driven by the dream that an entire generation of kids can grow up entirely more nourished, more empathetic, more playful, and better equipped to tackle their futures. Everything we do, we do for our kids, and that’s what TA-DA! is built on.
