Kids THE MAGIC OF MUSIC
Mid Kent Living’s Dawn Kingsford has been listening to the growing band of supporters singing the praises of music as a way to educate our kids...
Recent research shows that handing your child an instrument at an early age can help parents hit the right note when it comes to orchestrating their healthy development. Music to the ears of many youngsters,
as playing an instrument also gives them a great chance to be creative, make friends, and socialise. Learning to play a musical instrument
uses all the senses, exercising regions of the brain associated with auditory and motor skills, which benefits other cognitive and behavioural tasks. A Kent-based maker of tin whistles,
used by many as an introduction to music, is based at Five Oak Green, near Paddock Wood. Clarke Tinwhistle’s Sasha Davison agrees: “The earlier a child starts to learn to play an instrument, the larger the changes in their brain will be. Even short periods of learning have been found to have a lasting effect, with people who played a musical instrument for between four and 14 years benefiting from faster
Join a choir Kent Music has music centres at Ashford, Gravesham, Sheppey, Maidstone, Medway, Rochester, Romney Marsh, Sevenoaks, Thanet, Tonbridge, Tunbridge Wells and Whitstable, hosting weekly ensembles for pre- school children, and individual tuition for all ages. The centres run for three terms of 10 or 11 weeks, concluding with a concert.
Try out band camp Apply for a place at this year’s Summer School, where more than 1,000 youngsters will share supervised meals, accommodation and music classes at Benenden School in Cranbrook. Sessions are
responses to speech and other sounds later in life.” It is possible for
children to start playing an instrument from as young as two, particularly simple woodwind instruments, and there are many options made specifically for small hands. Sasha adds: “Studies have found that
children who play an instrument find it easier to read symbols and have a greater awareness of phonological structure than those who don’t - both of which can enhance reading skills. They are also likely to have more precise motor skills, find it easier to remember and recall facts, and have strong
STRIKE UP THE BAND WITH KENT MUSIC
suitable for all talents and take in everything from jazz to rock. This year’s summer school runs from July 13-31.
Perform your own music Youngsters get a chance to write and perform their own music with Orchestra One. All are welcome, without audition, and taking part is free. Orchestra One courses are generally held three times a year.
Play along with FRED Join a Fun Recorder Ensemble Day (FRED) at Rochester Grammar School on Friday,
February 17. Open to anyone, eight to 18, who can play at least three notes.
Hire an instrument Why not hire an instrument first, to see how you get on? Various string, woodwind and brass instruments are available at competitive rates from Kent Music. For details of any of the Kent Music courses and services visit
www.kent-music.com.
improvisation skills, due to functional and structural brain changes associated with learning to play music.” In addition to academic benefits, by joining a band, music group, or taking lessons, children will meet other creative individuals, and can improve their team-building and leadership skills – as well as having fun. For more on tin whistles visit
www.clarketinwhistle.com.
SECOND LANGUAGE
Teachers from Kent were told at a recent seminar that music can be used as a “proxy language” to aid expression, particularly among those with special needs. The Breaking the
Bubble seminar, attended by music lecturers from some of the UK’s top universities, explained how music makes sense to youngsters, brings consistency to a complicated world and is perfect for generating interaction, humour and empathy where words fail.
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