Last week I shared a little regarding this wonderful theme for Music in Our Schools month. It is such a wonderful theme, I wanted to share a few more thoughts.
Our society has become progressively more passive consumers of music. Think about your day – there is often background music in stores and restaurants; people play their music while they perform tasks throughout the day; music is the sound track for commercials, shows and movies. Yet we spend little time as a society actively listen. Many spend even less time creating music. For me the theme “Music Lasts a Lifetime” has more to do with active music listening and creating than with passive listening. As a music therapist, I view my use of music as an active process of being with others within and around the music.
What I observe with children
Children, according to my husband, are sound generators – which in some ways is true. Most infants cry when they are hunger, need changed, or are uncomfortable. But it is much more than that. Babies begin to coo and interact with those around them. Most people when speaking to infants use a higher pitched, slower paced voice. It is interesting to observe lullabies exist across cultures and have similarities in structure. Psychologist Sandra Trehub of the University of Toronto suggests that:
“…music was crucial to both bonding with and soothing babies, as well as allowing mothers to get on with other tasks that boosted survival.” (1)
In my community music groups, I observe many typically developing children around 18 months of age beginning to sing portions of songs during groups. Parents share stories of how their children 18 months through age 5 sing songs from our sessions and create their own words to these tunes. Children in these groups begin engaging in playing instruments, singing and moving to music.
What I observe with older adults
Most of the older adults I have had the pleasure of working with have lived in group settings such as assisted living centers or skilled nursing facilities. Their musical backgrounds are varied. Most report themselves as being consumers of music rather than being instrumentalist or vocalists.
Yet, I observe a majority of residents expressing an interest in and attending music related events within the facility. And, those who attend my music therapy sessions verbalize a lot of joy and satisfaction in being a part of the music making process within the group.
What I observe with the two ages together making music
There is something special that happens when these two generations are brought together in music-based programs. Across a 4-6 week series, I see increasing amounts of conversation between the two generations. Members of both generations will ask about others absent from the group. Older adults seem willing to reach a little higher and play a little longer when the children are present and engaging in a music experience with them than they would without the children present. The children delight in helping distribute and gather equipment to their “grandfriends”. The children look to the “grandfriends” for additional cues and for assistance.
Simple put, the music creates a structure and a space for these two generations to together experience life and have a reason to interact.
What to do with this information
It really is music to last a lifetime. I urge you to support music in your schools, in your community and in your own home. Please share in the comments below how you are supporting or will support music. I’d love to see what area has the greatest interest.
If you are in the area of Hays, Kansas I welcome the opportunity to assist you in developing music therapy programs for these populations. Please contact me for more information. If you live outside the Hays, Kansas area and are interested in similar programs, please visit the American Music Therapy Association and/or Certification Board for Music Therapists sites to find a board certified music therapist in your area.
(1) Balter, Michael “Seeking the Key to Music” SCIENCE Nov. 12, 2004: 1120-1122.
Related articles
- Music for Creativity (music2spark.com)
It is so true that music lasts a lifetime, and I too LOVE seeing how music brings the younger and older generations together. I really think intergenerational music therapy needs to grow!
My 16 month old daughter isn’t singing yet, but I sure am looking forward to that! She definitely bops along with the music, though. Yesterday, she came to an older adult session with me, and all of the group members were very enthusiastic about showing her how to dance and how to play the instruments they were holding.
It is so much fun when a child starts singing! Soon she will be adding her voice to the moves and instrument play with the older adults.
Yes, music is more a consumer item in our culture now. I really advocate the idea of becoming a participant in musical community…even if that means conversation/interaction (not just singing and playing instruments) between generations in a multi-generational class. In fact, the whole premise of my work with families at Musicalia is that families develop a comfort with being participants rather than only being consumers, beginning in babyhood all the way through to teen years.
Tonight I head off to an adult residential facility to play music with a group of residents. They are all in wheelchairs, some are blind, some need communication boards, most really don’t have use of their hands. All are age 40 and older. Last year they requested a participatory music program and so that’s when I became involved.
Some of the older children(ages 8-12) in my classes come to the evening sessions now as well. The families that join us are enjoying how “present” the residents are and they enjoy the experience their children are having becoming comfortable being with people who clearly have enormous physical and/or cognitive challenges.
Recently, the residents were polled and we found out two things.
1 – They love the participatory nature of the sessions. (I bring a car load of percussion and songs they have requested) and we all work together to make sure the residents can “make” music.
2- They love seeing the children. The children hand out the instruments and switch instruments for the residents throughout the session while I’m playing and singing my guitar. The residents almost never have the opportunity to interact with the public and rarely with children. Making music with children brings them great joy.
My challenge right now is to find more children to take part. Families are SO busy now and fitting one more thing into a modern schedule is not easy.
Great post, JoAnn!
The responses you received to your poll sound very familiar to me, Susan. I’m so glad to hear about your experiences with intergenerational groups. Schedules are a challenge. I have decided to continue offering a regular morning group that has multiple weeks in a session. And, I will begin a new group at an area facility where families can sign up for one or more sessions as their schedule allows. Maybe a quarterly special or monthly special might work in your community.
Hi Joanne,
There is no fee for the children! This is not a program for them, it’s a community service opportunity:) maybe I need to think about charging for participation! Thanks…
I’ve always wanted to do an inter generational group. How did you get started?
I am a big proponent of active music making (as all music therapists are, I think) and wish there were more opportunities to do so in our culture. I’ve often wanted to get a group of friends together for some chamber music or sing-a-longs, like in the old days before radios or indoor plumbing were invented, but performance anxiety or being over-scheduled has made it difficult to get this going. I also think we are going to lose some rich culture if we lose some of the old folk songs to things like “I was, like, baby, baby, baby, no!”
I also think that’s why drum circles are so popular–because people get to actually make music rather than just listen.
Love your blog, JoAnn!!
I think I’ll have to answer your first question with a blog post. (Thanks for asking.)
I feel much like you – we are missing something by not gathering as family or neighbors and making impromptu music. I’ll admit there isn’t much time for that at our house either.
For now we’ll support the community drum circles while seeking to cultivate other opportunities.
No one can take a music away from your head.
Andy Dufresne – Shawshank redemption
Beautiful quote!
Hi! Thank you for writing this post. This topic has been very present in my mind the last few days, in honoring the life of my 86 yr old Great Aunt. We were extremely close my entire life and in the past few years, we had the fun of searching out every song she knew and loved throughout her life.
You are so right when you wonder what is happening to the “art of active listening.” My Aunt Gerri would tell me stories of her teenage years, where the preferred means of socializing with friends was standing around the piano and singing songs together.
I consciously choose to not be negative about the way things are now, after all, technology sure is nice, but instead I brainstorm about how to make music-making “social” again in my own sphere’s of influence. Hence, “Sensory-Friendly” Concerts. : )
It is amazing how the past continues to inform the present – including your sensory friendly concerts. What an amazing gift you are sharing with others from this share of Great Aunt Gerri.