RAISING A

YOUNG MUSICIAN

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO HELPING YOUR KIDS

LEARN, LOVE & PLAY MUSIC

BY ROB & SAM YOUNG

PRODIGIES.COM
WELCOME

Welcome to Raising a Young Musician

Welcome to Raising a Young Musician, the ultimate-yet-concise
guide to giving your kids a musically well-rounded childhood.

My name is Rob Young, aka Mr. Rob. I am a drummer, a long time

music teacher, a dad of two little girls, an amateur surfer and the
host and creator of the Prodigies music program.

In this guide, you will....

• Learn the fundamentals of music (notes names, pitch and rhythm)
• Discover how brain based vocab can help develop memorized pitch
• Discover the unique musical advantage that young children possess
• Understand the trajectory of young musicians from birth to 12
• Understand how to make the most of each stage of development
• Unlock tools and tips for getting kids to sing in tune
• Unlock tools and techniques for teaching kids rhythm
• Learn the guiding principles behind the Prodigies music program
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1
WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR KIDS
Pretty much everything...right?

2
WHY A MUSIC EDUCATION?
Shower your kids with cognitive, social & emotional benefits

3
THE ABCS OF MUSIC
Learning music with colors, solfege, hand-signs and numbers

4
EARLY EXPOSURE TO PITCH
A simple secret for creating more musically inclined kiddos

5
INFANTS & TODDLERS (AGES 0-2)
Start 'em young and you'll see a little go a long way

6
PRESCHOOLERS (AGES 3-6)
Scoot over ABC -- Do Re Mi is in the house!

7
SCHOOL AGE CHILDREN (AGES 7-12)
More difficult songs, instruments & private lessons

8
ROUTINES & RESOURCES
Ain't nobody got the time...except maybe you do!

9
TOP 5 INSTRUMENTS FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS
Comparing our favorite instruments for kids

10
OUR MISSION AT PRODIGIES.COM
Final thoughts, next steps and takeaways
WHAT WE WANT FOR OUR KIDS

When I first wrote this book some seven years ago, I was proud of the
research & ideas that went into it. Back then, I was teaching and performing
music all day everyday, and I had a pretty good grasp on how to help parents
and teachers raise young musicians.

But even as I wrote the first edition years ago, I knew I was missing an epic
piece of the puzzle. My own kids! Since becoming a dad, I'm learning new
things every day!

Which is why now, in throws of raising two beautiful girls, I'm pulling my head
out of the parenthood sand to revise what I believe raising a young musician
is really all about.

This time around, I'm armed with the sheer exhaustion of being a super
present dad who works from home. I've learned a lot about trying to teach our
own kids music and what it means to marry the reality of parenthood with my
dreams for an ideal musical upbringing. I've learned more, changed my
priorities and maybe more than anything, I understand just how demanding
being a parent is.

Lil summed up my thoughts quite nicely when she said... "Phew...I'm

exhausting."

Yea kid...you sure are.

I would do nearly anything for my daughters. Some days that means making
several versions of lunch until the quesadillas are just right. Other times that
means playing UNO for hours at a time.

But then other times, being a parent can feel a lot heavier. Are we connecting
with our children in meaningful ways each day? Did we choose the right
school? Am I setting the example for my children with intention?
I'm sure anyone who has kids or teaches full time knows the feeling. Our kids
are always on our minds and they take up a ton of our time and energy.

So when it comes to adding music education on top of the pile, you might
be thinking, "I can only do so much!"

Which is why, thankfully, you have this new edition of Raising a Young
Musician, which has been heavily revised to be more digestible and more
mindful of the time and energy constraints on the modern family.

Here you'll discover actionable resources, songs, games and ideas for helping
spark legit musical growth in your little one WITHOUT requiring you to be a
musician yourself.

Because no matter what the subject is, our parents are always our first
teachers. My hope is that this little manual creates some good routines, a few
a ha moments and a clear path for parents helping young musicians learn,
grow and thrive.

On behalf of me, my team and (most importantly) your kids, thank you for
being here. #HappyMusicing and I hope you enjoy Raising a Young Musician.

- Mr. Rob
 2. WHY A MUSIC EDUCATION?

Why teach our kids music? Simply put, we want our kids to be students of the world.
Art, music, poetry, literature, food, athletics -- it's all part of human experience.

But beyond being a cultured and lived human, by studying music, your kids will...
• get creative about problem solving while developing difficult technical skills
• spur neurological growth for memory, math skills & verbal capabilities
• better understand and appreciate the emotions music makes us feel
• become better listeners, both literally and figuratively
• express themselves and create original works of art
• come to appreciate and even fall in love with the process of learning

Because honestly, most people who study music don't become professional
musicians and that's 100% okay. There's value in the process of learning anything
(music especially) and of all the things one can learn, music is emotionally expressive,
it's therapeutic, beautiful and mainly it's just a lot of fun. It get's all the brain cells firing
in a unique way that's unlike almost anything else on earth.
 2. WHY A MUSIC EDUCATION?

Anita Collins talks about this in her TED ED video in saying that "playing a musical
instrument engages practically every area of the brain at once." She points out that
music trains the brain like a muscle, who's increased strength can be used in a
variety of disciplines and activities.

Maybe it's this brain wide engagement that helps music compete for attention in our
modern world. Picking up an instrument and rocking out somehow fulfills our short
term need for instant gratification while being a lifelong skill that requires discipline
and focus.

But before we're ready for brain melting solos, let's have some fun with the
fundamentals.

Music training “primes the brain” to learn other things, even subjects unrelated to music. This might help
explain why music students tend to do better in all subjects in school, both as kids and adults.

A 2004 study by Glenn Schellenberg, PhD showed that 6 year olds given music lessons for 1 year saw an
increase in IQ of 7.5 points while 90% of preschool children studied showed increased verbal intelligence in
just 20 days of musical training!
 3. THE ABCS OF MUSIC

Before we dive into research and principles, let's quickly review the basics of our
musical language.

In western music, the musical alphabet has 12 unique pitches and makes up most of the
songs we know and love. Just like the ABCs, it starts at the letter A and goes up to G.
These are the only letters in our musical alphabet and we use sharps and flats to find
the pitches in between those 7 letters.

Your job as the molder of young, musical minds is simple -- give your kids fun and
memorable experiences with the ABCs of music.

Memorable and meaningful exposure to the notes can take a few different forms, so it's
helpful to think of teaching your kids musical notes the same way you teach them
language.

Think about the ways you expose your kids to verbal expression. Perhaps you're singing
the ABCs, focused solely on the individual sounds that make up our language. Maybe
you're reading them simple books with playful grammar and catchy rhyming patterns. It
could be the talk radio that's on which is more or less gibberish to young kids.

You'll want to approach music with your kids in a similar scope, which we'll divide into 3
categories:

Meaningful play with the individual notes (i.e. "Hello C")

Singing & playing simple melodies, chords and patterns (i.e. "Twinkle Twinkle Little
Star")
Listening to high information music (i.e. Aydin Essen, Rachmaninov, Mozart, etc)
 3. THE ABCS OF MUSIC

In this book, we'll introduce brain based vocab that is used to accurately identify or
discuss the musical notes.

In the example to the right, you can see that

each note has a...
Letter name (C D E)
Color (red orange yellow)
Hand-Sign
Solfege syllable (do re mi)
Scale degree (1 2 3)

For more about the language of music - Check out the introduction
section of My First Songbook: Volume I FOR FREE

We use these different classifications to make the idea of the notes more concrete,
relatable and easier to memorize. Making these associations for each note allows us to
connect with all different ages. Most kids learn colors before they learn letters or
numbers, so I'm a strong believer that color-coding your instrument and your music is
one of the best ways to make music accessible to young kids.

By color-coding the notes, we enable learners of all ages and levels to start playing their
instruments quickly. The advantage of using color-coded notes for preschoolers is
simple. Many two and three-year-olds can distinguish the colors red and yellow much
faster than they can distinguish the letters C and E.

Furthermore, when reading music, having color-coded notes means preschoolers don’t
have to understand standard music notation (i.e. which note goes on which line), which is
a skill better learned by school age children.
 3. THE ABCS OF MUSIC

While coloring the notes are a big help, keep in mind that the colors themselves are
more or less arbitrary (they make up a ROYGBIV-ish rainbow from C to c). In other
words, we’re not suggesting the colors create true synesthesia (which is the rare
phenomenon of seeing sound and/or hearing sights). We’re just using the colors to make
musical play more memorable, error-proof and fun. In the process, we help you and your
kids distinguish the subtle nuances of pitch.
 3. THE ABCS OF MUSIC

Hand-Signs for Singing More in Tune

Simple Solfege hand-signs will help your kids sing more tunefully and
even help them memorize the sounds of the musical alphabet

The Curwen Hands Signs

(aka The Solfege Hand-Signs)
Every note in our musical alphabet has a
different sound and learning their sounds
can be tricky. Hand-signing along is a
great way to help you memorize the
sounds of notes much faster. The Solfege
syllables are “do re mi fa sol la ti do.” Not
only do the musical notes each have a
color and a letter name, but they also
have a Solfege name. Grab an instrument,
play the note and sing and sign with the
8 hand-signs seen to the right!

The Solfege Hand-Signs are a

Powerful Tool for Signing in Tune
1. Kinesthetic motions help make the
musical notes more memorable.

2. Hand-signs allow shy singers to get

involved in music with confidence.

3. Early practice with Solfege will

develop a life-long sense for pitch &
music.

Prodigies Lessons Featuring

The Solfege Hand-Signs
The Solfege Hand-Signs are a BIG
component of Prodigies. Be sure to check
out our Melodies collection inside
Prodigies.com. Signing with short echo
melodies will reinforce pitch and get your
child well on their way to singing in tune!
 4. EARLY EXPOSURE TO PITCH

The Musical Disadvantage of the English Language

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but if you grew up speaking English (or any
other non-tone language) you actually grew up with a bit of musical disadvantage.

Diana Duetsch, professor of music at USC, found that when you give a musical
pitch test to speakers of Mandarin Chinese and speakers of English, the Mandarin
speakers out-perform the English speakers by a factor of 6 to 1.

This is because Mandarin is a tone base language. Simple two or three letter words
(like "ma" or "shi") can have an impressively wide range of meanings depending on
how you pitch and contour the word (as perfectly illustrated in this TikTok from
@kenanheppe).

This means that from birth, native Mandarin speakers are constantly listening,
isolating and interpreting different pitches in a very meaningful way. This in turn
means they're always flexing that musical muscle a little bit, even in early
childhood, which in turn, makes them more sensitive to pitch and music than their
non-tone counterparts.

If you're like me, maybe you'll add this to the short list of things that aren't so great
about being an American. We miss out on base 10 math, universal health care AND
tonal language? Dang...

But don't worry... there's a solution! At least for the tonal language part!
 4. EARLY EXPOSURE TO PITCH

Your Kids can Learn Perfect Pitch during the

Critical Period for Auditory Development

We know from science and psychology that early childhood is critical for developing the language
centers of the brain. In Duetsch's study comparing Mandarin and English speakers, she concludes
that it's this early and regular exposure to pitch that makes Mandarin speakers more musical.

In other words, do what the Mandarin language does and give your kids exposure to pitch during
early childhood.

So simply put... if you want to raise young musicians, you need to take advantage of the critical
period for auditory development and help your kids come to know the 12 musical notes in a way
similar to how they know their own native language.

THIS is the unique musical advantage of the young child: their brain is eager to experience, categorize
and learn the sounds of music.

Furthermore, there is no other age in life where this kind of learning can have a truly life-long impact.

And finally, and most importantly for us parents -- this kind of musical exposure doesn't require a
prior music education on your part.

In the beginning, YOU can be your child's greatest music teacher. By surrounding them with the
sounds, the instruments and the knowledge of the 12 musical notes, you can instill A LOT of musical
skill into your kids (even if they don't develop the coveted skill of Absolute Pitch).

If you want to run an ensemble, explain music theory, or teach a complicated instrument like the
guitar, then yes, you'll want a trained and professional musician on board. But when it comes to giving
babies, toddlers and preschoolers the musical moments they need to thrive, most of the time it's up
to us parents, and I promise you that you're more than up to the task.

You won’t have to learn to read music or really play a technical instrument -- you just need to help
your kids experience regular and meaningful play with individual notes.

If you think about the musical sounds like colors, it’s not so crazy to imagine kids learning to identify,
sort and combine them in a seemingly natural way. After all, the musical notes are easily discernible
stimuli for your brain to categorize and identify.
 4. EARLY EXPOSURE TO PITCH

A Few Findings from Research

We're always learning about music education and the child's brain, and we try to share some of
the compelling literature at prodigies.com/research. We of course can't cover it all...scientific
journal memberships are expensive (hello, Google Scholar!)...but here a few of the major findings:

A child's brain at age 3 has reached 80% of its adult size.

(Harvard University Center on the Developing Child)

The number of neural connections in a baby's brain doubles during the first year of life.
(Zero to Three)

A child's vocabulary at age 2 can predict their academic success in later years.
(National Institute for Literacy)

Learning to play a musical instrument during childhood can increase the size and
connectivity of certain brain regions...
(National Association for Music Education)

"It is very interesting that the children taking music lessons improved more over the year on
general memory skills that are correlated with non-musical abilities such as literacy, verbal
memory, visio-spatial processing, mathematics and IQ than did the children not taking
lessons....It suggests that musical training is having an effect on how the brain gets wired for
general cognitive functioning related to memory and attention."
(Oxford University Press)

“Music makes your kid interesting and happy, and smart will come later. It enriches his or her
appetite for things that bring you pleasure and for the friends you meet.”
(PBS)

"The idea that a potentially enjoyable activity such as learning to sing or to play a musical
instrument could have beneficial side-effects on cognitive functioning is obviously
appealing."
(University of Toronto)

"Our work explores how musical training affects the way in which the brain develops. It is
clear that music is good for children's cognitive development and that music should be part
of the pre-school and primary school curriculum."
(Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute)
 4. EARLY EXPOSURE TO PITCH

Beyond the Research...My Why for Teaching Early

Exposure to Pitch

My senior year of high school was legendary. I was crushing AP classes, getting my
braces off, winning music scholarships and I had been accepted to NYU's music tech
program. Life was great!

Then I actually got to music school in the big city... the land of my dreams. And I got my
butt kicked.

As it turns out, being the best drummer in your high school doesn't matter much in
college level music. I was surrounded by kids who could hear a song and just play it - no
practicing or thinking or sheet music required.

And then there was me, who was quite good with a pair of drumsticks...but not much
else. I'd get embarrassed in 8 AM piano class, a little bit less in 9:30 theory and then I
would be a puddle of blushing goo by the end of 11 AM sight singing. It was a NIGHTMARE.

Why could some of my peers do all this awesome pitch identification and I couldn't? I
thought I was musically pretty gifted and practiced (up until now anyway).

Well, as it turns out, practicing mostly on the drumset meant I wasn't getting real
exposure to pitch. I knew this about my instrument and my music education, but I never
realized just how big of a hole it really was.

Thankfully, pitch is a learnable skill, and with some grit and some good friends (and my
first ever homemade computer program), I managed to turn my college experience
around and learned A LOT about pitch development in the process.

So if you're ready for lots more tips, tricks and resources, press on and discover less
ranting and more to-doing for kids 0-3, 3-6 and 6-12.
5. INFANTS & TODDLERS (0-3)
Age Specific Tips
It all begins with infants and toddlers! Zoltan Kodaly, one of
the most famous music educators of all time, joked that the
right time to start a child's music education is "9 months
before they were born."

Indeed, many of the perfect pitch wielding kiddos I meet had

parents who played classical music to them through
headphones on mommy's belly, so maybe Kodaly had a point.
After all, HALF of the critical period for auditory development
is in this 0-3 year old stage.

Below you'll find age appropriate activities for babies and

toddlers, and on the following page, you'll find resources,
milestones and more specific songs and suggestions.

WHERE INFANTS & TODDLERS EXCEL

Play Parent Modeling & Engagement

Children learn through play, and so having Infants and toddlers both need and CRAVE
some musical instruments or toys around will physical touch and connection with their
allow your child to explore the notes in their parents. Activities that involve baby and parent
most natural way: play. together will keep baby happy and learning
while deepening your attachment and bond.

Meaningful Exposure to Pitch High Information Music

Playing individual bell sounds or piano sounds Babies and toddlers don't get much say in what
for your child at this age is a great way to start they're listening to so you can hit 'em with their
their brain down the path toward Absolute Pitch. musical vegetables by playing them some high
information music (Charlie Parker, Rachmaninov,
Ravi Shankar, or use the music app Nuryl).

Repetition Rhythm & Movement

The whole world is new and overwhelming at Classics like Wheels on the Bus, Where Is
this age, which is why kids both love and need Thumbkin, etc. will also help your child discover
repetition. It can feel monotonous for a parent, timing, tempo, rhythm, pulse and beat. Start with
but if you can lean into repeating the same finger games and hand songs, then progress to
songs, games & activities, your kids will start to stomping and dancing and moving to music.
recognize, interact and enjoy (instead of being
overwhelmed by novelty).
 5. INFANTS & TODDLERS (CONT.)
Age Specific Tips
RESOURCE SUGGESTIONS
MILESTONES & GOALS
Baby will ask for "more" when a song is over Education for Absolute Pitch
Baby will start clapping, signing and moving to
paperback book by Taneda
music
Shakers, noise makers, little drums
Baby will try to express what song they want
through hand movements Chromanotes Deskbells,
Baby will start predicting, anticipating or even Boomwhackers or xylophone for
singing the end of songs or phrases play with the individual notes
Baby will mimic your applause at the end of a song
Parachutes, slides & soft mats for
Toddlers are similar, but will enjoy exploring
moving to music
instruments, dancing more and they'll be able to
follow simple instructions for movement games Prodigies Bells app & Prodigies
Toddlers will pick up more and more motions and streaming app
movements like waving, clapping, peekaboo Songs for Littles Youtube channel
Toddlers may begin to play and or recognize the
sound of bells and Boomwhackers based on color
ACTIVITIES THEY'LL LOVE
Finger songs and hand-movement
songs like "Itsy Bitsy Spider", "Wheels
on the Bus", "Open Shut Them", "Where
is Thumbkin", etc.
RHYTHM REINFORCEMENT Bouncing songs like "Grand Old Duke
Babies can practice the basics of rhythm by of York", "Horsey Went to London", etc.
clapping and following the actions in songs like
Press and sound books with songs
"The Wheels on The Bus."
they can control and pictures to see
Clapping, stomping and marching to a steady
beat build a solid foundation. Peekaboo songs using hands,
Model rhythmic pattern with simple syllables like "Ta scarves, mirrors, stuffies, etc.
Ta TiTi Ta" or "Beet Beet Cherry Beet."
Instruments like the bells, piano and
strumming the guitar

MUSIC TO PLAY THEM Intraverbals (i.e. fill in the blank or

finish the song)
Raffi's Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times

High Information Music (jazz, classical) WHERE THEY STRUGGLE

Dancing songs like Freeze Dance Dexterity for instruments like piano and guitar
(better to focus on bells, movement and
Anything sung often by mom or dad singing)
Attention span and long term focus (short and
Totigies (Solfege listening from Prodigies)
sweet musical activities or songs that you
repeat often will help you win the day)
Instrumental versions of lullabies & songs
they're familiar with
6. PRESCHOOLERS (3-6)
Age Specific Tips
This is really the ideal time frame to be focused on
teaching your kids the language of music. At this age “The best time to begin
they'll be able to follow instructions about singing, training is between 3-
hand-signing and playing their first instrument. 3½. Parents often don’t
think of their children as
In our society, most classes and schools are NOT
focused on pitch with this age group. Instead, the focus “teachable” at this age,
is often on music and movement and singing by rote and neglect the best
memorization, which is different from exploring and time for learning
playing the individual musical notes. absolute pitch.”
- Taneda Method, We
THIS is the age where most perfect pitch methods and Hear and Play
techniques have the most success, so don't hold out on
your preschoolers - they're ready for it all!

ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Practice Simple Melodies by Singing Play Listening Games

with the Solfege Hand-Signs Using the bells or a piano, pick two or three (to
Visit Prodigies.com to get some practice start) musical notes. Play them each several
hand-signing with the Solfege syllables. This times with your Young Musician. Then hide
will attach a concrete bilateral motion to the the notes from view and see if your child can
abstract idea of pitch and improve your child’s guess which note you are playing. Help your
overall sense of pitch. It will probably improve child by making it fun, leading them and giving
mom & dad's singing, too! them multiple tries.

Play Simple Melodies, Chords & Reptition

Patterns on Bells or Color-Coded Piano The whole world is still new and
Exploring the musical notes with a well-tuned overwhelming to preschoolers, which is
instrument is vital at this age, and whether partially why they love and need repetition. It
you've got some bells, some Boomwhackers, or may feel monotonous for a parent, but
a piano with colorful stickers, make sure there's replaying the same songs, games & activities
an instrument that stays in tune around for your will help kids feel confident and in the know,
kids play. and they'll start to recognize the songs and
interact more (instead of being overwhelmed
by novelty).
 6. PRESCHOOLERS (CONT.)

ACTIVITIES FOR PRESCHOOLERS

Use Short Melodies to Serve as Cues Incorporate Bells into Freeplay

If you play C, A, F, you might recognize it as The red bell makes an excellent fire truck bell,
the NBC jingle. Can you hum it from memory? and the orange bell works well in a fruit salad.
Probably! But did you know the names of the The yellow bell can be the lemonade stand bell
notes? Short melodies like that are easily and the purple bell can be a bath-time boat
remembered and very distinguishable. Giving bell. This will give your child frequent exposure
to individual pitches during play, which is
your child exposure and knowledge of short
when children learn best.
melodies is a great way to build their musical
ear.

Play your Child Instrumental Versions Listen to and Talk about Music
of Songs they Already Know It doesn’t take a record producer to recognize
This will help your child bridge the idea of the different instruments and different
lyrics and melody, as well as increase their elements of a song. Talk with your child about
the music you both enjoy; they’ll come to
confidence when they realize they can
understand the elements of music faster and
recognize a song without lyrics.
with more certainty (i.e. “here’s the guitar
solo”, “this is the chorus which is the part that
repeats and makes you want to sing along”,
“did you hear the crazy drum fill?”, “when
these two people sing together, they make
harmony”, etc.).
Invest in (at least) One Instrument
The colorful deskbells we sell are a solid bet. If If you'd like to hear some of this in action,
you get a set that for whatever reason doesn’t check out our podcast for kids, "Prodigies
work, we will replace the broken bells! A piano Music Lesson Show for Kids".
with Chromanotes stickers is a solid substitute
as well, just a little less guided and kid-
friendly. Stay away from toy guitars as your
"main" instrument and check the end of this
book for our favorite instrument suggestions!
 6. PRESCHOOLERS (CONT.)
Age Specific Tips

WHERE THEY STRUGGLE

Perfectionism. Some children may become shy
when they realize their singing doesn't sound like RESOURCE SUGGESTIONS
the radio; encourage them to channel that
awareness into practice. Music apps like Prodigies Music Lessons

Education for Absolute Pitch

MILESTONES & GOALS paperback book by Taneda

Music books like Barefoot Books

Preschoolers might start to freely sing about what
collection and CDs/MP3s
they’re doing and their thoughts and feelings
Preschoolers may start to recognize notes by The research of Diana Deutsch
sound or continuously sing and repeat little Solfege
Chromanotes Deskbells,
passages (Do Mi Sol, Cya Later, etc.)
Boomwhackers or xylophone for play
Preschoolers may start to practice, perform and
with the individual notes
memorize simple melodies from simple songbooks
or songs they know Songbooks and sheet music with
Preschoolers may begin to write their own lyrics iconic notation
and melodies more intentionally (or just make
them up as they go)
Preschoolers should begin singing more tunefully
with nursery rhymes and songs they know

ACTIVITIES THEY'LL LOVE

Preschoolers may want to perform small shows or
songs for friends and family

Playing along with their favorite songs

on the bells

Learning to sing their favorite songs in

RHYTHM REINFORCEMENT Solfege names (Do, Re Mi, etc.)

Clapping, stomping and marching to a steady Playing music with their parents or
beat. care giver
Introduce and model increasingly complex Singing with Solfege hand-signs to help
rhythmic patterns with more complicated syllables learn and internalize the musical notes
Practice often while singing in the car or at home
Exploring instruments like the bells,
piano and guitar
MUSIC THEY'LL ENJOY For true Absolute Pitch, follow
Tanedas 9 month C Major, G Major, F
Favorite film, TV & movie soundtracks Major schedule (3 months, 3 months,
3 months)
High information music (Jazz, Classical)

Anything sung by mom or dad

Raffi's Nursery Rhymes for Kinder Times

7. SCHOOL AGE KIDS (6-12)
Age Specific Tips

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart penned his first three

compositions within weeks of each other somewhere
between the age of 4 and 5. Sergei Prokofiev composed an
opera at age 9. Sure these are legendary names in music
history, but you don't have to go too far to see kids these
days doing astonishing things.

Whether your young learner is destined to be composing

sonatas or destined to be the life of the campfire jam, any
success in music must start with the fundamentals. There's
no getting around consistent practice--it is required for
proficiency. Teach your child to love the process of learning.

WHERE SCHOOL AGE KIDS EXCEL

Play Sight Reading

Music, above all, should be fun. Play can be Like speaking a language, music literacy
structured with a metronome or backing track involves reading and writing. Practice with 3
and the freedom to explore. Choose 3-5 notes note melodies like "Hot Cross Buns" & "Mary Had
to outline a chord or scale to give the playtime a Little Lamb" that use Do Re Mi. With regular
more structure. practice, sight reading becomes second nature.

Listening Games Spontaneous Dance Parties

Ear training exercises are hands-down the You don't have to be Sting to write a catchy
fastest way to improve as a musician. Listening chorus. If you're making lunch, walking a trail or
is paramount in communication, the same brushing your teeth, hum a little tune and tap a
applies to music. Listen to chords, single pitches little beat. Sing about what you're doing with
& rhythms on a regular basis. your child & encourage them to do the same.

The Language of Music

Is there an echo in here? School age kids are little parrots. Speak the language of music to them and
they will speak it right back. Put on the Prodigies Podcast in the car and sing along with Solfege. Before
you know, you'll be singing the language of music along witt all your favorite songs.
7. SCHOOL AGE KIDS (CONT.)
Age Specific Tips

WHERE THEY STRUGGLE RESOURCE SUGGESTIONS

Staying motivated. Studying music or learning an
instrument can be tough. Lots of encouragement, Music apps like Prodigies Music Lessons,
support and setting attainable goals are a must. Hoffman Academy, etc.
Finding time to practice. School age children's
schedules are packed with school &
The research of Diana Deutsch
extracurriculars. Try to build the habit so you don't
have to think about it. Local concerts and music events in
your area

Private instruction at a local music

studio or school
MILESTONES & GOALS
School age children can memorize music for Prodigies Music Lesson Show for Kids
performance and play in front an audience podcast
School age children can overcome obstacles

ACTIVITIES THEY'LL LOVE

related to performance anxiety
School age children can compose an original piece
of music
School age children can improvise in an ensemble The Rhythm-based, echo song series,
setting Sweet Beets. Use rhythms syllables
like beet, cherry, melon, avocado,
pineapple, blueberry and more to
practice! Sounds appetizing, right?

Chromanotes Deskbells,
RHYTHM REINFORCEMENT Boomwhackers or xylophone for play
with the individual notes
Practice with a metronome. Start at a slow tempo
and gradually increase with accuracy Colorful songbooks, printables,
Clap patterns with more difficult syllables like cutouts and coloring pages
"TikaTika" and "Tum Ti"
Keep a rhythm while singing a simple melody Polyphonic instruments like the piano
or strumming the ukulele or guitar

MUSIC TO PLAY THEM

Film & musical soundtracks

High information music (jazz, classical)

Bluey, Blippi's Treehouse

Popular music (r&b, rock, rap, funk)

 8. ROUTINES & RESOURCES

Practice is Perfect
If you’ve spent as much as five minutes with a 1. Practice at least 10-15 Minutes
preschooler, you can probably imagine that Every Day
getting him or her to practice music in the Short daily practice is better than long
traditional “sit-down and play the piano” sense occasional practice. Aim for at least five out of
might prove a somewhat difficult task. seven days a week. Remember any practice
time is good, so ignore excuses to postpone
This is a common fear among preschool parents. practicing and just go for it. Practice is perfect.
Though it’s true that preschool aged children tend
to have both high energy and a short attention 2. A Child’s Attention Span is about 5
span, they are most certainly capable of engaging
Minutes for Every Year of Age
in meaningful music practice.
Plan several short music activities ahead of
time, so you can jump around while practices.
My drum teacher used to tell me to “strive for
Move around the room, keep it high energy,
excellence, enjoy the process.” Similarly, you’ll
what ever you can to expand your child’s
often hear teachers encourage the idea of
practice time beyond their initial burst of
“process, not product”. attention (first we play the bells, then we play
a listening game, then we play some drums
This means that if your young musician doesn’t and we finish up with some piano or dancing).
play “Hot Cross Buns” right on the first, third, or
even tenth time, it's okay. Not only is practicing 3. Reward your Child for Practicing
music giving them that meaningful exposure to You know your child best, so find the reward
individual notes, but they are also developing system that works for you. Ideally, your child
their voice, their motor skills, coordination and will inherently enjoy the process of playing
patterning abilities. Most of all, we hope they are music, but we all need a little encouragement
having fun! sometimes. Set them up for success! Building
the feeling of accomplishment in some kind of
The last thing you want to do is apply a ton of tangible way is encouraging and fun. A gold
pressure on your child to do something “right”. star chart is a classic for a reason--it's so fun
While it’s true that a strict and rigorous approach to watch us grow a habit and celebrate when
MAY lead to a more tangible end-result product, if we achieve a streak!
a child grows up focused on the end-result and
not on the process, they are missing the whole 4. Find a Consistent Time to Practice
point and probably going to end up loathing their Consistency is not only the key to
music education experience. improvement, but it builds positive learning
habits that your young musician will benefit
Make music fun by being patient with the from in every aspect of their future.
process and aiming to foster a genuine love and Furthermore, your young musician will know
curiosity for music. what to expect and easily form a routine.
 9. ROUTINES & RESOURCES

Apps, Resources, Books & More for your Musical Toolkit

Prodigies.com - 800+ video music lessons for kids 2-12
Prodigies Bells App - free instrument app for kids
Prodigies Music Lesson Show for Kids - free podcast music lessons for kids
Music Decoration Pack - free hand-sign posters & more from Prodigies
My First Songbook - free songbook download from Prodigies
Toca Band - playful jam sessions app for iOS
Loopimal - arrange and loop chill lo-fi beats with animals
Figure - 4 instrument looper with rhythmic clocks and circles
Simply Piano & Piano Maestro - great piano learning apps
Yousician & Fender Play - solid guitar learning apps
iDrumSchool - drum groove library
DM1 - drum machine with classic 16 beat layout and sounds
Chrome Music Lab - colorful music apps on the web by Google
Chet - incredibly fun and effective ear training app
Ultimate Guitar - app/website with a HUGE library of lyrics/chords
Garage Band - Apple's beginner music production app/software
Super Simple Songs - music and movement songs for toddlers
Songs for Littles - YouTube channel for infants & speech therapy
Cleartune - quality app based tuner
Barefoot Books - paperback book + CD combos w/ stories & songs
Education for Absolute Pitch - Taneda's parent manual w/ valuable insights
about teaching perfect pitch
Smule Ocarina & Karaoke App - modern musical apps for kids and adults
Hoffman Academy - excellent online piano curriculum for kids 6+
Faber Piano Adventures - beginner piano curriculum book series
Swicks Classroom - YouTube channel w/ Boomwhacker playalongs
9. TOP 5 INSTRUMENTS FOR RAYM

The Top 5 Instruments for Young Musicians

When it comes to finding an instrument for your kids, these are what I consider
the top 5.

1. Chromanotes Deskbells, Boomwhackers & Xylophones

Durable, colorful and well-tuned, this
individual bells make meaningful play with
individual notes a breeze. I've built a lot of
our Prodigies curriculum around this
instrument as it's visibly appealing, easy to
play and helps reinforce all memorized pitch
during early childhood.

The Boomwhackers and color-coded

xylophones have similar advantages, but for
ease of play and quality of sound, the
Deskbells are still #1.
9. TOP 5 INSTRUMENTS FOR RAYM

With the bells, you and your kids can play

songs about the colors, about the letters and
about the numbers (1 through 8). As you play,
sing along and try to match your voice to the
bell.

The bells are also individual objects, which

means you can easily isolate 1 or 2 notes for
increased focus and success with simple
songs and concepts.

The colors also make teaching songs a lot

easier. Asking a child to play "yellow, orange,
red" on bells is much easier than asking them
to play "E D C" on a piano. Colors come easier
and there aren't similar looking but wrong
notes.

Plus, the bells sound good enough to be a real

instrument, but they're not so expensive that
you'll cringe every time little Susie throws it
off the counter.

You can also work individual musical notes

into your child's free play with the bells.
Maybe they're part of a fire station game or
the "next patient" bell or something of that
sort. This allows for more meaningful and
memorable play with pitch in a very unique
and child-centered approach.

Buying Bells & Our Free "Prodigies Bells App"

You can find Chromanotes Deskbells (CNDBD) on Amazon, Rhythm Band, Music in
Motion & Optimum Percussion. We sometimes carry Prodigies Deskbells (same bells,
different box), but after years of trying to compete with the big shipping companies,
we're keep our energies focused on developing our app and our curriculum more than
importing and shipping bells.

You can also find digital bells on our web platform or download our "Prodigies Bells"
app from your favorite app store today!
9. TOP 5 INSTRUMENTS FOR RAYM

2. Piano
The piano is probably the most versatile and well rounded instrument for a lifelong
musician to learn. That said, babies tend to whack lots of keys, and toddlers don't have
quite enough dexterity or focus to get a lot of meaningful exposure to the notes. They
often hit wrong keys, and the keys all look the same, making it hard to associate the
specific note with an obvious visual.

But when it comes to following up an early childhood full of bells, piano is definitely the
right move as it reigns supreme in the world of music theory, composition and
production.

For young kids, I like these Casio light up pianos, or if you're ready for legit piano, digital
pianos will have less sounds and distractions (we have this one) and acoustic pianos
have their own grandiose, sound and beauty (though they might be overkill for the
average family).

I also definitely recommend these residue free Chromanotes piano stick-ons for color-
coding your piano to match the bells and Boomwhackers.

3. Drums & Percussion

I grew up on the drums and they are A TON of fun and great for high energy kiddos.
Smaller percussion like, bongos and shakers are also an essential experience for any
young musician. That said, I advise folks against making drumset their main instrument
during early childhood because it won't give your kids meaningful exposure to pitch
when it matters most.
9. TOP 5 INSTRUMENTS FOR RAYM

4. Ukulele
SO many kids and adults alike are drawn to music because of the guitar. The
attraction of the guitar in popular culture makes sense, but it's a bit of a double
edged sword as the guitar is difficult and can cause frustration for young
musicians.

For a faster and easier learning curve, the Ukulele is really the perfect beginner
string instrument. There are plenty of chords that can be played with 1, 2 or 3
fingers (whereas the guitar almost always requires 2-4 fingers per chord). The
instrument is smaller and physically easier on the hands, which means you'll
have more stamina, success and fun playing right from the start. Kids as
young as 3 and 4 can play a C and an F chord on Ukulele, and in grades 3-5,
students can play chords, melodies and even sing while playing.

5. Recorder
The recorder is the perfect beginner wind instrument and a great precursor to
more difficult band instruments kids will learn in upper elementary, middle and
high school. I've taught preschool recorder classes (difficult, but doable), but
generally speaking, 2nd-4th grade is the best time to do some serious recorder
work. While it gets a bad reputation for being squeaky, it can be a beautiful
and fun (and extremely portable) instrument for all ages.
10. OUR MISSION AT PRODIGIES.COM

Helping kids sing,

hand-sign and
play their way to
an incredible
music education
There is a lot you can do at every stage of a child’s life to encourage musical development and I
hope this book gave you some new ideas, inspirations and paths to follow.

Here at Prodigies, it's our goal to help kids across the world make the most of their early
musical years. We make colorful videos and books that help kids sing, hand-sign and play their
way to an incredible music education. We have a streaming app and web program called
Prodigies where you can find hundreds of videos from me, my wife Sam and the whole
Prodigies team.

Inside Prodigies, which is kind of like Netflix for kids music lessons, kids develop their musical
ear by singing about colors, note names, Solfege and numbers. They will learn the musical
hand-signs for each note, play simple one note studies, learn about the chords, level up to
more difficult songs and eventually perform complex melodies from some of the greatest
composers in history.

It is our mission to provide high quality, accessible music lessons that are fun and affordable
for families and classrooms all over the world. We have free videos on YouTube and free
resources mentioned in Chapter 8, but we put the vast majority of our content and energy into
the series, live events and fun inside of our curriculum app Prodigies, which you can stream
from, Roku, tablet, phone, Apple TV, Android TV and more.

You can learn more about our curriculum at Prodigies.com/curriculum or enroll today at
Prodigies.com/enroll.

On behalf of me, my team and YOUR KIDS (who probably don't thank you enough) thanks for
checking out this book. #HappyMusicing and until next time I will...

Cya later, cya later, cya, cya, later!!

- Mr. Rob, Ms. Sam & the Prodigies Team