Being a musician is not just about learning to play an instrument, it goes far beyond this. So often I have parents ask me “What instrument should I start (child’s name) on?” My answer is always the same,"You should engage them in musicianship training before you even consider introducing them to an instrument." Think of it like this, the instrument should be the final piece of the puzzle after the foundations have been laid. You wouldn't give a child a book and expect them to read without any prior exposure to language, but this is what happens with music and is one of the main reasons that ..read more

At Music in Unison, we strongly believe that singing and movement are the body's first musical instrument. Before we can apply musical knowledge to an external factor (ie an instrument) we need to make sense internally first. Of course, that isn’t to say that you have to be Celine Dion, or Frank Sinatra - it’s not necessarily about your singing talent, but more about the things you can learn that can be translated onto an instrument. This is why, in our sessions, we focus on a musical concept (such as rhythm or pitch) in several different ways. We tend to use the voice, to vocalise the concep ..read more

Rationale Continuous provision provides learners with the opportunity to explore, investigate and create independently. In music this is vitally important as it allows children space to process ideas, combine sounds and test musical ideas. However for this to be effective, as practitioners we need to ensure the following conditions are met: The resources on offer are high-quality (less is more) They are presented in an inviting and purposeful manner They are readily available The children are given time to revisit what they did yesterday, last week, or even a few weeks ago. Considerations I ..read more

This song reinforces a steady beat whilst building upon this with rhythm. Babies: To begin with, sit your baby facing outwards so they have support against their back. Begin with the steady beat, bring the opposite hand and foot across the midline to touch. Repeat this swapping sides. Next cross babies’ legs over in a scissor motion alternating one then the other. Repeat this action with their hands. Finally introduce the rhythm by bouncing the babies up and down in time to rhythm. See attached video: Toddlers: Have toddlers facing you (if they are able to) whilst you facilitate their movement ..read more

This song helps to embed the concepts of anticipation, internalisation and awareness of phrasing. Babies: Place babies to face you (if they can sit upright) or cradle them in your arms. Hide the puppet away behind your back, then reveal for the peek-a-boo moment. Move the puppet far and near and side to side to promote eye tracking. Begin to vocalise and leave enough silence in between for your little one to respond. Toddlers: Your toddler may wish to begin to imitate you when you peek-a-boo, or indeed take the puppet and recall the action themselves. At this point, they may say peek-a-boo or ..read more

This song is about responding to tempo changes. A range of instruments can be used. For the slow section use a long sound and for the quick section use a short sound. Babies: Assist your little one to produce slow and purposeful movements in response to the song's lyrics. When the tempo quickens, respond accordingly. If using an instrument, guide your baby by facilitating their movements. Toddlers: Demonstrate your little one to produce slow and purposeful movements in response to the song's lyrics. When the tempo quickens, respond accordingly. Preschoolers: Let your preschooler experiment wit ..read more

You might be surprised to know that there are benefits to sharing music with your baby from the moment they are born. In fact, your baby can hear and recognise sounds in utero and so their musical education could start before they even enter the world! Making music together is a lovely way to bond and breaks up those long early days when you’re not quite sure what you can do with your baby yet, beyond cuddles and feeds. Here are my top 5 tips for making music with your newborn. Eye contact According to researchers at University of Cambridge, eye contact syncs your brainwaves with your baby and ..read more

Peek-a-boo songs are a brilliant way to engage your little one in music making. This type of activity teaches object permanence (that things are still there even though you can’t see them.) This concept begins to develop around the age of 8 - 9 months old and object permanence plays a significant role in the theory of cognitive development created by psychologist Jean Piaget. Holistically, peek-a-boo games and songs encourage cooperation, turn taking and patience, with communication skills being enhanced as your little one learns eye contact and to read others' responses to cues. From a music ..read more

Before undertaking this journey it is important you enter into the process with your eyes wide open. A number of factors will predict your child's success. To help you stack the odds in your favour here are some important points to consider. Has your child had any form of musical training before? By this we don’t mean formal instrumental training rather, has your child been exposed to the world of music in general terms? Do they have music sessions in school/nursery? Do you engage in musical activities at home? Learning a musical instrument is not just about learning the physical aspects of th ..read more

At Music in Unison, we believe in training the child to be a musician and not just an instrumental player. Musicianship training provides children with a firm musical foundation with transferable skills across the multi-disciplinary facets of music. What it involves: Singing Singing is natures built in musical instrument. Without the technical complexities of learning an instrument, singing enables the child to acquire the skills of musical memory, inner hearing (internalisation) and intonation (pitch matching.) Movement You cannot read and understand rhythm until you can feel rhythm in your ..read more