Children should be encouraged to create music spontaneously by using found sound materials, such as musical and non-musical instruments. Materials that are commonly found around any house can be used to make music. This includes pans, wooden objects, and plastic bottles (Loong, 2007). In addition, when telling stories that are based on specific cultures, teachers can introduce ethnic instruments to the children. Children can use these instruments to create sound compositions (make the sound of thunder, raindrops, wind, and so on) to accompany a story.

Using speech is another effective way to explore the possibilities of non-pitched instruments. Tongue twisters, or chants that repeat or rhyme words, can be used for this purpose. Once children can keep the inner beat, encourage them to play the words of the chant without speaking the words. This will help the children to listen and communicate with each other while playing various instruments.

© ChetYeng Loong

These videos are for education purposes.  We do not own the copyright.