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Learn To Play
Hands-on
participation in music between the ages of three and ten seems to train
the brain for higher thinking, and children who miss out on the fun of
playing music may also miss some critical developmental opportunities.
Explore the resources on this page to learn more about providing your
child with the gift of music. Simply click on the images to review the
educational material. Be
sure to view our instructional videos.
Click on the adjacent images to download the "Mommy and Me"
Early Childhood Music Program. These are take-home percussion activities
for Preschoolers and their Parents, produced and distributed by The Percussion
Marketing Council.
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| Mommy and Me Parent Edition |
Click to view the Sesame Street Music Works webcast. Real Player is required.
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Preschool
Development and Music Every child can learn and grow through music, each in his or her own way. Click on the image on the right to view some guidelines and suggestions. A comprehensive early childhood music program is new material for 2004 and available by clicking on the logo below. |
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| How
To Choose Your Instruments An amazing variety of children's percussion instruments are available these days, both in stores and online. It is important to understand that these instruments have been designed specifically for children and it is recommended that you select only those that meet US toy safety testing standards ASTM F963-96A for the approved age. This government rating ensures that the products are safe in terms of mechanical construction, toxicity, small parts (that could pose choking hazards), sharp edges, strangulation hazards, etc. All of the RhythMix products meet these standards! Beyond safety concerns, a child's instrument should be ther proper size and weight and should be playable without the need for dexterity beyond the capabilities of the child. The initial goal is to make your child feel comfortable with their new instrument. Tell them what the name of the instrument is. Next, show and identify for them all of the different parts of their instrument, while encouraging them to feel the different materials and textures. Some areas to consider include: the drumhead (playing surface), drum shell (sides of the drum) carry strap, mallet handle, mallet head (end), hand (on any hand percussion instrument), striker (for a triangle), and even shaker fill (although they can't see or touch the non-toxic fill, they can still get a "feel" for it). Invite your child to explore with you all of the different sounds that they can create with their new instrument. With any type of drum, experiment with the different sounds that you can obtain by striking the drumhead in its center (deeper sound), the edge (higher sound), and the other shell areas. Encourage them to try playing with their hands in a variety of ways: open-handed vs closed-handed, hard, soft, fast, slow, and slap-release vs. slap-hold (muffled sound). Then ask them to try the same thing using the mallet head (end) and the mallet handle. They will even find a difference when holding the mallet in the center vs. the edge. Any type of shaker can be shaken quickly, slowly, loudly, softly, and even in a circle to obtain different sounds. Hand percussion instruments are available in an amazing variety of shapes and sizes: clappers, knockers, jingles, bells, tone blocks, etc. Experiment and enjoy your discoveries! The guitars and violins that we offer are available in sizes that are appropriate for the younger musician. Parents can use age as a general guide in selecting the correct sized instrument; however you should consider your child's size relative to his/her age and how fast your child is likely to grow over the next couple of years. With this in mind, we offer the following general guide for guitars and violins: Guitars Very small or young children (ages 2 - 4) are probabily best off with a one-quarter sized guitar. For ages 4 -7 consider a one-half sized; ages 8 - 10 consider a 5/8 size; and ages 11 - 13 should be comfortable with a 3/4 size. If your child is smaller or taller than average (or has smaller or larger hands than average), take that into consideration as well. 
Violins The development age of the child as well as physical
size is an important consideration when selecting the violin size.
Your child's instructor is the best person to offer a recommendation;
however we do have the following general guidelines to offer. |
| Full instrument measurement is taken by measuring the length of the back from the top of the scroll down the center of the instrument to the bottom (excluding the button). Body length measurement is taken by measuring the length at the back shoulder (next to the neck heel) to the bottom (excluding the button). Do not include the heel in the measurement. Measurements will vary slightly, depending upon the manufacturer and the instrument. VIOLIN MEASUREMENTS (in inches)
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