BY KINDERMUSIK
Music As Language
Oh, the directions we could take this article! Written music is a language. Phrase structure…how a piece of music unfolds section by section can be considered a language. And like any language, the more you experience these aspects of music, the easier they are to understand. When you get used to Bach’s compositional language, you are more likely to spot a piece by Bach you don’t know. The same can be said for Miles Davis’s playing or James Taylor’s style. If you’ve experienced a lot of those artists’ output, you know their “language” when you hear it.
But that’s not what we are talking about today. Our brains actually process music much like our brains process language. Let’s science!!! (Yes…I used science as a verb. It’s okay. Roll with it.)
Jazz Improv and Dr. Charles Limb: Otolaryngological Surgeon and Musician
What is improv in jazz? Well, first, it’s music made up on the spot, following agreed-upon rules, like tonal center, meter, and duration. It’s almost like a good debate. One person expresses their views and then another person counters. This happens often in jazz, this dialogue. Dr. Limb decided he wanted to learn more. He wanted to see what was going on in the brain of a performing musician. From The Atlantic:
He and a team of researchers conducted a study that involved putting a musician in a functional MRI machine with a keyboard, and having him play a memorized piece of music and then a made-up piece of music as part of an improvisation with another musician in a control room.
What did Dr. Limb discover? While taking part in these jazz dialogues, while musicians improvise with other musicians, the parts of the brain that process language light up on the MRI. What’s more important, the area of the brain specifically linked to syntax, the arrangement of words to construct well-formed sentences in a language, also lit up.
Jazz Dialogue is Language – with an Interesting Difference
While the brain’s language areas light up while conversing in jazz, there is a substantial difference that actually makes sense. Syntax areas respond – but semantic areas do not. What does this mean? Semantics has to do with meaning. When speaking or listening to a sentence, the brain will work out structure (syntax) and meaning (semantics). When dealing with improvised jazz, the parts of the brain responsible for meaning are dormant.
Ok. What does that mean? Dr. Lamb explains:
Music communication, we know it means something to the listener, but that meaning can’t really be described,” Limb said. “It doesn’t have propositional elements or specificity of meaning in the same way a word does. So a famous bit of music—Beethoven’s dun dun dun duuuun—we might hear that and think it means something but nobody could agree what it means.
– Dr. Lamb/The Atlantic
Categories
All Categories 10 reasons to be a music major 3 daily music activities for neurodivergent learners 3 ways music-based rituals help alleviate back-to-school change 3 ways of creativity 3 ways to build grownup social-emotional growth 3 ways to enhance phonemic awareness with music 3 ways to teach creativity to young kids 4 ways to help your baby rest with music 5 big benefits: the social learning domain and kindermusik 5 creative diys to transform playtime at home 5 simple and easy ways to enjoy musical fun indoors 5 ways child-led playtime boosts learning 5 ways music positively impacts children with hearing loss 5 ways unstructured play boosts learning (plus tips-by-age guide!) 6 ways to prevent summer slide 7 benefits of a group music class for toddlers 7 musical ways to make your holidays less stressful 7 reasons to join a music class for toddlers 7 things: harvard psychologists identify positive parenting points 7 tips for making every day a musical day a better organized brain a message from kindermusik: we will not be silent. accolades adjusting tone and volume of voice amazing musical moments: #3 will have you sobbing amber galloway gallego – sign language rock star an educator that builds up your confidence and health app apples and bananas articulation assesing kids for steady beats at home beach activities attend an in-person or virtual kindermusik class. auditory input auditory system babble on…it benefits baby! babies can imitate a head voice babies focus better on a head voice babies love music baby in the bedroom: keep that crib in with mom and dad baby speech development? they learn with their mouths… baby’s got the beat! how to add rhythm to your daily routine balance be aware of how close you are to the noise. be aware of how long you’ll be around the noise. be aware of your child’s sound environment. be the proud parent! become a children’s music teacher with kindermusik beethoven still works – over 200 years later bend concepts benefits for adults benefits for babies benefits for older children benefits for toddlers benefits of barefootin’ best music apps for kids beyond babbling blend them together with others in order to innovate. bonding bonds book review – the secret life of squirrels: a love story book review: giraffes can’t dance book review: kate the great and the middle c music shop book review: pete the cat – i love my white shoes book review: skippyjon jones by judy schnachner book review: sometimes i like to curl up in a ball book review: triangle book review: your hand in my hand boost early literacy development with just 30 minutes of music per week boost language skills break ideas apart bring attention to mouth shape and tongue position building community through music building your child’s creativity and emotional health through music builds up language and speech cabasa can you spoil your baby? probably not cello in the trenches changing lives with music: stephen oliverson childhood development activities childhood music experiences children learn to self-regulate gradually. children’s book review: music is… children’s book review: the wonderful things you will be choose activities you actually like clap college-level training is a completely different animal community conduct like no one’s watching confidence consider giving instruments—truly simple gifts for kids! consistent cowbell creativity skills in music education crucial pre-reading cut down on cell phone babbling dance in sync dancing developing balance and coordination developing fine motor skills developing gross motor skills developing strong relationships develops inhibitory control devotion of activity diy beach in a bottle! do music? yep! you're probably smarter do your research. don’t be scared… don’t forget to play! don’t have preconceived notions about when “real speech” will occur draw what you hear. embrace your “baby voice” emotional intelligence emotional learning enhance phonemic awareness establish a daily routine for music. everyone can sing explore the three b's expressing ideas expression feeling it fetuses begin to form a connection with their mother’s voice around the 4th month of pregnancy find a calm song find a family class that helps you grow find an affordable program and reduce student debt finding your place in the performing arts follow the child for children with unique learning styles for the love of musik: starting a kindermusik studio free music rituals album freeplay getting grounded giving gifts group communication skills growing up in kindermusik guiro hang back from the sales frenzy. have a dance party. head voice for kids head voice vs. chest voice hearing hearing it hearing system heavy traffic high-pitched kids hoping to nurture social-emotional wellness in your child? music helps. how can music class help my family regulate noise? how do babies bond? how loud is too loud? how music affects your mood and your mind how music teaches kids to self-regulate how postnatal singing supports secure attachment how pre- and postnatal singing support secure attachment how to keep the daily rhythms and routines that matter to your child imaginations improved happiness levels in your right brain: the mind’s response to music in-person or virtual music class help? incorporate themes. increases literacy and pre-reading skills infant music classes instrument exploration instrument exposure intentional pitch just sing keep learners engaged at home with songs that connect to each lesson. keep learning about creativity kid songs kids beats kids generation kids get it: music is magic kids love music kids need to be kids kids playing kids playlist kindermusik kindermusik blog kindermusik class for toddlers kindermusik classroom instruments and their big brothers kindermusik community kindermusik is the key kindermusik reviews: cutie sue and the darkness kindermusik reviews: the book with no pictures kindermusik reviews: what do you do with a problem? kindermusik's approach kindermusik’s gift guide lack of attention span needed language and literacy skills language and speech language skills lesson learned: how my son spent $1200 on itunes let kids create their own magic. letter sound listen to instrumental songs. look for a longer shelf life. love and music: a magical connection love for music is the answer lower stress - better health lullabies maintains babies’ attention and stimulates emotional responses (like smiling) master instruments math skills memorization motorcycle music music affects the science of reading music and literacy are processed the same way…through sound! music and movement music and the bridges it builds music as language music as medicine: good for mental health music builds memory. music can open the door to stronger communication music class for toddlers music education music for neurodivergent music instruction is all about patience and listening music is everything music is magic music is the answer music kids are scrappy music lessons music listening with your kids: find the center music makes mettle music makes the moment music matters – but why? music reading music rituals workshop can help music sparks imagination. music teacher music therapy for babies music therapy: music as medicine music to boost phonemic awareness musical activity musical kids are hardy! musical kids know about focus musical science musicians can make a living music—a multi-sensory activity music’s effect on the developmental domains neurodivergent neurodivergent learners neurodivergent learnings newborn bonding: how infant music classes connect parent and baby nurture creativity nutritional supplements our favorite musical activities to get you through your child’s day pairing movement pals pat or tap to the beat. phonemes phonemic awareness phonics phonological awareness phonological awareness literacy screening physiological responses plan ahead. planting seeds that grow: music for a lifetime play allows children to imagine whole new ways of being play invokes laughter play leads children to solve problems with perseverance and creativity! play leads children to sort information in new ways and to seek symbolic representations. play music! play stretches the imagination through fantasy playing instruments power of play-based learning practical at–home developmental strategies praise prenatal and postnatal singing is one of the easiest ways to jumpstart secure attachment. prioritize grownup social-emotional growth anytime. prioritize imaginative play promotes active listening read aloud. reading abilities reduce screen time. reflecting on july’s summer camp magic! regulate emotions repeat that sound to a familiar tune repetition repetition repetition reunited: a short film about music and the human spirit rhyme rhythm right choice for family rock concerts schedule learning time. science center stage: gratitude science center stage: kids’ brains grow faster with music science center stage: music changes the brain science center stage: music improves brain development in children science of music science of reading scientific secure attachment seeing it self-confidence. self-regulation to emotional expression sequencing series of positive and nurturing interactions shape of lips share new school year musical rituals with families before classes begin shoes off simple diy crafts that let kids be creative and expressive simple gifts for kids simple gifts for kids: batteries not required simple toys or props sing sing aloud. sing and dance that stress away sing and sway sing like a pirate! sing throughout the day singing and movement singing dad singing helps grownups self-regulate singing in choir makes you happier singing is the best singing is the way singing mom singing parents sirens and fireworks sleeping infant so social social skills social-emotional growth social-emotional learning soft music solving problems sound sound vocabulary sounds speak up. speech skill sports events steady beat steady beats for kids steady beats matters story time! reading to kids the right way storytime strengthens the vestibular system stretching them to their limits as we create strong relationship studio kindermusik classes study after study summer camp summer camp on a summer slide summer slide summer slide: what you should know sun’s out support divergent thinking through play support physical distancing and social-emotional development with seated or outdoor musical activities. teach creativity teaching kids to become creative the beginning of life is beautifully composed the best gifts are often not the most expensive the best kind of summer school the blues: music and mood the box vs. the toy that came in it: why the box wins the brain looks for patterns. the collaborative for academic the gift of health: music boosts the immune system the gift of love: a parent’s perspective of kindermusik the gift of time: holiday activities for the whole family the neurosciences and music vi: music the science behind singing to your child the surprising reasons why grownups love kindermusik too toddlers and toys too loud: how to prevent early hearing loss in children tools tools for kids top 5 tips for buying the perfect simple gifts for kids triangle trudel music studio trust trust relevant experts. try to live by this rule of five unique brain patterns use a mirror to visualize phonemes utero vacuum cleaner we have no earlids. we hear with our brains. we love our kindermusik educators what can i do to prevent early hearing loss? what kinds of activities should an infant music class include? what makes kindermusik so compelling to children what’s wrong with toddler music lessons? when it comes to your kids investing early pays off white noise for babies why barefoot is best why do children need a “music program”? why does music increase literacy development? why is newborn bonding important and when does it happen? why is unstructured play important? why music is better than white noise for babies why shared musical experiences with your child are so important (and ideas to implement!) why singing to your child every day is vital why toddler music lessons aren’t the best idea will i gain confidence as a parent? woodblock worried about partying in college? a music major ain’t got time for that! you can benefit together young kids