Here's a fun activity for you: Take 10 minutes to sit with your child or student to compose a snippet of music. You may sit at the piano or simply sit in chairs with the child's instrument nearby. Start out by warming up with some musical fun like clapping your hands while you chant, singing some of your favorite songs, or listening to some of your favorite music. Dancing to your favorite music is also a great warm up for your body and creative mind!
Then, playing the piano or having the child take his/her instrument, play some random notes with any type of beat. Repeat the phrase a few times or more to get the music into both your minds. It is perfectly okay if the phrase changes a little bit from time to time but try to keep the nucleus the same.
After both of you have memorized the phrase, write it down on staff paper, if you are able and/or, record the phrase on your phone. Congratulations! You and your student or child have composed some music!
If this seems like a fun and worthwhile activity, go ahead and try this again sometime soon. You and the child may want to add to the phrase you have already created or you both may decide to make up another little snippet of music. Adding words to be sung or spoken during the musical phrases can be very fun, too, and the sky is the limit as far as what kind of words you may add. (i.e. poetic, rap, operatic, silly, etc.)
Remember, if there is ever an escalating frustration from your child or student, gracefully and in a friendly manner, end the activity and thank them for trying.
