Little children may hear a lot of music through various media, in the car, in preschool or daycare, in elevators, and even in toys. The constant bombardment of music in our society does not teach music any more than water play teaches a child to swim. Little children interact with water daily. They bathe, wash their hands, play with water in wading pools, sprinklers and sand. They discover various properties of water through play with pitchers, funnels, spouts and sieves. They learn “about water,” developing concepts of math and science in the process, while having a lot of fun. These delightful experiences with water do not, however, address the young child’s potential to propel himself in a large body of water, either for safety or pure joy. Developing that skill is a process that continues to grow through many years of continued immersion, guidance, and physical development, rather than through water play in bathtubs or wading pools. Similarly, the constancy of music in our culture can bring joy to a great variety of life’s activities, but does not begin to address the young child’s musical brilliance.
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