Little children know that music and musicians have to move. They understand that movement is the life blood of music; that without movement, music is lifeless. Children’s unbridled movement to music reflects the very essence of music—the vibrance of life itself. The young child is literally on the same wave length with music and resonates with his whole body—the prime musical instrument. Children are “moved” by the music.
Little children are highly musical. They may not yet be able to sing tunefully, move rhythmically, or even stand up, but even infants “dance” with music. Movement is the most immediate expression of the musical mind. It is the “embodiment” of musicality. Movement makes music tangible. It is a means for the young child to interact with—to touch, to hold, and to chew on—music.
Movement is essential to music learning. It is essential to so many kinds of learning that it is easy to confuse using movement with music for learning and for music learning. Movement with words speaks to the thinking mind. Movement with rhythm or tonal speaks to the musical mind. Movement is the sign language of music—the physical means of communicating everything musical.
