Parents of a two year old learn very quickly that whatever they want their child to do, the child will not, unless it is his own idea. The parents necessarily have to become very clever to charm the child into going along with anything. Coaxing musical response can turn any child into a two year old, with a will to defy any expectation or request, and determination to hold firm in his decision. On the other hand, alluring children into musical response can turn any child, including two year olds, into cooperative musicians, responding individually on cue.
“Playing music” takes the little child into another realm where he happily loses himself in the wonder of his own musical imagination. Our role has to be that of an “ensemble musician”, also caught up in “playing music,” with the musical narrative prime and only non-verbal communication. The wonder of the young child’s musical mind lost in “playing music” overrides shyness, fear, and stubbornness to engage independently in musical response.
The trick is to get the children so caught up in that wonderful world of “playing music” that they lose themselves and all consciousness of self. Then they respond as musicians. It is only when we try to get them to respond with our words, logic and reasoning that we jar them back into the “real world,” where they once again become two year olds.
Like the clever parent who charms the two year old into cooperating, we can charm little children into responding musically on cue. With a meter dominating the activity, little firemen love to use a pretend fire hose, chanting to put out the fire. Toddlers love the opportunity to “order” at a pretend fast-food restaurant, with each little customer placing an order in rhythm dialogue. With a tonality in command, little musicians are happy to crouch down with hidden faces, popping up regularly like a jack in the box to sing the resting tone, or to sing the resting tone with a puppet.
Parents would never have to learn to be so clever if two year olds cooperated, and we would not have to become so creative. We just have to remember the wonder of childhood and the joy of being lost in music.
