Tell us why children need to hear the sound of music and win tickets to a two-day festival at Glastonbury

[RowanMumsnet]

Following on from our webchat with Charles Hazlewood earlier this year, we?re teaming up with his 'Orchestra in a Field' event to offer Mumsnetters the chance to win tickets to a weekend-long camp-out at Worthy Farm.

Even assuming that you would want to take the whole family along to a classical music event, it simply isn?t affordable for most people. Orchestra in a Field, an outdoor music festival in Somerset that Charlie has put together, is determined to open up classical music to new audiences. Charlie has decided that making his festival affordable and family-friendly is the key.

The two-day festival (30 June ? 1 July), a sort of 'Glastonbury meets Glyndebourne' experience, offers free entry to under-13s, big concessions to students and teens, and free camping, which means families with children under 13 can make a weekend of it for as little as £110 (the cost of two adult weekend tickets). (As an added bonus, if enough MNers sign up you could treat it as a meet-up )

The ticket price includes world-class concert performances of Carmen, Mussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibition and Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, along with a host of other music-related entertainments, workshops and activities, including: a kids' area, helter skelter, flamenco dancing and drumming workshops, Puppet Opera, ukulele lessons, and a Rap Slam. Other highlights include a Community Choir Sing-Off, a debut performance by The British Paraorchestra, and Mike Oldfield's iconic Tubular Bells in a rare live supergroup performance featuring Goldfrapp and Portishead musicians.

Ten lucky MNers can win a pair of AAA tickets each to Orchestra in a Field. To be in with a chance, please post on this thread to let us know your opinions about early musical education for children. At what age do you think a child should learn a musical instrument? How important is it to expose children to Mozart? Has your child benefited from singing in a choir? What are your experiences of attending classical concerts with kids?

Thanks,
MNHQ

Children can begin to learn a musical instrument as soon as they're interested/can hold it/ reach it! . However lessons can only be as long as the child can concentrate. For pre-schoolers that might be 10-20mins.
Group sessions involving singing, clapping, dancing, waving scarves around and so on are an excellent way to prepare the teenies for instrument lessons and also to continue to develop their musical skills along with instrument lessons. And fun and sort-of-exercise.
Different instruments suit different children. Eg, piano quickly involves a lot of note-reading and co-ordinating both hands. However you can get a long way without having a very good ear! The violin family on the other hand requires a good ear as the player has to pitch the notes themself.
Some instruments lend themselves to different genres more easily than others too.
Mozart composed 'Twinkle, twinkle little star'! Many orchestras do concerts specially for children. If the audience has a lot of little ones in it there will probably be more background noise at the concert and it's okay to very quietly talk to your child eg, look at the enormous tuba over there. Asking the little ones to listen out for particular things will help them to concentrate. And it's most acceptable to sway in time to the music and pull expressive faces! Or go to hear live music that they know from recordings (or live singing from mum/dad etc of course.)
It's not usually compulsory to sit through a long performance. You don't HAVE to stay till the end....
Orchestra In A Field sound like a fabulous idea. Best wishes for a great success.

Well I don't know much about the other issues but I do know that my 10 year old DD was thrown out of the school choir for not 'passing' the auditions. No account taken that she was already in the choir and had turned up to practices and concerts without fail. Plus that she really loved being in the choir.

The teacher just changed the goal posts for entry to the choir and the next thing we knew loads of the kids had been thrown out and the favoured few allowed to stay/join.

Not sure how that fosters love of music though.

My DCs all adore music, and unlike many young types, they don't just listen to one genre. To be fair, their very young childhood saw them introduced (by me) to punk, Gangster Rap, Death Metal, Drum and Bass, Classical and Daft Pop. By the latter I mean acts like Half Man Half Biscuit and Frigid Vinegar.

Both daughters play guitar, though the younger is more into musical theatre nowadays. I'm not sure Mozart is necessary, but classical certainly is. My kids loved Prokoviev's Romeo & Juliet and Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue.

I remember when they were young not asking them if they liked a piece of music, but what they found either good or bad about it, as it made for better discussions. A particular favourite was Dogmanaut 2000 for the line 'Blowing him away with loaded bananas', which is hilarious when you're 5. :o

I come from a musically interested family and was encouraged to sing from an early age. We've done the same thing with dd and she's developing a lovely singing voice. She has just started asking to listen to classical music, but has always listened to a wide range of styles, particularly old musicals . She attends a very small village school and unfortunately there is no one who can lead a choir. Because I'm so passionate about the benefits of singing for young children from physical, emotional and musical viewpoints, I go in every Autumn term and run a choir until Christmas. I find it enormously sad that music is being squeezed out of schools through a lack of qualified or experienced musicians from within the staff and the never ending squeeze on budgets to pay for specialist teachers. Unless a school is particularly focussed on music, having a musician on staff is generally just a happy accident.

I think music is incredibly important for children - music of all types, and enjoying making music just for the sheer joy of it.
We listen to all sorts of music in the car - blues, metal, musicals, folk, classical, opera; and talk about it. Which can be interesting at times.
DS's school has a big music focus, so he does get a lot of opportunities there to make and enjoy music, and I hope he will take up an instrument next year. He already enjoys trying playing the piano, recorder and guitar, and loves to sing.

I think music is important what ever sort it is and I exposed mine to all sorts even when in the tummy. My little girl went in my Tum to a meatloaf concert on her due date & I am sure thats why she loves to rock!!

I think interpretation of music through dance, singing, instruments is all equally important but the main thing is to have fun through it

music is important for children to listen to, for the pure enjoyment of it. I played music and sang to my son when he was in his belly. he loved it from an early age, he was dancing, loves instruments and now hes 2 and a big fan of lots of different styles of music. He has his favourite songs and he will tell you if he doesnt like something. Music can be soothing to my son as well, we put chilled music on before bedtime, which helps him nod off.

I didn't have a musical education as such, and when it comes to playing an instrument I feel I had 2 left hands. However I adored music, had an old record player in my room and played records all the time - my parents records, my records, my neighbours records, friends cassette mixes - oh the joy.

My 2 young girls simply love music - they were born moving to the groove :) - singing and dancing.

DD1 is now 4 and I'd like to think she will be involved with music somehow - though she does have a weird sense of timing. She is very much into singing. Her record player is often my iphone which she can listen to music on anywhere.

Music is physical, and emotional - it can help you express your emotions when you can't find the words.

We will always encourage both girls to sing and play music and simply just enjoy it.

My son had lots of ear infections when he was young that impaired his hearing for the first couple of years of his life, so whenever he heard loud sounds, including music, he became frightened. You can't stay away from music, it's everywhere, birthday parties, in the car, shopping centres etc. Introducing him to gentle music gradually improved his confidence in social situations where there was loud music - now he's always asking to download a particular piece of music he's heard, or playing our old 90's dance CDs at full volume around the house...My 3 kids now 'chair dance' during meal times when there's music in the background, lock themselves in the playroom having a disco with torches and engage in imaginative play with music at the heart of what they're doing - from classical ballet performances to crazy games to their father's rock CDs, it's a major source of inspiring fun and creativity.

I think you automatically expose children to music from a young age, as tiny babes you sing to them, when they become toddlers you take them to music groups and you sing learning songs etc.

I did the above with my two DCs, they both started to play the piano when they were 6 and they both love it, DS1 has joined the school choir and they and they have both joined a musical theatre group.

DC2 loves music and enjoys just sitting at the piano practicing or just making up his own little tunes for DS1 music has contributed in a big way to his life and he hasn't even realised. He has ASD with dyspraxia and dyslexia, from a young age he struggled with co-ordination, mixing in social groups, concentrating and reading. Learning the piano has helped him to concentrate for longer and longer periods and also helped him with his co-ordination, learning to read music has been difficult because of his dyspraxia but because he loves piano he's persevered and singing in the school choir has helped him become socially involved with a group of children and learned how to mix socially with them. It's changed his life and all in the background just doing something he enjoys.

Both DCs enjoy all music they listen to rock and pop on the radio but their piano teacher and theatre teacher have introduced them to other genres and they are quite happy sitting and listening to music at a piano recitation.

I loved music as a child because I had been sang to everyday and my Dad sat with me playing his guitar and harmonica everyday.
Now I have my own child, I sing to him everyday and will play to him everyday in the hope he enjoys it as much as I did.

Judging by him stealing my iPad being stolen out of my hands every 5 minutes for the baby piano, I think he's loving music a bit too much! :o

I think it's important to learn to play the penny whistle mostly so you can piss off your Aunts and Uncles by blowing it loudly in their ear before progressing to playing raggle taggle gypsy at a very high pitch. Jokes aside listening to and playing music is one way for my son to express himself and to join in with the rest of the family. When my 16 month old son stands on his chair and turns around and around while listening to his dad's orbital records I can see absolute joy in both their faces.

and ps - I really really wanted to play the cello as a child but was told (at 11) that I was too small. I found out later that they could have given me a smaller cello. Pants!

From only a few months old I've been taking my son to music groups for babies and he thrives on playing with and exploring the rattles, drums and chimes available. I have always sung to him (even the shopping list!) and I know that creating rhythms and rhymes helps children to learn language and cadence for speech.

Music helps him to understand sound and texture and provides great enjoyment and learning.

I think that music lessons and musical experiences are essential for baby and child development for all sorts of benefits, from memory, to understanding patterns, speech development and aural recognition.

I hope that he will be able to learn and practice music in school to build on the foundations from the early play experiences.

We're both quite musical so our DCs are too - for me it would be unthinkable not to have a piano or lots of guitars in the house and it's okay for toddlers to have a go on my harp - as long as they don't drop it on their heads!

I also think it's good to encourage them to dance and enjoy music practically. I.e it should not be a 15 minutes a day sit down and do it but sing while you wash your hands, bang out beats on plantpots in the garden thing. Anything which gets children to really enjoy music.

Of course my children sing like wounded whales and have no sense of rhythm but this may change later (I hope - they are quite loudly enthusiastic)

We started DS (11) listening to the Baby...(Mozart, Bach, Beethoven) series at about 4 months old and almost as soon as he could construct sentences he was able to identify the composers on the basis of what he had heard from being very, very young. We always listen to classical music (although a bit mainstream with Classic FM) so the children have been 'exposed' from a young age and will regularly identify music used in adverts. But we are certainly not classical purists in this family.

We have not pushed the children to play musical instruments and they have not expressed any particular desire to learn one. DS did try out the recorder but certainly did not show a natural aptitude! But I would consider both to be naturally musical.

However we are very into musicals and music generally in this household. It is our ultimate way of relaxing and even expressing what mood we're in! The children have been exposed to a wide variety of music from our generation (Pink Floyd, David Bowie, Burt Bacharach, Blondie, The Clash, Stranglers) to contemporary classical music, Enaudi, Michael Nyman, to traditional classical music, to the whole gamut of musicals from Gershwin to Rogers and Hammerstein to Andrew Lloyd Webber. All the musical films from Oliver! to South Pacific to Annie have given them a real interest in singing their hearts out, much to the amusement of many, as they often sing on their way to school!

DS has fought shy of joining the school choir even though he has a lovely voice, because it is almost exclusively a female set-up. DD loves singing and is an active member of the school choir. Trying to encourage DS to take up the choir at secondary school but don't think boys necessarily view it as cool, even though all the singing-based programmes on TV are required viewing in this household, particularly for DS.

I would say that music is part of the backbone of family life for us. I think singing produces serotonin and generally feel-good vibes and we all love singing along to songs and generally chilling with different types of music.

DS has been going to Barbican concerts aimed at youngsters since he was quite young. He and I went to a Young Chorister of the Year event at St Paul's Cathedral a couple of years ago. DD is more fidgety and so less likely to sit through a listening event, but more likely to enjoy a musical.

I guess our approach to music is eclectic but it very much works for us. DS and DD are both already talking about starting a band with their cousins when they get a bit older and have even started writing some lyrics.

Personally think music one of the single-best gifts to give to your children and it doesn't come at a high price either!

My husband and I are both terrible singers and not at all musical in the traditional sense, but both love and enjoy music. Our kids enjoy singing (but seem to have inherited our voices :O They went to bouncing beans as little ones and enjoyed the chance to play on/with a variety of different instruments and have had toy instruments to play on, and real ones when old enough.
I think music is a key to your sole and can help lift you when you are down - not everyone is talented but all can benefit from and enjoy music. I simply cant imagine life without it.

Music is extremely important. Both my dc love music from lady gaga to Oliver.

The "Sound of Music" is especially important as I pitty the poor fool who has never heard "the lonely goatherd" and never experienced yodelling at the top of their voices on the way to school and nursery!

I love the description of this festival - what a superb idea! My dcs are 6, 4 and 1, so we're at a fairly early stage in this process, but its something I think about a lot!

To answer the question, I need to explain my own experience: I was brought up listening to a huge range of music. The joy of growing up in London was being exposed to a huge range of music events (particularly Sunday orchestral perfomances on the South Bank and at the Barbican, although I never enjoyed the violin concertos), as well as my dad's massive collection of Motown, the Beatles and Bob Marley. My dad encouraged me to trust my own tastes and reject the anodyne SAW sound of the mid/late 80s. I skipped all pop music, and went from Motown to 60s hits, 70s prog rock, heavy metal, industrial rock and into techno, dance, jazz, blues and all over the place in between over the years. Music has been a huge influence and factor in my life choices and I'm determined to give my dcs the same appreciation. My dh comes from a totally uncultured different background, and only really listened to pop when we met. I've been training him slowly

Anyway, I'm determined that exposing my dcs to an enormous range of interesting, intelligent and well contructed music (Handel, Back, Beethoven, Mozart, Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Metallica, Rolling Stones, Orbital, The Orb, Eat Static, Ozric Tentacles, Joss Stone, Amy Winehouse, Rachmaninov.....you get the picture) is the best way to allow them to develop and grow their own tastes and ideas. I want them to feel comfortable expressing an opinion about music, and love that they choose to put on all sorts of music on the cd player in their room. I recently bought them Peter and the Wolf and Peer Gynt, and we've had some great discussions about different parts of these pieces make them feel.

Overall, I cannot sufficiently express how important I believe it is to expose my dcs to a massive range of music :) :) I was always determined to avoid the bane of listening to childrens nusery rhymes in the car, and reckoned if I got them started early enough on music I like, that could be avoided :) :)

DS is now 6 and keen to learn guitar or piano, and we have agreed he can start lessons next year. His singing voice isn't great, but singing gives him pleasure (I can't sing a note, but also love it) so we're happy to encourage that whilst giving him the 'tools' to continue to be musical once someone points out to him that singing isn't his biggest strength!!

The last classical concert we attended in full was the ENO production of The Nutcracker ballet at Christmas. This was also the dcs first ballet and they sat utterly entranced through the entire performance - but I only had the confidence to take them as it was one of the 'family' performances. I'd love to take them to more, and am planning to take them to some outdoor performances this summer. I would love to take them to more performances but always worry that someone else will have paid lots of money for their ticket, and will be irritated by my 1yo getting fidgety, or 4yo whispering - so we will be sticking to 'family friendly' events for now.

As they get older, I fully intend to drag them to art galleries, museums, NHS properties and classical concerts every free Sunday as its one of the things I think my parents got really 'right' for me :)

we had the radio on all the time when kids- that was about the extent of my music but have been to gigs and festivals a lot.... dh did piano and guitar - esp - ds has been to baby singing and a multi-music thing - also a space concert at southbank which was amazing...definately up for something more...sounds fab

Music is a huge part of my family's life. I do think it is very important for children.
I can remember pacing a room with a tiny DS1 singing Frank Sinatra to him to calm him down in the early evening! I play piano and we have sung nursery rhymes and christmas s songs together since they were born.
DS1 started to learn piano at 7 and cello a snort time after that. He has played his piano at school as part of a talent show and is offered a few opportunities a year to play his cello in a group. As he improves I hope he will want to take advantage of the local Music Services Saturday morning music schools which offers ensembles etc.
He is also very lucky to be involved in Sing Up this year and has done one concert and is due to do another at the local corn exchange in June.
DS2 started piano at 6 and is determined to learn trumpet as well next academic year when peripatetic lessons are offered to him in year 3. He is also learning the recorder in school- I help in these sessions. Their school is very lucky to have a number of musical teachers (an oboist, a flautist, a violinist and a generalist).
DD loves singing and is one of the strongest singers in Reception.
My children regularly go to music concerts. They attend my Community Choirs concerts, my brother and sister in laws concert Band concerts and we also recently attended a local orchestras children's concert which was fantastic as they played Saint Seans Carnival of the Animals and DS1s ambition is to play The Swan on his cello!
I think music can add so much to young peoples lives. And yes I think Mozart is important! Classical music has such variety and apiece can be found for any occasion or emotion.

ps meant to say his school does singing every week and for yr3 a choir which he's going to join...I think doing things that are not 'academic/3r's are very important in childhood as gives chances for other areas to devlelop and show skills for those who are not academic

I think it's very important to expose children to music and we do our best to play different types of music, although it's mainly non-classical due to our own preference/familiarity (both DH and I worked in record stores pre-children so got used to be surrounded by music, going to gigs, etc.). All 4 DC attended toddler music groups.

When they were little a game we had was to identify the instruments and they enjoyed listening out for cymbals, violins, etc. I think the popularity of bands such as Mumford and Sons has helped in the promotion of other instruments in 'pop music' beyond the 2 guitars, drums and bass. Mine love the banjo and the brass section.

Learning wise - one of my DC is learning the violin, viola and piano (at age 8) and another is very keen to learn the drums like his big cousin (on a drum scholarship) which is great.

Music education in our state school however isn't great. No choir and singing is reserved for learning hymns for the next church assembly. They do learn recorder as a class of 30 but my DS only learnt 3 notes over 2 years and was bored silly. I didn't feel much music education was given to link the fingering on the recorder to reading the music (he was 8 and 9). I wish they would do more or lose it altogether. Even my instrument-playing DD is getting turned off the recorder. It's a token gesture IMO.

I would like to take them to a big London musical as a lead up to taking them to a classical concert or ballet and this is next on my list.

The main reason, as far as I am concerned, is just the sheer enjoyment. So many different styles of music, so many ways that it is created and performed. The varieties are endless and magical.

e always have music on at home so, without pressure, I have exposed my DS to music from the day he was born. He has a very diverse range of musical likes/loves: from Blur to Bizet and everything in-between. He has played the piano from age 5 and is working through the gradings via school tuition and home practice. He has been part of his Junior school choir and now sings as part of his Secondary school's Chamber Choir. He constantly sings at home and obviously loves it. He will be enjoying a trip abroad with the Chamber Choir this summer - so, through music, he is also experiencing travel and exposure to other countries and cultures. Magnificent. The creation and enjoyment of music is one of the most wonderful gifts we can pass on to our children.

Music big in this house in all it's different forms. DS1 is severely autistic, one of the first signs (before we knew) was that he would shake to certain classical music. The BBC theme tune to the Sydney olympics used to do it to him! He actually stopped talking and started singing when he regressed. So it he saw a star pre-regression he'd say 'dar', post regression he'd sing 'twinkle twinkle'. He still sings, although he still can't talk.

DS2 has gone down the drums and musical theatre group. He loves singing as well, and for some time was the only boy in the school choir. Usually he won't join anything if there are no other boys! He's quite happy singing solos in front of an audience - bigger the better as far as he is concerned.

DS3 is 7 and has just started learning the violin. This was entirely his choice after seeing Seth Lakeman playing. He takes it quite seriously, and likes to tell me whether the music he is playing sounds sad or happy. He sings all the time, although doesn't seem to have the voice his brothers have. He says he's going to join the school choir next year - luckily they're non-selective

DS1 is always turning music on, although he tends to get fixed on certain tracks.