Introducing Kids to Classical Music

Music teacher, Carolyn Sloan, wrote an interactive book called, Welcome to the Symphony, which uses Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5., to introduce children to the world of classical music. Here we talk to her about the book and why music is so important in a child’s upbringing.

What prompted you to write Welcome to the Symphony? I teach music at an independent school in Brooklyn, the Berkeley Carroll School. I teach an orchestra unit to the 4^th grade and I noticed that a lot of the students had never been to a symphonic concert before. I wanted to find a way to introduce kids and their parents to the wonders of classical music, hoping that they would then frequent the orchestra, the opera, or the ballet and become more acquainted with these art forms. I also wanted to make sure that kids had the experience of something different while they were reading a book about music. I thought it really would be better if the music was somehow in the book itself. So I started talking with some people about how we could do that, how maybe with just the press of a button they could hear the theme, hear the music in context and also it would be fun; it would be interactive for the children.

Why is music so important to a child’s upbringing or education? There are so many reasons, first music brings an enormous amount of joy to most people so just in listening, a kid has a reason to sing, to dance, to imagine. I like to say “music is the language of imagination.” It gives a context where our minds can be free and we can dream and imagine.

What’s the best part about teaching music to kids? Mostly it’s fun. I have a really good time working with kids; they really keep me on my toes all the time. You never know what’s going to happen and every day is different. With teaching, in general, children demand inherently that you be flexible, creative, and present and I think that’s a really great way to be all the time. Kids keep you honest. I have to think about how to keep their interest and I have to be ready to change my plans at any moment. I just really enjoy coming to work every day.

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How did you choose the song? I thought Beethoven’s 5^th symphony was the perfect piece because of its motivic melodies. What that means is that it has these very short, melodic fragments. It’s very easy for kids to recognize those three short notes and one long one. Their ears train to hear that. When you think of playground melodies they are all short motivic melodies that kids’ ears really gravitate to, so I thought, Beethoven, in that piece, takes that little fragment and repeats it and repeats it, which made it very accessible and also kids have heard it before so it’s a good starting point. It’s also really dramatic and kids get so excited by the music they start conducting and moving their bodies right away.