The Lost Advantages of Childhood

To develop your ear, you need to sing a lot. It doesn't matter the context. Sing on a regular basis, and you'll have a good ear. The younger the better.

To develop a sense of rhythm, you need to move to music. You need to sway. You need to dance. You need to be silly.

Childhood gives us an advantage in these areas because we don't care about what people think. A four-year old will happily sing in front of an audience of thousands without an issue. Probably dance naked, too.

The struggle comes about when children grow up and lose the advantages of childhood. When they start worrying what others think of them.

Singing in public is embarrassing. Dancing to music looks childish, especially not being able to feel the beat.

And this is the struggle working with older students who weren't encouraged to sing and dance as young children.

We know the solutions. Singing develops the ear. Movement develops rhythm. But getting older students to do this even once, let alone every day, is like moving mountains.

Much as many music teachers try, all the music theory and rhythm exercises in the world won't solve these problems.

This teaches us two lessons.

The first is a reminder to take advantage of our kids' early years. The lack of inhibition. The excitement for adventure.

The second is a challenge to help kids retain this childlike sense of experimentation. Preferably through adulthood. And if they've lost it, to help them get it back.

In a world where everyone is clawing for the right answers to the same old questions, regaining the childhood advantage is like having a superpower.

A superpower that opens a universe of possibilities.