Music-based Activities

Making music is an important process for children and young people that have experienced trauma to undertake and begin to heal. It also helps to restore mother-child bonding and attachment. Child Advocates can hear about the importance of music-based activites in the lectures, or research fun music projects they may wish to perform with their young cleints and their mothers/carers.




Music & the Young Brain
Beatriz Ilari is Assistant Professor of Music Education at the University of Southern California (USC), in Los Angeles, where she teaches graduate courses in music education and music psychology. She holds degrees from the University of São Paulo, Brazil (B.A.), Montclair State University, USA (M.A. -- violin) and McGill University, Canada (PhD). Dr. Ilari uses a variety of approaches to study musical development and growth of infants, children and adolescents. She has conducted research with babies and children from different parts of the world including the U.S., Brazil, Canada, Japan, and Mexico. Her research appears in many important journals including Arts Education Policy Review, Journal of Research in Music Education, International Journal of Music Education, Update, and Early Child Development and Care, among others. She is currently co-editor of the International Journal of Music Education -- Research, and has just initiated an exciting interdisciplinary project on children's music learning and brain development with researchers from USC's Brain and Creativity Institute.
Feeling Their Way: Women and Children using Music to Navigate Transitions from Domestic Violence
Plymouth Music Zone (PMZ) is an award winning community music charity using music to work with diverse disadvantaged communities in order to promote positive personal and social change. PMZ conducts a large range of projects including the Music for a Change project (MFC) which is funded by the National Foundation for Youth Music (YM). MFC aims to empower emotionally vulnerable children and young people and their families experiencing challenging and sometimes traumatic changes. This evaluation was conducted in a refuge for families fleeing domestic violence. MFC provides high quality musical respite involving opportunities for self-expression that improve resilience in families experiencing difficult domestic circumstances. The project also seeks to explore effective practice in using music to support difficult transitions.
When Meds Fail: A Case for Music Therapy
Can there truly be an intersection in life where one can fulfill a lifelong passion and contribute to others' happiness? Tim Ringgold proves that you can indeed. In his riveting talk, viewers are invited to witness how our old, common friend called Music can truly be a transformational bridge to many divides.

Making a Water Xylophone
Fill glasses or jars with different volumes of water. Add different colour dye to each glass. Tap on the glasses with a stick or any other object that will help to make a "ringing" sound. Be careful not to use metal with very young children as they may break the glass.
Metal Bowls in Water
Use several metal bowl of differing sizes and place them in a tub. fill the tub with water and fill each bowl with a little wtaer. Use a stick to tap on each bowl to create music whith children.

Homemade Maracas
Buy egg shakers and decorate them by tapping plastic spoons to the outside to create a maraca. Get children to draw on their tap.
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