Kids Music Advocate

I have a voice student who’s been studying with me for almost a year now. I will never forget that first lesson. He walked in very skeptical about his ability to sing. Reason one, he said he had a slight hearing loss that made him insecure and reason two, tragically, he’d been told from an early age, not to sing! “Don’t sing!” a well meaning family member advised him, “You have a terrible voice!”

“My singing is lousy, my voice is terrible”, is the verdict he carried within himself into adulthood until finally, well into his fifties, his passion for vocal music, the dream to sing in a church choir and the nagging sense of ‘something missing’ in his life since music was taken away, led him to my studio for a second opinion.

You can’t imagine my shock when I heard, we’ll call him Michael, sing for the first time. Not only was he blessed with a beautiful instrument (I’m speaking here of just the raw sound his vocal cords produced), but there was such emotion. Yes, he was unsure of certain notes and certainly we needed to work on his respiration, but these were minor problems that could easily, with patience and a little practice, be remedied.

How cruel, I thought to myself as he told me his story. How could anyone speak to a child like that? How could you say something like that to anyone?

What if we were told from childhood that we were all talented in some way and that all we had to do was to find the thing we loved and to pursue it? You might be asking yourself, does she mean I should lie to my little Tiffany when I’ve heard her screeching along with her favorite American Idol? That’s not the point.

What’s happened to the nurturing environment? Has it gone the way of the 45 RPM and the eight track? There is nothing more beautiful than the light of inspiration in a child’s eyes. And once you have set that little heart ablaze, miracles can happen. It doesn’t matter whether Tiffany becomes the next Joan Sutherland or Beyoncé. Without nurturing that positive mindset you’re asking them to begin by giving up on themselves. Are we truly qualified to judge?

Are we in the superstar building business or are we in the business of building confident, creative thinking, healthy, decision making, problem solving, happy, individuals?

Today’s Thought: “In every successful business…there is one budget line that never gets cut. It’s called ‘Product Development’ – and it’s the key to any company’s future growth. Music education is critical to the product development of this nation’s most important resource – our children.” – John Sykes — President, VH1

Hello Everyone,

I’m Michelle Wiley, kids music learning advocate. Music Learning Advocacy is about helping parents explore ways to get their kids inspired, interested, involved, not only in studying music but in fostering a musical mindset. As a musician and music educator, my goal is to help you give your child the gift of music literacy.

Current studies on what learning music does to the brain proved a notion of mine correct. Not only is making music just plain fun and uplifting to the spirit, the study and performance of music builds a better brain. Kids who study music get better grades in school!
The question is: How can you, as parents foster this musical mindset? I blog about music learning because I know from personal experience how music education enhances and empowers a child’s life. I want to help parents plant the seed and nurture musical growth.

This blog is an invitation to passionate parents to join me, to get involved. I’m interested in hearing your experiences, questions and comments about your child’s musical life. Future posts will offer tips on everything from how to keep your kids motivated, to family activities, to how to keeping them practicing.

A Music Education is not just for the privileged few, nor is it only for the so called “gifted ones.” Making music is a human instinct as old as humanity itself. Every child is expressive. Every child is a music maker. It’s all about making these early connections! So, let’s get started. I’m bringing the message to you: Musical Literacy for all!