It’s pretty well known that listening to music has many benefits. Playing an instrument takes it a level deeper and neuroscience suggests it can help with memory, pattern recognition, spatial awareness and problem solving.
Babies are also known to recognise music in-utero and can remember a particular song after being born if it was played to them while they were in the womb. This was true for Havvie for her namesake song, Havana by Camilla Cabello.
Havvie’s love of musical instruments was apparent from a very young age. I remember at 5 months she was hitting a spatula with a drumstick very consistently to the beat on her own. When I saw this, I took a keen interest in introducing musical instruments to her, although I do not have a musical bone in my body.
We have a dedicated space for musical instruments in our play area. Currently there are 7 instruments laid out in that area. We have a guitar, a tambourine, a bell shaker, a double agogo, an African drum, a pellet drum and a rainmaker. It’s heavy on the percussion instruments as that is most appropriate for Havvie’s skillset at the moment. It’s all laid out at her height so that she can see each instrument individually and pick up exactly the one she wants to play.
I also have around 5 other instruments stored away. As Havvie’s interest in a particular instrument wanes I store that one away and introduce a different one. All of the instruments can really be played and I purchase the real thing as opposed to toy versions as much as possible.
There are many activities Havvie engages in with the instruments:
– She sings songs she’s familiar with while playing an instrument, usually the guitar, drum or tambourine.
– She plays instruments to the beat while there is music on in the background.
– We have jam sessions as a family.
– I play music on Alexa and Havvie guesses what the instrument is. She can pick out the piano and guitar very well.
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