Why "Call and Respond Songs" Build a Child's Self Esteem

Call-and-respond songs are especially valuable because they draw everyone into participation quickly.  They usually have a melody that is repeated in the response, or a short repetitive answer.  They are enjoyed by adults and children alike.
I use these  songs to give children oppotunities to respond individually.  After the children are secure in their musical environment, it is vital to encourage them to respond individually.  Each child has the opportunity to hear his or her own voice, and gradually learn to adjust it if they so choose.  Examples are:  Good Day, Hambone, and My Little Rooster

Inspire Your Child to Compose and Create

We can inspire our children to compose and to create through music, whether it's on a piano, with a set of pots and pans, a recorder, or any simple instrument! Songs have a beginning, a middle, and an end. So do stories, so do term papers, business presentations, good speeches, the list goes on and on. Sing your favorite songs together, then ask your child to compose the drum accompaniment to go with the song - even if all you have are pots and pans.

Stay with your Musikgarten or music and movement class and progress through the sequential curriculum for as long as you can. A recent extensive poll found that 88% of all post-graduate students in college and 83% of all people earning $150,000 or more had in-depth music training. Their leadership skills began very early with the first music classes. These inspired in them the love of composing, new ideas, the ability to write about them, and to inspire others to perform those ideas.