Why is it that the act of composing music carries such gravitas, it makes us wonder if a child can do it? We all used crayons as a kid to draw our own pictures. Why not use an instrument to make your own music?
In fact, one of the best ways for children to learn to play an instrument is for them to make up their own music with that instrument. But, how can parents help their children do such a thing?
It is not as difficult as you may imagine. As a parent you can invite the child into the world of music-making through avenues that are familiar to you. For instance, have your child make up a story, using their instrument to create the sounds of the characters and actions (a bird, the wind). The child then tells you the story, but instead of using spoken word for the character or action (the bird, the wind), the child plays a sound on the instrument to convey that word.
Another game that parents can try is my musical version of the alphabet game. Using the seven letters of the music alphabet (A B C D E F G) help your child spell some simple words, like BAG or DAD. Then, instead of saying the words aloud, have them play the notes that correspond to the letters on their instrument. Ta Da! — a melody has occurred. As a parent, you need not have the technical skills and experience of a professional composer to help your child compose. The environment you create, and your encouragement and imagination are the primary building blocks. From there you can help them flex their creative musical muscles on a whole new level.