Music : a learning tool for young people?
Is listening to classical music a sign of intelligence? Can listening to Mozart help our brain development? Should we introduce our children to music as early as possible?
Following the release of her book "The Musical Child" in 2021 in the U.S., Joan Koenig answered questions from Lisa Tolin, a reporter for the popular American morning show "The Today Show".
In this interview, Joan Koenig goes back to the basics of what the world's leading experts are telling us about these topics and how music can help with learning, social relationships and more.
Lisa Tolin's interview for Today USA
Joan Koenig explains the method she uses in her book, now available in French,"Tous les enfants naissent musiciens" (Actes Sud Editions) in bookstores and on all online sales platforms.
Here is a passage from the interview that you can find in full here.
[It turns out that there are good reasons to encourage kids to love music, even if making them smarter isn't one of them. Contrary to years of parental advice, listening to classical music won't raise kids' IQs, said Joan Koenig, founder of L'Ecole Koenig Preschool & Music School in Paris. She explains that music practice helps children develop cognitive, emotional and social skills that are crucial in a child's life. More than IQ, according to numerous longitudinal studies.
"Music is a tool for learning, developing creativity and emotional regulation, in addition to being just plain fun"] she told TODAY Parents .
"Musicking" from an early age
Little children playing music
According to Joan Koenig, "Humans were making music together long before the first note was written on the first staff, but this practice has largely disappeared from our daily lives. Music has never been more readily available on so many platforms, yet many generations of us mistakenly believe that "musicking"-my favorite term for musical practice-requires arduous training. There is an easy and natural way to include the wonders of music in the lives of children. I know, because I have spent most of my life doing it."
A review of the book "Tous les enfants naissent musiciens"
The book was published in French on September 28, 2022 by Actes Sud Editions.
Joan Koenig tells the story of her musical awakening course, "baby musicking", and its incredible benefits on the development of children, supported by numerous research and neuroscientific studies. There are also many simple exercises to reproduce at home with your child. This is an informal and instinctive approach.
Discover the biography of Joan Koenig, founder of the Koenig School, and her atypical career path.
The book "Tous les enfants naissent musiciens" is now available : Read the article about the book here.
You can also read the English version of Joan Koenig's book: "The Musical Child".
> Buy the book "Tous les enfants naissent musiciens"
> Buy the English version of the book "The Musical Child"
Image Credits / Today Logo / Freepik image children