TO YOU ALL MUSICAL

Mental & Physical Benefits of Playing A Musical Instrument As A Gospel Artiste

Overall Mental & Physical Benefits of Playing Instrument As A Gospel Artiste.

As a gospel music singer/minister, music is the main vehicle of conveying the message of the gospel and the benefits of playing a musical instrument can not be underestimated.

Music has created a huge impact on human history and the world we live in. With that, our beloved instruments have cultivated this art and continue to bring life to the sounds of today.

Each instrument has the power to contribute substantially to society and the individuals that play them. Whether they are brass, percussion, wind, string, bow, or plucked, all are of equal importance.

Did you know that playing instruments are even beneficial for your mental health and well-being as a gospel artiste?

Here Are A few Benefits of Playing A Musical Instrument:

1. Instruments serve as great stress-relievers! The sounds that you hear can soothe and calm your mind. Playing instruments also helps in uplifting your mood and in releasing negative energy! Violins are a great example of this, the soft melodies coming from the sound of a violin can help you focus and boost your energy.

2. Playing instruments aids in boosting your self-esteem and confidence! Since you will most likely be performing and ministering in front of groups of people or a large audience, you will learn to be more comfortable in your own skin.

3. Instruments are an amazing way to bond with people! You will be involved in communities where musicians, gospel ministers mingle, perform and pray with one another. It presents such a great opportunity to meet and collaborate with creatives and anointed ministers.

4. Instruments can also be played in the comfort of your home. If you are looking to unwind and keep your spirits up after a long day at work or fellowship, jamming to instruments is an awesome way to do so!

5. You become brighter and analytical!Playing instruments requires reading and processing skills which in turn improves your memory. It practices your ability to analyze abstract concepts and encourages creativity.

6. Instruments also aid in improving your physicality. More than muscle memory, playing instruments exercises your body as well. It often requires a lot of upper body strength and finger movement thus strengthening your physicality.

7. It enforces self-discipline! It teaches an individual to habitually improve on oneself. Moreover, it instils the mentality that hard work is a prerequisite to success or achieving one’s goals.

8. Lastly, Understanding and playing a musical instrument helps you as a minister to navigate realms of the spirit and bringing down the presence of God as you minister and lead your audience in praise, worship and prayer.

In lieu of the Benefits of Playing An Instrument, it is definitely worth considering. If you are already an avid instrument lover, these reasons should keep you going on your wonderful journey as a musician and an artist/minister.

Not only does playing instruments improve your mental health, but it is also a fantastic way to improve your physicality and social skills. Your experience as a musician is bound to be rewarding and unlike any other.

Best of luck as you embark on your journey!

GOD IS NOT DEAF

GOD IN NOT DEAF by - Olajuwon Adeshola

GOD IS NOT DEAF!!!

Ade tells himself, “God is deaf! I just completed a 21-days prayer and fasting. I have also waited for one month for the answer to my prayers. It still did not come through.”  Ade then decides to embark on a 42-day prayer and fasting since God didn’t hear him during the 21days so he thought that maybe if he doubles it, God will hear!

Have you ever been in Mr. Ade’s shoes? Have you ever been praying and fasting and practicing all the kingdom activities but yet it seems as though God is deaf? But does He actually hear?

When we call God “Omnipresent”- it means He is everywhere at all times.

When we call God “Omnipotent”– it means He has all the power both in Heaven and Earth.

When we call God “Omniscience”– it means He knows all things.

To think of it, how would a person who created the whole world not be Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Omniscience?  Many times, people do not take time out to think about this God. We just imagine that if we press one or two spiritual buttons then we are sure to get what we want.

Jeremiah 1:5- “Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee…” What does it means to know? God knew you before He even formedyou. That’s why He knows everything about you- right from the beginning of your life to the end. God deals with everyone individually.Someone might say that a person gave a testimony of how he prayed and fasted for a job for 70days and got it, so I would do the same. Have you ever considered that the way God designed that person’s life is different from the way He designed yours?

Mathew 6:7- “And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions like the pagans for they think they will be heard because of their many words”. The Bible urges us to walk by faith and not by sight. As long as you are walking in the fear and love of God, then all things are working for your good. You do not need to keep repeating a particular prayer point for days, months and years. God heard you the first time you told Him. If He wanted to do it there and then, He would have done it. Be patient and submit to His time and purposefor your life..

God is not deaf that He cannot hear your prayers. He knows you and sees ahead of you. If what you are asking for is not yet in His agenda for the time being, then you may not receive it. He created the ears, so He cannotbe deaf. That thing you continually pray about would be delivered at the right time. “For the vision is for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak and not lie; though it tarries, wait for it because it will surely come…”- Habakkuk 2:3.

When the time comes for your deliverance, it will happen!

When the time comes for your miracle job, it will happen!

When the time comes for your marriage, it will happen!

When the time comes for whatever you are asking for, it will surely happen!

Take your requests to God and hold your peace, He will cause all things to work together for your good. Just take a quick look back at your life. Have you ever been chasing a particular thing for so long that when you finally get it, you realize that if you had gotten it much earlier, it would not have been advantageous?

God loves you. Believe that! God hears you. Believe that! Trust Him to take care of you. He did not love you because of anything you did. So take a deep breath, calm down, believe and relax in that assurance.

God bless you!   

BE PATIENT ,BE INSPIRED

Be Inspired: God Makes Everything Beautiful In His Time – Be Patient

Winning souls? I am doing that. Living righteously? I am doing that. Paying my tithes and offerings? I am doing that. Praying every day? I am doing that. Reading and meditating on the Word? I am doing that…What is it that am not doing? Stephen asks himself. I have been living from hand to mouth ever since I graduated from the university 5 years ago. It is not easy to make money in Nigeria oh! Or must I steal before I can be comfortable or my life beautiful?

ECCLESIASTES 3: 11 – “HE HATH MADE EVERYTHING BEAUTIFUL IN HIS TIME: ALSO HE HATH SET THE WORLD IN THEIR HEART, SO THAT NO MAN CAN FIND OUT THE WORK THAT GOD MAKETH FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END”.

Don’t you think that there is time for everything under the sun, just as Ecclesiastes said? Sometimes, it seems as if you have done and gotten everything right and the only question on your mind is – Why things are not still working the way you have planned them to be? It could get very frustrating as faith might begin to get lost. Depression, anger and stress will set in when expectations are shattered.

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Is it wrong to have expectations? No. However, it is wrong to give up after expectations are not fulfilled. The world is bigger than we can see. God is bigger than we can imagine. His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts. God looks at the bigger picture for our lives while we are only limited to our 5 senses.

At times the things we think we need and want are not the things God wants for us at such particular time. So if our prayers are in line with Gods word and we do not receive answers from God, then God is saying to us to WAIT!

The Bible admonishes us to walk by faithand not by sight. It is important to believe God and trust in Him whether or not things work as we want.

The deep things belongs unto God. When He called Abraham the father of many nations, it took a while for that prophecy to come to pass.

Do not think that God favours some people and leaves some others. He is not partial but He is faithful and just to everyone on the surface of the earth.

A wise man illustrated the blessings of God to the division of the day – Morning, Afternoon and Night. He said that for some people, their blessings come in the morning; for some others, it comes in the afternoon while for some others, it comes in the Night.

Patience is the virtue we need to live in this world and walk with God. Our blessings will therefore come in His time. The assurance we have of this is; God loves us enough to give His son for us to redeem us off our sins, blessing us and meeting our needs is not a difficult task for God to accomplish.

Be encouraged and wait on God, He makes all things beautiful in His own time.

Rccg july holy ghost service

July Holy Ghost Service, Friday, July 3, 2020

Ministering: Pastor E.A Adeboye

Worship

Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name Oh Lord

Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name Oh Lord

Holy is your name

Holy is your name

Holy is your name Oh Lord

Holy is your name

Holy is your name

Holy is your name Oh Lord

Jesus is your name

Jesus is your name

Jesus is your name Oh Lord

Jesus is your name

Jesus is your name

Jesus is your name Oh Lord

We are the Children of July, children of perfection. Happy birthday to us children of July. God bless us all.

Theme: Let there be Light part 7

Text: Acts 9:1-6

We have some very serious prayers to pray tonight and by the time we finish the Holy Ghost Service, you will know that you will pray like never before so that God will send light.

Saul was persecuting Christians. He was on his way to Damascus going to arrest anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ. On the way, the light shown and several things changed.

Prayer 1; Lord, if am going in the wrong direction, let your light arrest me.

Proverbs 16:25; Many at times we think we are going in the right direction or making the right choices and we are wrong. Except God send His light, we may end up in the out.

Genesis 13:5-13, Genesis 19:12-26, Lits taught he chose right but list everything in one day even his wife was list in the process.

2 Kings 5:20-27; Gehazi went for what his master rejected, Gehazi did not realize he was going the right direction, in the end, he got leprosy after getting all he went for.

1 Samuel 25:1-39, Naaman had plenty of animals, David and his men were helping him to protect the animals. Naaman refused to give food to David and his men, David heard and he said he will wipe him out but was told not to avenge for himself, A light was shown on the part of David that day and God avenged for David.

Prayer 2; Lord send your light, if am riding on the horse of pride, please bring me down.

Many are so proud of using the word I or me, Daniel 4:1-end. Pride is a very deadly sin. James 4:6, Psalm 138:6, Philippians 2:5-12 (The way down is the way up, Humble yourself). If you want to go high, you must learn to humble yourself.

Consider Elisha, 1 Kings 19:15-21, he humbled himself so much that he was pouring water in the hands of Elijah and God promoted him. 2 Kings 4:8-17. He was controlling the high and mighty because he humbled himself.

If you want to climb, learn to humble yourself.

Prayer 3; Lord send your light, let me hear your voice.

For the first time in the life of saul, he heard God speak. He never heard God speak when he was persecuting Christians. Revelations 2:7

It is not everybody, who can hear what God is saying. When God speaks and you can hear, your life will be completely transformed. John 10:27. My sheep hear my voice. You are not sure you are a Christian until you begin to hear from God. When you don't hear His voice, it out a question mark that you are not one of His sheep. Hearing from God turns the tide for you. Exodus 3:1-15. Moses heard the voice of the Lord and his life changed, 1 Samuel 3:1-21, the tide turned for Samuel when he heard from God.

The inability to hear from God might be dangerous. Psalm 107:20. If you can't hear His word, you might not get your healing and deliverance. Isaiah 6:8-10, Romans 10:17

Prayer 4; God please send your light and change my vision and change my focus.

Prophesy: The Lors said there is someone listening to me right now, He said the one who said there is no hope for you will come and tell you sorry, there is hope for you. Amen

Genesis 3:1-7, If you look in the wrong direction, it can destroy you. Judges 16:4-21, 14:1-3. The real destroyer of dams on was his eyes. Samson kept on seeing the wrong thing that is when the enemy captures him. Colossians 3:1-2, Focus on things above. There are people who have done something they will never have done because they were looking at the wrong things. 2 Kings 2:9-15, Elijah told Elisha if you can see me. If you can see the invisible, you can see the impossible. Elisha saw the spiritual things and he ended up with a double portion of Elijah. On the other hand, Naaman saw gold and became a loser.

Prayer 5; Lord send your light and lock me down if you consider it necessary. Acts 9:9

Genesis 40:1-end, it was while Joseph was locked down in prison that's why he became an interpreter of dreams

Elijah was locked down in the house of a widow, 1 Kings 7:8-24, 1 Samuel 22:1-2, David was lockdown in the cave. 2 Samuel 23:9-39, Revelation 1:4-20 (John the beloved was lockdown) 

Prophesy; The Lord wants me to tell someone, I have never been as close to you as I am now.

Prayer 6; Acts 9:19-12, Lord at this moment, send destiny helpers to me.

Prophesy; The Lord said the fellow will understand, Read Isaiah 6:1-8. You have done well thus far but want you to know, I break down in other to build-up

1 Samuel 16:1-13, David was looking after his father sheep in the bush not knowing Samuel is coming. The light has shown from heaven but didn't realize it. 1 Samuel 19:15-21, Elisha was busy on the farm not knowing his case has been discussed between God and Elijah. 

God, please send me a destiny helper in this time of crisis. Some of us might be expecting someone coming from America, but the destiny helper might be already in your house, 2 Kings 5:1-14

Lord, please send a destiny helper to me. If he is already in my home let him speak up. All my destiny helpers wherever they may be at home or abroad, Almighty God, don't ever let them rest until they contact me, let him show up for me.

Prayer 7; based on Acts 9:13-21; God whatever your purpose for my life please fulfill it.

Prophesy: The Lord said there are testimonies and there are testimonies. He said someone will come out of this lockdown with great testimonies.

Galatians 1:15-16, Acts 9:13-21, 1 Timothy 1:15, 2 Corinthians 11:5. 

God has a purpose for every man's life. For that purpose to be fulfilled occasionally He has to arrest you when you are going in the wrong direction. He may need to lock you down and them send a destiny helper so that at the end of the day that purpose can be fulfilled.

In conclusion

Your last prayer; God give me the grace to pay the price. Philippians 3:7-15, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Everybody runs the race, only one wins the prize. 

There are people who will tell you because Jesus has finished the work on the cross and there is nothing for you and no price to pay. Such might be right but know Only one wins the gold medal in a race. They will even say that all that matters is to participate and not necessary to win but the question you should ask them, why don't they give medals to the failures. You must be the best among the best. There is a gap between gold and silver and between silver and bronze. A hundred talents of gold are greater than a million talents of silver. I don't want to be just among the best, I want to be the very best, that should be your aim. 

2 Corinthians 11:27, Luke 5:33-35, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (Pray without ceasing). Daniel 6:1-3. Aim at been the best among the best always.

Prayer; Lord give me the grace to pay any price so that I can be the best for you.

For those of you who have not given their lives to Christ, you have not started at all. The light has shown on you today by listening to this message. Surrender your life to Jesus now so that the purpose of your life can be fulfilled.uly Holy Ghost Service, Friday, July 3, 2020

Ministering: Pastor E.A Adeboye

Worship

Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name Oh Lord

Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name

Blessed be your name Oh Lord

Holy is your name

Holy is your name

Holy is your name Oh Lord

Holy is your name

Holy is your name

Holy is your name Oh Lord

Jesus is your name

Jesus is your name

Jesus is your name Oh Lord

Jesus is your name

Jesus is your name

Jesus is your name Oh Lord

We are the Children of July, children of perfection. Happy birthday to us children of July. God bless us all.

Theme: Let there be Light part 7

Text: Acts 9:1-6

We have some very serious prayers to pray tonight and by the time we finish the Holy Ghost Service, you will know that you will pray like never before so that God will send light.

Saul was persecuting Christians. He was on his way to Damascus going to arrest anyone who is a follower of Jesus Christ. On the way, the light shown and several things changed.

Prayer 1; Lord, if am going in the wrong direction, let your light arrest me.

Proverbs 16:25; Many at times we think we are going in the right direction or making the right choices and we are wrong. Except God send His light, we may end up in the out.

Genesis 13:5-13, Genesis 19:12-26, Lits taught he chose right but list everything in one day even his wife was list in the process.

2 Kings 5:20-27; Gehazi went for what his master rejected, Gehazi did not realize he was going the right direction, in the end, he got leprosy after getting all he went for.

1 Samuel 25:1-39, Naaman had plenty of animals, David and his men were helping him to protect the animals. Naaman refused to give food to David and his men, David heard and he said he will wipe him out but was told not to avenge for himself, A light was shown on the part of David that day and God avenged for David.

Prayer 2; Lord send your light, if am riding on the horse of pride, please bring me down.

Many are so proud of using the word I or me, Daniel 4:1-end. Pride is a very deadly sin. James 4:6, Psalm 138:6, Philippians 2:5-12 (The way down is the way up, Humble yourself). If you want to go high, you must learn to humble yourself.

Consider Elisha, 1 Kings 19:15-21, he humbled himself so much that he was pouring water in the hands of Elijah and God promoted him. 2 Kings 4:8-17. He was controlling the high and mighty because he humbled himself.

If you want to climb, learn to humble yourself.

Prayer 3; Lord send your light, let me hear your voice.

For the first time in the life of saul, he heard God speak. He never heard God speak when he was persecuting Christians. Revelations 2:7

It is not everybody, who can hear what God is saying. When God speaks and you can hear, your life will be completely transformed. John 10:27. My sheep hear my voice. You are not sure you are a Christian until you begin to hear from God. When you don't hear His voice, it out a question mark that you are not one of His sheep. Hearing from God turns the tide for you. Exodus 3:1-15. Moses heard the voice of the Lord and his life changed, 1 Samuel 3:1-21, the tide turned for Samuel when he heard from God.

The inability to hear from God might be dangerous. Psalm 107:20. If you can't hear His word, you might not get your healing and deliverance. Isaiah 6:8-10, Romans 10:17

Prayer 4; God please send your light and change my vision and change my focus.

Prophesy: The Lors said there is someone listening to me right now, He said the one who said there is no hope for you will come and tell you sorry, there is hope for you. Amen

Genesis 3:1-7, If you look in the wrong direction, it can destroy you. Judges 16:4-21, 14:1-3. The real destroyer of dams on was his eyes. Samson kept on seeing the wrong thing that is when the enemy captures him. Colossians 3:1-2, Focus on things above. There are people who have done something they will never have done because they were looking at the wrong things. 2 Kings 2:9-15, Elijah told Elisha if you can see me. If you can see the invisible, you can see the impossible. Elisha saw the spiritual things and he ended up with a double portion of Elijah. On the other hand, Naaman saw gold and became a loser.

Prayer 5; Lord send your light and lock me down if you consider it necessary. Acts 9:9

Genesis 40:1-end, it was while Joseph was locked down in prison that's why he became an interpreter of dreams

Elijah was locked down in the house of a widow, 1 Kings 7:8-24, 1 Samuel 22:1-2, David was lockdown in the cave. 2 Samuel 23:9-39, Revelation 1:4-20 (John the beloved was lockdown) 

Prophesy; The Lord wants me to tell someone, I have never been as close to you as I am now.

Prayer 6; Acts 9:19-12, Lord at this moment, send destiny helpers to me.

Prophesy; The Lord said the fellow will understand, Read Isaiah 6:1-8. You have done well thus far but want you to know, I break down in other to build-up

1 Samuel 16:1-13, David was looking after his father sheep in the bush not knowing Samuel is coming. The light has shown from heaven but didn't realize it. 1 Samuel 19:15-21, Elisha was busy on the farm not knowing his case has been discussed between God and Elijah. 

God, please send me a destiny helper in this time of crisis. Some of us might be expecting someone coming from America, but the destiny helper might be already in your house, 2 Kings 5:1-14

Lord, please send a destiny helper to me. If he is already in my home let him speak up. All my destiny helpers wherever they may be at home or abroad, Almighty God, don't ever let them rest until they contact me, let him show up for me.

Prayer 7; based on Acts 9:13-21; God whatever your purpose for my life please fulfill it.

Prophesy: The Lord said there are testimonies and there are testimonies. He said someone will come out of this lockdown with great testimonies.

Galatians 1:15-16, Acts 9:13-21, 1 Timothy 1:15, 2 Corinthians 11:5. 

God has a purpose for every man's life. For that purpose to be fulfilled occasionally He has to arrest you when you are going in the wrong direction. He may need to lock you down and them send a destiny helper so that at the end of the day that purpose can be fulfilled.

In conclusion

Your last prayer; God give me the grace to pay the price. Philippians 3:7-15, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27. Everybody runs the race, only one wins the prize. 

There are people who will tell you because Jesus has finished the work on the cross and there is nothing for you and no price to pay. Such might be right but know Only one wins the gold medal in a race. They will even say that all that matters is to participate and not necessary to win but the question you should ask them, why don't they give medals to the failures. You must be the best among the best. There is a gap between gold and silver and between silver and bronze. A hundred talents of gold are greater than a million talents of silver. I don't want to be just among the best, I want to be the very best, that should be your aim. 

2 Corinthians 11:27, Luke 5:33-35, 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (Pray without ceasing). Daniel 6:1-3. Aim at been the best among the best always.

Prayer; Lord give me the grace to pay any price so that I can be the best for you.

For those of you who have not given their lives to Christ, you have not started at all. The light has shown on you today by listening to this message. Surrender your life to Jesus now so that the purpose of your life can be fulfilled.

GOAL SETTINGS

SETTING GOALS TO FULFILL YOUR GOD-GIVEN PURPOSE

Because goals are the map that will guide you toward your God-given purpose, without setting them you will also wander in circles without getting where you need to go.

When I once watched paramedics arrive at an accident within minutes, I was in awe of how quickly they had come. What if they didn’t have a map? I wondered. Most likely, they would have driven in circles with a next-to-nothing chance of arriving at their destination.

Because goals are the “map‚” that will guide you toward your God-given purpose, without setting them you will also wander in circles without getting where you need to go.

Setting goals is not unspiritual.

Many people wrongly think, “Goal setting is unspiritual because it shows a lack of trust. It’s not right to plan. Instead, people should wait for God to lead them.‚”

Granted, God doesn’t want us to forge ahead in pride without consulting Him for direction. But neither does He want us to sit around without acting, because He’s given us gifts and talents and has also said that we are called to do good works (Eph. 2: 8-10, Romans 12:4-8, Matthew 25:14-30).

Forging ahead without seeking God or sitting back and doing nothing can stem from fear or a lack of faith. However, setting goals and consulting with Him shows that you trust Him and believe that He is able to lead you while you are moving forward.

The revelation of God’s will is limited and progressive — your goals may change.­

My mother talks in details. If you meet her, she probably won’t just tell you she purchased fabric for her latest wall hanging. Instead, she’ll tell you why she purchased the fabric,whom she was with at the store, when she did it, and how much it cost. She might say something like, “You know Mary­? She’s my neighbor who is married to the plumber and she has a schnauzer. Anyway, I went shopping with her day time ago for two hours and I purchased some fabric from the store around the corner from Judy’s house. You remember Judy, right? Well, the fabric has a sort of blue background with an orange pattern running through it. I just love patterns. I make a lot of quilts using them. You should try it. Anyway, the fabric was on sale,  #900 per yard. Great deal!”

 many people are like . They assume that God needs to give them the entire picture of how their purpose will play out before they set goals. Because they are afraid and don’t trust that God is in control of their future and purpose, they demand to hear from Him in the same way that my mother talks in details. “You will become a doctor. You will go to college at Harvard where you will study brain surgery. After that, you will move to Houston, Texas, where you will immediately become a part of the staff at company. You’ll stay there your entire career until you retire.‚”

Granted, God can do anything, but my personal experience and the experiences of biblical saints reveals that God doesn’t give all the details at once while we are fulfilling our purpose. Instead, He often provides just enough information to help us move forward one step at a time. This helps our faith grow.This does not mean we shouldn’t set goals.Instead, it means we need to trust Him to lead us into the unknown, and that we may need to reevaluate and change our goals as He gives us more information. This is OK. It’s part of having a dynamic, collaborative and exciting relationship with Him. Can you imagine if we had the future all figured out? Life would not be as exciting.

As you progress in your purpose and God reveals more information to you, keep a dialogue open with Him, pay attention to the road signs He provides along the way and listen to Him speak to you through His Word and the Holy Spirit. Then you can be confident that He will show you when you are in—and out—of His will.

Set goals in the context of the total person that God has made you to be.

There are many ways to approach goal setting. Some people look at the big picture, then break goals down into smaller chunks, and some like to take a looser approach. However, no matter how you set goals, it’s important to consider the total how God made you in the process.

God created you (and every person on planet Earth) with several parts. Like a pie with separate pieces, each part is critical to who you are; and all of these parts must be considered when you set goals.

The five parts of a person include:

• Spiritual
• Family
• Social
• Physical
• Work

If you fail to give each part the proper attention and care as you reach toward your God-given purpose, you’ll experience problems.

For example, because God created you as a spiritual being, He wants you to love Him with your whole heart, soul and mind (Matthew 22: 37-40). This means that your goals must agree with your spiritual convictions. If you set goals that go against what you know God asks of you, you will become fragmented emotionally and intellectually and you will lose your joy and enthusiasm...

FUNDAMENTALS OF MUSIC

Fundamentals and Educational Roots in the U.S.

Chapter Summary: The first half of this chapter attempts to define music as a subject and offers perspectives on music, including basic vocabulary and what you should know about music in order to incorporate it in your work with children. The second half gives a brief overview of music education and teaching in the U.S., which provides the foundation of the discipline for the book.

I. Defining Music

“Music” is one of the most difficult terms to define, partially because beliefs about music have changed dramatically over time just in Western culture alone. If we look at music in different parts of the world, we find even more variations and ideas about what music is. Definitions range from practical and theoretical (the Greeks, for example, defined music as “tones ordered horizontally as melodies and vertically as harmony”) to quite philosophical (according to philosopher Jacques Attali, music is a sonoric event between noise and silence, and according to Heidegger, music is something in which truth has set itself to work). There are also the social aspects of music to consider. As musicologist Charles Seeger notes, “Music is a system of communication involving structured sounds produced by members of a community that communicate with other members” (1992, p.89). Ethnomusicologist John Blacking declares that “we can go further to say that music is sound that is humanly patterned or organized” (1973), covering all of the bases with a very broad stroke. Some theorists even believe that there can be no universal definition of music because it is so culturally specific.

Although we may find it hard to imagine, many cultures, such as those found in the countries of Africa or among some indigenous groups, don’t have a word for music. Instead, the relationship of music and dance to everyday life is so close that the people have no need to conceptually separate the two. According to the ethnomusicologist Bruno Nettl (2001), some North American Indian languages have no word for “music” as distinct from the word “song.” Flute melodies too are labeled as “songs.” The Hausa people of Nigeria have an extraordinarily rich vocabulary for discourse about music, but no single word for music. The Basongye of Zaire have a broad conception of what music is, but no corresponding term. To the Basongye, music is a purely and specifically human product. For them, when you are content, you sing, and when you are angry, you make noise (2001). The Kpelle people of Liberia have one word, “sang,” to describe a movement that is danced well (Stone, 1998, p. 7). Some cultures favor certain aspects of music. Indian classical music, for example, does not contain harmony, but only the three textures of a melody, rhythm, and a drone. However, Indian musicians more than make up for a lack of harmony with complex melodies and rhythms not possible in the West due to the inclusion of harmony (chord progressions), which require less complex melodies and rhythms.

What we may hear as music in the West may not be music to others. For example, if we hear the Qur’an performed, it may sound like singing and music. We hear all of the “parts” which we think of as music—rhythm, pitch, melody, form, etc. However, the Muslim understanding of that sound is that it is really heightened speech or recitation rather than music, and belongs in a separate category. The philosophical reasoning behind this is complex: in Muslim tradition, the idea of music as entertainment is looked upon as degrading; therefore, the holy Qur’an cannot be labeled as music.

Although the exact definition of music varies widely even in the West, music contains melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, pitch, silence, and form or structure. What we know about music so far…

• Music is comprised of sound.
• Music is made up of both sounds and silences.
• Music is intentionally made art.
• Music is humanly organized sound (Bakan, 2011).

A working definition of music for our purposes might be as follows: music is an intentionally organized art form whose medium is sound and silence, with core elements of pitch (melodyand harmony), rhythm (meter, tempo, and articulation), dynamics, and the qualities of timbre and texture.

Beyond a standard definition of music, there are behavioral and cultural aspects to consider. As Titon notes in his seminal text Worlds of Music(2008), we “make” music in two different ways: we make musicphysically; i.e., we bow the strings of a violin, we sing, we press down the keys of a piano, we blow air into a flute. We also make music with our minds,mentally constructing the ideas that we have about music and what we believe about music; i.e., when it should be performed or what music is “good” and what music is “bad.” For example, the genre of classical music is perceived to have a higher social status than popular music; a rock band’s lead singer is more valued than the drummer; early blues and rock was considered “evil” and negatively influential; we label some songs as children’s songs and deem them inappropriate to sing after a certain age; etc.

Music, above all, works in sound and time. It is a sonic event—a communication just like speech, which requires us to listen, process, and respond. To that end, it is a part of a continuum of how we hear all sounds including noise, speech, and silence. Where are the boundaries between noise and music? Between noise and speech? How does some music, such as rap, challenge our original notions of speech and music by integrating speech as part of the music? How do some compositions such as John Cage’s 4’33’’ challenge our ideas of artistic intention, music, and silence?

Basic Music Elements

• Sound (overtone, timbre, pitch, amplitude, duration)
• Melody
• Harmony
• Rhythm
• Texture
• Structure/form
• Expression (dynamics, tempo, articulation)

In order to teach something, we need a consensus on a basic list of elements and definitions. This list comprises the basic elements of music as we understand them in Western culture.

1. Sound

Overtone: A fundamental pitch with resultant pitches sounding above it according to the overtone series. Overtones are what give each note its unique sound.

Timbre: The tone color of a sound resulting from the overtones. Each voice has a unique tone color that is described using adjectives or metaphors such as “nasally,” “resonant,” “vibrant,” “strident,” “high,” “low,” “breathy,” “piercing,” “ringing,” “rounded,” “warm,” “mellow,” “dark,” “bright,” “heavy,” “light,” “vibrato.”

Pitch: The frequency of the note’s vibration (note names C, D, E, etc.).

Amplitude: How loud or soft a sound is.

Duration: How long or short the sound is.

2. Melody

A succession of musical notes; a series of pitches often organized into phrases.

3. Harmony

The simultaneous, vertical combination of notes, usually forming chords.

4. Rhythm

The organization of music in time. Also closely related to meter.

5. Texture

The density (thickness or thinness) of layers of sounds, melodies, and rhythms in a piece: e.g., a complex orchestral composition will have more possibilities for dense textures than a song accompanied only by guitar or piano.

Most common types of texture:

• Monophony: A single layer of sound; e.g.. a solo voice
• Homophony: A melody with an accompaniment; e.g., a lead singer and a band; a singer and a guitar or piano accompaniment; etc.
• Polyphony: Two or more independent voices; e.g., a round or fugue.

6. Structure or Form

The sections or movements of a piece; i.e. verse and refrain, sonata form, ABA, Rondo (ABACADA), theme, and variations.

7. Expression

Dynamics: Volume (amplitude)—how loud, soft, medium, gradually getting louder or softer (crescendo, decrescendo).

Tempo: Beats per minute; how fast, medium, or slow a piece of music is played or sung.

Articulation: The manner in which notes are played or words pronounced: e.g., long or short, stressed or unstressed such as short (staccato), smooth (legato), stressed (marcato), sudden emphasis (sforzando), slurred, etc.

What Do Children Hear? How Do They Respond to Music?

Now that we have a list of definitions, for our purposes, let’s refine the definition of music, keeping in mind how children perceive music and music’s constituent elements of sound (timbre), melody, harmony, rhythm, structure or form, expression, and texture. Children’s musical encounters can be self- or peer-initiated, or teacher- or staff-initiated in a classroom or daycare setting. Regardless of the type of encounter, the basic music elements play a significant role in how children respond to music. One of the most important elements for all humans is the timbre of a sound. Recognizing a sound’s timbre is significant to humans in that it helps us to distinguish the source of the sound, i.e. who is calling us—our parents, friends, etc. It also alerts us to possible danger. Children are able to discern the timbre of a sound from a very young age, including the vocal timbres of peers, relatives, and teachers, as well as the timbres of different instruments.

Studies show that even very young children are quite sophisticated listeners. As early as two years of age, children respond to musical style, tempo, and dynamics, and even show preference for certain musical styles (e.g., pop music over classical) beginning at age five. Metz and his peers assert that “a common competence found in young children is the enacting through movement of the music’s most constant and salient features, such as dynamics, meter, and tempo” (Metz, 1989; Gorali-Turel, 1997; Chen-Hafteck, 2004). On the aggregate level, children physically respond to music’s beat, and are able to move more accurately when the tempo of the music more clearly corresponds to the natural tempo of the child. As we might expect, children respond to the dynamic levels of loud and soft quite dramatically, changing their movements to match changing volume levels.

The fact that children seem to respond to the expressive elements of music (dynamics, tempo, etc.) should not come as a surprise. Most people respond to the same attributes of music that children do. We hear changes in tempo (fast or slow), changes in dynamics (loud or soft), we physically respond to the rhythm of the bass guitar or drums, and we listen intently to the melody, particularly if there are words. These are among the most ear-catching elements, along with rhythm and melody.

This is what we would expect. However, there are other studies whose conclusions are more vague on this subject. According to a study by Sims and Cassidy, children’s music attitudes and responses do not seem to be based on specific musical characteristics and children may have very idiosyncratic responses and listening styles (1997). Mainly, children are non-discriminating, reacting positively to almost any type of music ...

Music Teaching Vocabulary

After familiarizing yourself with the basic music vocabulary list above (e.g., melody, rhythm), familiarize yourself with a practical teaching vocabulary: in other words, the music terms that you might use when working in music with a lesson for children that correspond to their natural perception of music. For most children, the basics are easily conveyed through concept dichotomies, such as:

• Fast or Slow (tempo)
• Loud or Soft (dynamics)
• Short or Long (articulation)
• High or Low (pitch)
• Steady or Uneven (beat)
• Happy or Sad (emotional response)

Interestingly, three pairs of these dichotomies are found in Lowell Mason’s Manual for the Boston Academy of Music (1839).

For slightly older children, more advanced concepts can be used, such as:

• Duple (2) or Triple (3) meter
• Melodic Contour (melody going up or down)
• Rough or Smooth (timbre)
• Verse and Refrain (form)
• Major or Minor (scale)

Music Fundamentals

The emotive aspects of music are what most people respond to first. However, while an important part of music listening in our culture, simply responding subjectively to “how music makes you feel” is similar to an Olympic judge saying that she feels happy when watching a gymnast’s vault. It may very well be true, but it does not help the judge to understand and evaluate all of the elements that go into the execution of the gymnast’s exercise or how to judge it properly. Studies show that teachers who are familiar with music fundamentals, and especially note reading, are more comfortable incorporating music when working with children (Kim, 2007). Even just knowing how to read music changes a teacher’s confidence level when it comes to singing, so it’s important to have a few of the basics under your belt.

Preparation for Learning to Read Music

Formal note reading is not required in order to understand the basics of music. Younger children can learn musical concepts long before learning written notation. Applying some of the vocabulary and concepts from above will help you begin to discern some of the inner workings of music. The good news is that any type of music can be used for practice.

• Melodic Direction. Just being able to recognize whether a melody goes up or down is a big step, and an important auditory-cognitive process for children to undergo. Imagine the melody of a song such as “Row, Row, Row Your Boat.” Sing the song dividing it into two phrases (phrase 1 begins with “row,” phrase 2 begins with “merrily”). What is the direction of phrase 1? Phrase 2? Draw the direction of the phrase in the air with your finger as you sing.
• Timbre. Practice describing different timbres of music—play different types of music on Pandora, for example, and try to describe the timbres you hear, including the vocal timbre of the singer or instrumental timbres.
• Expression. Now practice describing the expressive qualities of a song. Are there dynamics? What type of articulation is there? Is the tempo fast, slow, medium?

Learning Notation: Pitch

It sounds simple, but notes or pitches are the building blocks of music. Just being able to read simple notation will help build your confidence. Learning notes on a staff certainly seems dull, but coming up with mnemonics for the notes on the staff can actually be fun. For example, most people are familiar with:

• Every Good Boy Deserves Fudge to indicate the treble clef line notes
• F A C E to indicate the treble clef space notes
• Good Boys Deserve Fudge Always for the bass clef line notes
• All Cows Eat Grass for the bass clef space notes
• But allowing children to develop their own mnemonic device for these notes can a creative way to have them own the notes themselves. How about Grizzly Bears Don’t Fly Airplanes for the lines of the bass clef, or Empty Garbage Before Dad Flips or Elephants Get Big Dirty Feet for the lines of the treble clef?

Notes of the Treble Staff

Notes of the Bass Staff

NOTE/PITCH NAME PRACTICE

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 
22. 
23. 
24. 
25. 
26. 
27. 
28. 

NOTE REVIEW: SPELL WORDS WITH NOTES

1. 
2. 
3. 
4. 
5. 
6. 
7. 
8. 
9. 
10. 
11. 
12. 
13. 
14. 
15. 
16. 
17. 
18. 
19. 
20. 
21. 

1. 
2. 
3. 

Learning Notation: Rhythm

Rhythm concerns the organization of musical elements into sounds and silences. Rhythm occurs in a melody, in the accompaniment, and uses combinations of short and long durations to create patterns and entire compositions. Rests are as important to the music as are the sounded rhythms because, just like language, rests use silence to help organize the sounds so we can better understand them.

Notes and rests

Whole note	Whole rest
Dotted half note	Dotted half rest
Half note	Half rest
Quarter note	Quarter rest
Eighth note	Eighth rest
Sixteenth note	Sixteenth rest

RHYTHM PRACTICE: LABEL EACH RHYTHM

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

6. 

7. 

8. 

Learning Notation: Meter

Meter concerns the organization of music into strong and weak beats that are separated by measures. Having children feel the strong beats such as the downbeat, the first beat in a measure, is relatively easy. From there, it’s a matter of counting, hearing and feeling how the strong vs. weak beats are grouped to create a meter.

Duple Meters

In duple meter, each measure contains groupings of two beats (or multiples of two). For example, in a 2/4 time signature, there are two beats in a measure with the quarter note receiving one beat or one count. In a 4/4 time signature, there are four beats in a measure, and the quarter note also receives one beat or count.

Examples of 2/4 Rhythms

Examples of 4/4 Rhythms

Triple Meters

In triple meter, each measure contains three beats (or a multiple of three). For example, in a 3/4 time signature, there are three beats in a measure and the quarter note receives one beat.

Examples of 3/4 Rhythms

Compound Meters

Both duple and triple meter are known as simple meters—that means that each beat can be divided into two eighth notes. The time signature 6/8 is very common for children’s rhymes and songs. In 6/8, there are six beats in a measure with each eighth note receiving one beat. 6/8 is known as acompound meter, meaning that each of the two main beats can be divided into three parts.

Examples of 6/8 Rhythms

s

Learning Notation: Dynamics

Learning some basic concepts of dynamics and tempo will allow you better access to involve children in music listening and making.

The two basic dynamic indications in music are:

• p, for piano, meaning “soft”
• f, for forte, meaning “loud” or actually, with force, in Italian

More subtle degrees of loudness or softness are indicated by:

• mp, for mezzo-piano, meaning “moderately soft”
• mf, for mezzo-forte, meaning “moderately loud”

There are also more extreme degrees of dynamics represented by:

• pp, for pianissimo and meaning “very soft”
• ff, for fortissimo and meaning “very loud”

Terms for changing volume are:

• Crescendo (gradually increasing volume)
• Decrescendo (gradually decreasing volume)

Crescendo

Decrescendo

DYNAMICS PRACTICE

Fill in the blanks below using the following terms: fortissimo, pianissimo, mezzo-forte, mezzo-piano, crescendo, decrescendo, forte, piano

1. p
2. f
3. ff
4. mp
5.
6. mf
7. pp
8.

Learning Notation: Tempo

Tempo is the speed of the music, or the number of beats per minute. Music’s tempo is rather infectious, and children respond physically to both fast and slow speeds. The following are some terms and their beats per minute to help you gauge different tempi. The terms are in Italian, and are listed from slowest to fastest.

• Larghissimo: very, very slowly (19 beats per minute or less)
• Grave: slowly and solemnly (20–40 bpm)
• Lento: slowly (40–45 bpm)
• Largo: broadly (45–50 bpm)
• Larghetto: rather broadly (50–55 bpm)
• Adagio: slow and stately (literally, “at ease”) (55–65 bpm)
• Andante: at a walking pace (the verb andare in Italian means to walk) (73–77 bpm)
• Andantino: slightly faster than andante (78–83 bpm)
• Marcia moderato: moderately, in the manner of a march (83–85 bpm)
• Moderato: moderately (86–97 bpm)
• Allegretto: moderately fast (98–109 bpm)
• Allegro: fast, quickly and bright (109–132 bpm)
• Vivace: lively and fast (132–140 bpm)
• Allegrissimo: very fast (150–167 bpm)
• Presto: extremely fast (168–177 bpm)
• Prestissimo: even faster thanpresto (178 bpm and above)

Terms that refer to changing tempo:

• Ritardando: gradually slowing down
• Accelerando: gradually accelerating

Scales

Scales are sets of musical notes organized by pitch. In Western culture, we predominantly use the major and minor scales. However, many children’s songs use the pentatonic scales (both major and minor) as well.

The major scale comprises seven different pitches that are organized by using a combination of half steps (one note on the piano to the very next note) and whole steps (two half steps together). The major scale looks as follows: Whole Whole Half Whole Whole Whole Half or W W H W W W H.

A minor scale uses the following formula: W H W W H W W.

Pentatonic scales, found in many early American and children’s songs, only use five pitches, hence the moniker “pentatonic.” There are many types of major pentatonic scales, but one of the most popular major pentatonic scale is similar to the major scale, but without the 4th or 7th pitches (Fa or Ti). One of the common minor pentatonic scales is similar to the minor scale, but also without (Fa or Ti).

Major, minor (natural), and pentatonic scales

Major Scale (C Major)

Minor Scale (A Minor)

Major Pentatonic (C)

Minor Pentatonic (A)

SCALE PRACTICE

Label the half steps and whole steps for the C major scale.

Practice writing your own C major scale.

Label the half steps and whole steps of the A minor scale.

Practice writing your own A minor scale.

Resources for Further Learning

There are numerous websites that cover the fundamentals of music, including the staff, notes, clefs, ledger lines, rhythm, meter, scales, chords, and chord progressions.