Play drums first. Learn to walk second.

I'll never forget our drum circles in the 10-months through 2-year-old classroom. Large sized "Tubano" drums that were meant to be played in their standing position laid out all over the early childhood classroom floor. This wasn't the initial design plan for my drum circle, but when you have late crawlers and early walkers they just aren't interested in some kind of upright drumming position. So the parents and myself sat next to the Tubano drum playing on the drum head from it's side. Awkward enough but even stranger was the children's preferences during drum circle. They wanted to climb and sit all over the drums while their parents played the rhythms to 'Wheels on the Bus' and other children's favorites.

The teacher in me had some resistance to my students NOT playing their instrument in a music class. For sure, I figured, the parents think I'm a joke instructing them throughout all of drum circle time. But it occurred to me week after week that 2 key things were taking place in the young child here.

1. They could feel the rhythm while they sat on the drums. This, for the developing young child, is actually just as if not more important than following the given task of hitting the drum. I knew that much!

2. The parents were role-modeling the playing of a musical instrument for their child. In fact if I could caption what a room full of drumming parents says to children it would be "I'm having fun playing music…and you can too." Nothing kills a person's own insecurity around self-expression like the message: Come alongside. you're not alone.

I'll never forget after one of these classes a mother ran up to me, child on hip, declaring "That was the first time he ever stood himself up ever! Just now while we were drumming! I can't believe that just happened and in music class!!"

I like to think our young friend rose to a very inspiring occasion that day.;-)

April