“Logic will get you from A to Z … Imagination will get you everywhere.” – Albert Einstein

We all know from experience that music touches our emotions.  Listening to a beautiful rendition of “Amazing Grace” can leave us feeling nostalgic or melancholic; whereas listening to the “Imperial Stormtroopers March” from the Star Wars movies can suddenly make us want to enrol as a Jedi, and head into space!

This emotional response can also affect our energy levels.  For example, if you’re wanting to jog faster, you might listen to a more up-beat song. Wanting to boost your mood?  You might pop on a dance song that reminds you of a fun experience in your past.  Wanting to calm an unsettled baby?  You might pop on some soothing instrumental music while you cuddle and reassure him / her.

Emotions and imagination

If music has such a profound effect on our moods and emotions, perhaps that is why it can be so effective in stimulating our imaginations.

Author and Editor, Amy Fries thinks so!  She’s written a book called “Daydreams at Work: Wake Up Your Creative Powers” where she talks about the power of music to activate our imaginations and spark creativity.

She says, “Some people have auditory daydreams.  In other words, instead of primarily visualizing a scene or creation, they hear the “sounds of music.”

Apparently, both Mozart and Tchaikovsky wrote about how they would “hear” compositions as they took long walks or rides in the countryside.

This is absolutely fascinating … but also makes a lot of sense.

Imagine if we could harness the power of music to help children to stimulate their imaginations and ultimately their creativity!

Imagine … Wriggle and Rhyme!

Working with babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers, we harness the power of the imagination in our music programmes.  In fact, our programmes have been intentionally designed to use music as a catalyst for imagination.

For example, in our RHYMERS (18 months – 3 years) programme this term, the children are enjoying a musical adventure in a garden. They’re enjoying the sights, sounds and textures of a garden. They’re also meeting a bunch of little creatures that they’ll find in the grass, trees and flowers.

While on this adventure, they’re building their own imaginary world, which they can then access during their own free play time. Parents often tell us that after class, the children do just that! Wriggle and Rhyme prompts free, imaginary play at home!

Our 3-4 year old pre-schoolers are enjoying a musical adventure to the Kruger National Park to meet the Big Five. Once again, we create an imaginary world for them to explore, always using music as the catalyst.

With children increasingly in front of screens, never before has the power of imagination been more important.

We believe that as children grow and develop, we need to create:

• More spaces for them to grow their imaginations.
• More spaces for them to express themselves emotionally and creatively.
• More spaces for them to ultimately expand their horizons … into worlds that they can only imagine!

Musical resources

 

• Wriggle and Rhyme has a range of musical stories which you can access on your favourite streaming service (Apple music, Spotify, iTunes, etc.) or take a look at www.wriggleandrhyme.co.za/our-music .
• We also have fun, musical episodes on our YOUTUBE channel “Wriggle & Rhyme SA”.
• Our baby and toddler music classes are available in Cape Town – RONDEBOSCH, CLAREMONT, MELKBOSSTRAND and MEADOWRIDGE.
• Our pre-school music classes take place at partner pre-schools across the Mother City.

Find us at www.wriggleandrhyme.co.za or on Facebook and Instagram @wrigglerhyme #wrigglerhyme