On April 1st, in conjunction with the Nashville Symphony, the Vanderbilt Music Cognition lab hosted an interactive music and storytelling event for local families: Storytime with the Nashville Symphony.
Musical storytelling practices date back to ancient times. Today, early childhood practitioners often utilize musical devices to enhance literacy education and improve therapeutic outcomes. Musical symbols such as harmonic patterns, rhythmic imitation, and tempo variation can help to illustrate literary themes and promote comprehension. One study published in the Journal of Music Therapy demonstrated that music improved young children’s ability to pay attention to a story, even despite other auditory distractions in the room.
Featuring a violin-bassoon duo from the Symphony, Storytime with the Nashville Symphony attendees participated in the telling of tales ranging from Aesop’s fable, “The Astrologer who Fell Into a Well” to Ben Gundersheimer’s bilingual children’s story, Señorita Mariposa. The musicians modeled the sounds of different musical “characters” with accompanying gestures, which young attendees acted out as each story was read in full with musical accompaniment.
Reflecting on a delightful morning of musical imaginations, we look forward to offering continued opportunities for early childhood musical engagement to give back to Nashville families.
Example Citations on this Topic:
Musical Stories: Strategies for Integrating Literature and Music for Young Children