Acting on the world
Music and rhythm
In shortMusic plays with prediction, and playing or singing together means keeping in time with each other without words.
The idea
Music is a game of prediction: rhythm sets up an expectation and melody plays with it. Playing, singing or dancing together means predicting each other moment by moment, a way of getting in sync without words. The structure is predictable, the surprises are small and enjoyable, and practice gives fast evidence of progress.
How to start
- Start with rhythm: clapping, drumming, marching to a beat.
- Sing or play together, taking turns to lead.
- Start with music the person already likes, then add one new piece.
What to look for
What to look for: small groups or one-to-one lessons, a teacher who starts from what the child likes, and some freedom to improvise.
The common mistake
Starting with long technical practice before there is any pleasure in playing.
Want to know more?
Start here
Short, plain pieces by the researchers and good writers.
The science behind itHow strong the evidence is, the model, videos and references.
How strong the evidence is
A way of thinking A lens for interpreting what a child does, not a rule from trials.
Koelsch, Vuust and Friston (2019) and Vuust et al. (2022) describe music perception as hierarchical prediction, with pleasure linked to prediction errors that are resolved, for example syncopation at moderate levels. Making music in a group requires mutual prediction and timing. Evidence of transfer from music training to general cognitive skills is weak (Sala and Gobet, 2020); the case for it rests on the activity itself, on rhythm and on doing things with others.
References
- Koelsch, S., Vuust, P., & Friston, K. (2019). Predictive processes and the peculiar case of music. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 23(1), 63–77.
- Vuust, P., Heggli, O. A., Friston, K. J., & Kringelbach, M. L. (2022). Music in the brain. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 23(5), 287–305.
- Sala, G., & Gobet, F. (2020). Cognitive and academic benefits of music training with children: A multilevel meta-analysis. Memory & Cognition, 48(8), 1429–1441.
Found this useful? Buy Ricardo a coffee