Let's Keep the Beat

One of the very first skills we start to develop is to find the beat of a song, and show that with our bodies (stepping our feet, tapping our hand etc). This practice begins on day one of Kindergarten and does not stop. We are constantly focusing on this skill. Not only is it essential for other musical skills to build on it, but it appears that other skills rely on one's ability to keep the beat. A recent study found this: "There is increasing evidence that rhythm abilities track with reading performance and that language disorders such as dyslexia are associated with poor rhythm abilities."

It might be worth a second to check this out. Music education is important!