Concerts for young children

Abstract

Concerts designed to introduce young children to music and live performance are staged by a variety of organisations and ensembles across Australia. Shows featuring a wide range of performers are advertised for young children. Such concerts include Babies' Proms, Family Concerts by symphony orchestras, Play School Concerts, performances by children's music groups such as The Wiggles, and performances for children by youth orchestras and choirs. To be successful, these concerts must match the needs and interests of their audience of young children, engage their attention and offer the potential to expand their musical worlds. This paper documents the views of some musicians and early childhood practitioners about concerts for children aged from two to six years. Through interviews and observation of performances, some key principles for staging concerts for young children are proposed. Effective ways of incorporating concert experiences into the early childhood curriculum are also examined.