by Anne McNair
The most important place for a child’s music education is in the church. It is where they learn to sing not just for the sake of singing, but to engage in humanity’s chief end: to glorify and enjoy God forever. Music provides a venue for children to begin doing that at an early age. I have watched very young children’s eyes light up with a genuine love for God while singing their songs of praise. They connect with each other and with God, experiencing a foretaste of the time when we will all surround our creator and sustainer, singing to God’s glory eternally.
If we believe that vision, then it is vital to equip children to sing to God’s glory throughout their lives and into eternity. Throughout their developing years, enhancing children’s musical skills gives them the tools they need to continually make music, while also giving them opportunities for increasing theological awareness, spiritual formation and worship. Below are some practical ideas to accomplish this throughout a child’s formative years:
AGES BIRTH-2: Begin singing with children in the church nursery and weekday preschool. Sing songs in various modes and meters so that they begin to hear a broad range of musical sounds. During these pre-verbal years, isolate tunes from texts so that they distinguish music from language. Encourage them to approximate your vocal sounds with short melodic patterns. Isolate rhythmic patterns and utilize spoken rhythmic chants to allow them to discriminate between duple and triple rhythms. Songs and chants with words should be carefully chosen with simple, repetitive and theologically sound, age-appropriate texts.
AGES 3-5: As their repertoire of songs increases, start a short chapel service that incorporates all the elements of worship. We have a weekly 10-15 minute chapel service that includes a prelude as the children enter the sanctuary, a spoken call to worship that the children recite and an opening song of praise. The children recite a prayer for illumination and listen to a Bible story, including a short explanation of the story. They offer a prayer of thanksgiving. We sing a song that directly relates to the Bible story. We end with another song of praise and receive a benediction from the pastor, followed by a sung benediction response and a postlude as they walk out. The children are extremely engaged while learning to worship!
AGES 6-12: Provide a choral experience in which time is devoted to learning to read vocal music, both rhythms and melodies. Choose songs that enhance their growing spiritual and theological awareness: songs of praise, songs of prayer and songs that illuminate scriptural texts. Include hymns! The new Presbyterian hymnal “Glory to God” has many hymns that appeal to children. Include old and new tunes, old and new texts, including those from other cultures. Give them opportunities to share their songs in worship, enriching both their own worship lives and those of others gathered for worship.
Soli Deo Gloria! ANNE McNAIR is the director of music at First Presbyterian Church in Savannah, Georgia.
