C&.notes Educators Sing Music’s Praises (NAPSA)—Music may not just be important to a child’s development and education—it could actually be instrumental. Schools that have music programs have significantly higher graduation rates than those without programs (90.2 percent as compared to 72.9 percent), according to a Harris Interactive poll of high school principals, funded by MENC—the National Association for Music Education. In addition, schools that have music programshave significantly higher attendance rates than do those without programs. Other studies indicate that children who have an interest in music perform well in school and tend to lead healthier lives. So how do you spark a musical interest in your child? Try these tips: Tune In Odds are your child is already familiar with a number of TV shows. The next time he’s watching, ask him to pay attention to the background music and theme music. After the show, ask him what his favorite tunes were and try to sing them together. Play The Game If your child is into video games, check out a game such as “Jam Sessions” for Nintendo DS. It lets players strum a virtual guitar by running their fingers over the gaming system’s touch screen. It was designed with both musicians and musical novices in mind and features three easy-to-use Video games and otheractivities could sparkan interest in music. modes including a “Tutorial Mode,” which teaches users to play guitar, understand chord progressions and recognize chords by ear. Play It Again Play music around the house when you're cleaning, cooking or just relaxing—andfeel free to sing along with your favorite tunes. Children learn by watching and if they see that their parents have an interest in music, odds are they’ll have an interest, too. Make It Fun Encourage your kids to put on a fun family concert. They can lip- synch to some of their favorite songs, sing a few bars or even play a few instruments if they have any. You could even record the performance and play it back on your television as a music video that the whole family can enjoy. For more information, visit www.ubi.com.
