You might think listening to music is only about using your ears. But what if your favourite piece of music could inspire your latest artistic creation?

We all love listening to music, why not express how it makes us feel with colour, shape and texture?

Take part in this home activity, created by Polly Ives from Concerteenies.

Choose a piece of recorded music and, whilst listening, you and your child can create shapes and patterns responding to the different sounds. (Some examples: Flight of the Bumblebee by Rimsky Korsakov. Britten’s Sea Interludes: Storm. Kate Rusby’s Underneath the Stars. Happy by Pharrell Williams).

Or you could experiment creating vocal sounds. See what shapes or patterns you make if you make high/ low voice sounds or if you make short and snappy sounds. See this example.

You (or older children) could draw smiley faces if the music makes you feel happy or sad or angry faces for other styles.

Experiment with different coloured pens – does a particular colour feel happy or sad? Think about different sounds for a chunky crayon compared to a thin pencil.

Discuss, and perhaps write down, any words to describe your music or drawings.

You could even print some blank manuscript paper from the internet and ‘compose’ your own music. If you know anyone who plays a musical instrument, could they improvise a tune inspired by your child’s drawings?

Remember, you can’t do it ‘wrong’! Whether you create a page covered in dots and lines or an elaborate piece of art, we are all enjoying being creative and trying new things!

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