Studies have shown that music can help stimulate a child’s brain. Children who are exposed to classical music tend to be more active and responsive and can interact very well. This is the reason why pregnant women are encouraged to play classical music before their baby is born. This can be a great start for the child’s brain development. One instrument that fits well with classical music is the violin. If you introduce violin playing to your child at an early stage, your child might have an advantage in personal and mental development.
There are many reasons why playing a violin at an early stage can be helpful to your child. It can help in your child’s brain development. With violin playing, your child will learn how to identify the right tone and pitch when he/she is playing. This may help in the increase the intelligence level of the child. This is a good exercise for the brain as it develops more skills in other areas such as analysis and abstract reasoning.
Not only can that be very helpful in the mental development of the child, playing a violin can also help in the physical development such as developing the child’s coordination skills. Just like other instruments, playing a violin requires the right coordination of the hands. In this case, the left and the right hand should coordinate well to produce great music. The left hand is responsible to finger the violin string to produce the right tone and pitch. And the right hand should bow correctly to product the right sound. The coordination of both hands is essential to produce beautiful music.
The other area that can be developed by playing the violin is the child’s emotional development. Just like with other music lessons, this can be very helpful in boosting a child’s confidence. He/she won’t be capable of playing any instrument if the child does not develop trust and confidence in his/her self. One way to step this up is to let your child join music performances. Encourage your child to do a solo performance or to join a group playing instruments.
All of these aspects will not be achievable if you are not there to support your child. These lessons can be difficult at first, but with your help and constant practice, this is very achievable. Just be supportive of your child and they may learn how to play the violin and gain some other benefits as well.

Most people believe that Jazz music was first heard during the period known as the “Jazz Age” of the 1920’s. The truth is that the origin of Jazz was much earlier. In fact it’s roots can be traced to a period between 1850 and 1900 when African slaves and freed people began to experiment with European music.
The music of central and western Africa is filled with intricate rhythms and improvisation played on percussive instruments. When the early African American people incorporated these rhythms into American spirituals, hymns and hillbilly tunes the roots were planted for new forms of music that would eventually lead to the Jazz phenomena. However this new improvisational style of music wouldn’t be a given name until around 1915 when it was first referred to as “Jass” or “Jassing”.
The first instruments used to play this new style of music were more commonly part of military marching or dance bands. Percussion, brass, woodwind and string instruments were taken up by the African Americans. Without formal training the new musicians were free to interpret and play in their own style. The new music lacked formal structure and collaborative improvisation became a key feature of the new sound. African rhythms and improvisation were combined with European instruments and American tunes. As Jazz developed, long improvised solo performances would also become part of many music pieces.
The first style of music to be classed as Jazz was called Dixieland and it was performed from around the turn of the century in the Southern states of America. New Orleans would become the first home of this new sound. Dixieland itself had it’s roots in the Ragtime music played at the end of the nineteenth century. In fact many Dixieland bands and orchestras would include Ragtime music in their repertoire.
Jazz music would become a form that gives musicians freedom to experiment with sounds. New harmonies and rhythms could be added to music on the fly, adding originality to each performance. It can be described as “music from the heart”. Each instrument and performer adding their individual brilliance to a collective performance. Put it all together, and that’s what they call Jazz!

Most of us have been touched by a poem at least once in their lifetime. Poems are a beautiful way to express human emotions. They can be complicated or simply formed. While most of us enjoy poetry, very few of us would think of writing a poem to express our own experiences. The task seems daunting and complicated. It does not always have to be that way. If you study the basic structure of different poems, you will easily be able to write simple poems for your own enjoyment. It is a joyful endeavour and will be a very satisfying experience. Someone has rightly said that poetry is the language of the soul.
Haiku – The most shortest and popular form of poem is a haiku. This is a form derived from Japanese poetry. Haiku is a three-line poem with the first and third line having five syllables each. The second line has seven syllables. Haiku does not necessarily have to rhyme. Haikus focus on a particular revealing or insightful moment. Images are integral to a haiku poem. The positioning and contrast of these images is what makes a haiku beautiful.
Tanka – Tanka is traditionally, a non rhyming form of Japanese poetry with 5 lines. The second, fourth and fifth lines have seven syllables each while the first and third lines have five syllables. The subject of a tanka usually deals with human emotions.
Shape poems – These are easy to master once you get the hang of it. Shapes poems are poems written in a particular shape. To begin, first draw a shape. The shape can be a triangle, a heart or even a shape of a Christmas tree. Start our writing your poem in these shapes and watch your poem literally take shape.
Calligrams – Calligrams are poems that take the shape of the subject of the poem. For example a poem talking about a house can take the shape of a house.
Acrostic poems – Acrostic poems are fun and have a puzzle to solve. The first letter on each line can spell out some name. The trick is to look for a pattern.
Ekphrastic poems – Ekphrastic poems are those which comment on an art piece such as a painting or an artefact. Sometimes it is the other way round. Artists are inspired by the imagery presented in the poem.
Quincouplets – This is a recent form of poetry inspired by a six word story by Ernest Hemingway. It is a five word poem with two words on the first line and three words in the second line.
Free verse poems – These do not have a specific structure and give the poet total freedom. This is a perfect form for beginning writers to start with.