Music is physical. It is impossible to think of music and young children without thinking about physical action. As a child commented, ‘Nobody should have to sit still when there’s music. It moves and it makes you move’ (Campbell 2010). From very early in life, babies will jiggle about on hearing music – moving toes, fingers, heads or their whole bodies – often dancing before they can walk. Music for children is movement – moving their bodies is how they listen to and engage with music. This is not confined to children – in many languages there is just one word for music, dancing and singing.
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