Nurturing Your Child with Music: How Sound Awareness Creates Happy, Smart, and Confident Children [Paperback]

John M. Ortiz (Author)

Book Description

Collects creative methods for introducing music into family life with "music menus" appropriate for preborn through school-aged children.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The value of music in the lives of children and adults has been well documented in books and periodicals, one of the most widely read being Don Campbell's The Mozart Effect (Avon, 1997). Here, psychologist Ortiz attempts to follow his Tao of Music with a book filled with exercises and games to stimulate the ear-training necessary for good listening. Unfortunately, his is a wordy and repetitive guide, geared more to child development in general than music in particular. His "Sound Psychology" techniques integrate music of all sorts into everyday activities (brushing teeth, making beds, reading, going to sleep, dining), but he often tell us the obvious (e.g., that music in a young child's room "should echo these positive feelings of warmth and comfort"). At holidays, he suggests Hanukkah songs for Jewish children and cites songs like "Rudolph" and "Jingle Bells," which are hardly Christian in nature, for "Christian children." Even his definitions of musical terms in the appendix tend toward the subjective. Not recommended.
-Linda Beck, Indian Valley P.L., Telford, PA
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Details

• Paperback: 225 pages
• Publisher: Beyond Words Publishing (November 29, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582700214
• ISBN-13: 978-1582700212
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,190,628 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "Brain-Gym" Soundtrack, August 1, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Nurturing Your Child with Music: How Sound Awareness Creates Happy, Smart, and Confident Children (Paperback)

This book is an excellent resource for both parents and educators who deal with both mainstream and challenged populations. For those of us interested in gaining from the benefits of the latest brain research, or "brain-compatible strategies," without having to sort through the theoretical concepts or scientific research that often make these books cumbersome this book is the answer. The author--a clinical psychologist with actual experience in these matters--shares with us his years of research and professional experience in a very handy, ready to use volume that provides hundreds of fun, useful, hands-on exercises. Each chapter also thoughtfully provides dozens of musical suggestions based on songs that our kids actually listen to and recognize. The amount of research that must have gone into this book boggles the mind. This is an offering from someone who not only KNOWS children, but also loves and cherishes them. If you are fortunate enough to attend one of Dr. Ortiz's workshops on this topic you will be further enriched and enchanted by his charm, knowledge and humor. Mindy Mother of two, educator

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must read for parents and educators!, March 10, 2000

By 

Donna J. Grace (Hawaii) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nurturing Your Child with Music: How Sound Awareness Creates Happy, Smart, and Confident Children (Paperback)

Nurturing Your Child with Music by John Ortiz fills what, to now, was a significant void in every parent's and educator's bookshelf. The topics he addresses; speech and language,listening and learning styles, relaxation and stimulation, restlessness at bed time, the development of confidence and a positive self-identity, and others are ones that all of us involved in raising or educating children struggle with throughout their crucial periods of development. His sensible approaches and

unique ways of using both music and sound to help children conquer these life events are exemplary. Later in the book he shares a large number of witty exercises and techniques to get children involved in areas such as helping with household chores, building "sound" relationships with their elders and peers, and using a wide spectrum of musical styles (classical as well as pop, jazz, new age, children's, world beat, country & western and many others) for spicing up family time be it the home, the playroom, or the road. His list of resources, including family oriented music, books, parenting organizations, and even internet sites is the most comprehensive I've seen in any parenting book. I recommend this book very highly to both parents and educators.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, July 4, 2000

By 

Hellen Shaw (South Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Nurturing Your Child with Music: How Sound Awareness Creates Happy, Smart, and Confident Children (Paperback)

As both an educator serving hundreds of children over the past 12 years, and a mother of three I have found this sensational, practical book a wonderful resource. Parents, teachers and caregivers will find in this well organized, clearly written book a wealth of information for situations that all of us who nurture children encounter throughout our daily interactions. A true, sensitive delight filled with hundreds of user friendly exercises, fresh ideas and insights into how the world sounds to children today. Helen Shaw, secondary school teacher