Watch. Wait. Wonder: What children teach us through sound

Written by Dr Clare Seymour of diversitybuds

I recently had the joy of attending a presentation by Dr Jessica Pitt at the MEHEM (Music Education Hubs East Midlands) workshop. I’d love to share a little more detail with you about the inspiring ideas she explored around early childhood musical play. Her session was called: “Time and Space for Musical Play: Knowing and Understanding the World with Young Children.”

It really resonated with what we aim for at Diversitybuds: creating inclusive, musical spaces where children are free to explore, communicate, and express themselves fully—although in our case, that exploration begins with the organically-grown songs we use as springboards into musical play.

Jessica gently reminded us that free musical play—while full of joy and creativity—isn’t always easy for adults to accommodate.

Why?

Because sound-makers are noisy.

Because spontaneous, child-led play can feel chaotic or out of our control.

Because we’re constantly under pressure to demonstrate impact and provide evidence.

Because musical moments are often fleeting, unpredictable, and often really hard to capture.

And yet… perhaps these are exactly the reasons musical play matters so much.

It invites us to let go, to trust the child’s process, and to meet them in a space where connection and discovery can unfold on their terms.

Jessica invited us to see play as a form of communication—one of what Reggio Emilia calls the “100 languages of children.”

(The Reggio Emilia approach reminds us that children don’t just speak with words—they have ‘100 languages’! From music to mud pies, dancing to drawing, pretend play to building towers, children are always finding creative ways to communicate with us and show us what they’re thinking and feeling. Our job is to listen with more than just our ears.)

As we know, musicality begins even before birth. Once born, babies prefer infant-directed singing over other types of singing—or even speaking. Jessica reminded us that through stillness, eye contact, vocal tone and intonation, gestures, and shared laughter, the caregiver and infant co-create meaning. This is what Trevarthen and Malloch (2000) call ‘Communicative musicality’.

And yet, as adults, we often overvalue words. We rely on the spoken and written word to explain the world—while young children are busy learning through sound, movement, rhythm, and emotion.

This idea really struck a chord with me. I often try, in words, to describe the indescribable—especially when it comes to the magic of music. But as it turns out, I’m not alone.

After last week’s email, one workshop participant, Becky, shared a moment from an instrumental lesson she delivered:

“It got me wondering: Where would this particular student be without music? The release of emotion I felt as they played [a new piece] that lesson was …? I can’t find the right word here—perhaps because there isn’t one…”

Jessica also invited us to consider what Professor Anna Craft calls the “little c’s” of creativity—through the concept of possibility thinking. At its heart, possibility thinking is that magical moment when a child (or grown-up!) wonders, “What if…?” or “Could we try…?”

It’s the kind of thinking that turns cardboard boxes into rocket ships and everyday moments into adventures, nurturing curiosity, courage, and creativity as children explore the world in their own way.

Building on this, Jessica’s research explores how young children engage in possibility thinking through music and sound, emphasising that it’s not about performance or perfection—it’s about staying authentic and responsive in the moment.

She also shared some of her own possibility thinking with us – prompts to explore when thinking about musical development in young children, such as ‘Sound as boundary crossing’ or ‘Sound as a connector’, and ‘Music in relationship with the world’ or ‘Music created in the child’s temporality’ (which is one I’d love to explore myself!).

During a practical session, she invited us to create a “Sound Garden” using small instruments, novel sound-makers, and lengths of material. Then we explored—individually and together—responding freely as we

moved through the space.

Simply play.

Perhaps the most powerful reminder from Jessica was this:

Slow down. Notice what children are telling us through their musical communications. Even in their silence, stillness, side-glances, or laughter—there is meaning.

There was so much rich learning in her session that I’m sure I’ll return to more of her work in our Summer Reading 2025 series.

Until then, I’ll leave you with three wise and gentle words shared by Vicki, one of the workshop leaders:

Watch. Wait. Wonder.

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