The music component is integral to all such programs. It serves the express ive, emotional, intellectual, social, and creative needs of all children. Music educators should take the initiative to network with parents and early childhood professionals to disseminate developmentally appropriate materials and techniques for use in c urriculum planning. A music curriculum for young children should include many opportunities to explore sound through singing, moving, listening, and playing instruments, as well as introductory experiences with verbalization and visualization of musical ideas. The music lite rature included in the curriculum should be of high quality and lasting value, including traditional children's songs, folk songs, classical music, and music from a variety of cultures, styles, and time periods.
All children have musical potential.
Every child has the potential for successful, meaningful interactions with music. The development of this potential, through numerous encounters with a wide variety of music and abundant opportunities to partic ipate regularly in developmentally appropriate music activities, is the right of every young child. Children bring their own unique interest and abilities to the music learning environment. Each child will take away that bit of knowledge and skill that he or she is uniquely capable of understanding and developing. Children must be left, as much as p ossible, in control of their own learning.