Sound: that's something kids can make. Bops? Well, we do a little dance at the end of the school run. But Soundbops?
If you’re reading this, you’ve perhaps just encountered Soundbops for the first time. So, what is this colourful keyboard, and what has it got to do with teaching your child how to read music?
Let Warwick Music and the team behind this innovative music-making equipment provide you with everything you need to know about Soundbops: what it is, how it works, and how it can make a difference to music education at home, in the classroom, and beyond!
Sound-what?
Firstly, Soundbops is a musical instrument, not a toy. Where a lot of traditional instruments are inaccessible to young children - due to their size, and the physical demands of playing - Soundbops is designed to overcome this limitation. The console is compact, it is lightweight but durable, and the buttons make it easy for smaller hands to operate.
Soundbops works to simplify complex musical concepts, like chords and harmony, by using a system of stackable, colour-coded ‘Bops’ (notes), which allows children to physically build these concepts for themselves. This tactile interaction with, what is usually a more theoretical lesson, helps children develop an involved and practical understanding from a young age.
It is designed for children as young as three years and up. Although the design looks simple and is suitable for preschoolers, the complex musical ideas it can educate means that Soundbops grows and evolves with your child!
How do I use Soundbops at home?
In addition to the physical instrument, buying Soundbops also means you have access to the growing collection of educational resources and play-based lesson plans in our Online Learning Portal. Our activities are divided into distinct topics: Rhythm, Taste, Create, and Theory. Each topic contains multiple thematic lesson plans, video accompaniments, and printable resources that educators can either use straight from the site, or adapt to suit their students.
Additionally, we also have a series of physical flashcards and songbooks which lay out a unique path for understanding musical notation that works in tandem with our colour-coded note system. With these materials, children can quickly learn to play familiar songs (including hits by The Beatles, Madness, and Elton John and more) and will eventually graduate to a traditional instrument completely literate in sheet music.
We provide parents with everything they need to introduce children to music, whether that’s the ability to perform songs, develop an understanding of sound, learn about music across cultures and throughout history, or simply instil an awareness of the health benefits that music can have.
Soundbops presents a solution where children are given the opportunity to explore music, and parents can support this without needing specialist knowledge.
Soundbops in Education
Music education is shifting from the traditional model to more play-based, reflexive lessons. This gives children the freedom to learn and discover things for themselves by doing what they do best: playing.
As music is fundamentally about playing with sound, Soundbops is completely compatible with these new learning objectives.
Research supports that music has a positive effect on the brain, improving its capacity for memory, motor skills, numeracy, and abstract reasoning.
Our approach seeks to integrate music with a range of subjects, allowing all children this experience and equipping them with skills and frameworks that will only help them in their development.
Whether these experiences start children on a lifelong journey toward developing a craft, or if their exploration stops when they leave the classroom, Soundbops is here to shake up how we learn, teach, and think about music.
