ABSTRACT
Children respond enthusiastically to music from very early in life. Music has universal appeal and has always been one of the principal components of children's play, enhancing the play experience. There is little in Western culture that encourages direct involvement in musical activity. Crowded urban living, often in high-rise dwellings, robs children of space and freedom to play noisily and in groups. And musical play is a group activity that often requires space and always produces sound. Musical play abounds with opportunities for personal growth and group building. The structure provided by songs, dances, singing games, or games done to music creates this imaginative situation in which true play can happen. Those who have studied music were taught to view it with such seriousness that they see it as an art form and not as play material. Leaders with no music training, on the other hand, are hampered by their awe and fear of the medium.
