Music can be one of the most magical forces in the world; it’s power to soothe, energize, or teach should never be underestimated.
Videos by InspireMore
Parents often use jingles to teach our kids how to talk. From the “ABC Song” to “Old MacDonald,” these tunes are designed to help kids learn what words mean, and how to use them to describe the world around them. As it turns out, using music as a teaching tool is a big part of music therapy, and one viral video that’s going around right now is proof positive that music therapy definitely works.
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With five kids to look after, Amanda Bowman Gray of Crawfordville, Florida, often has to enlist one of the older children to watch the little ones so she can squeeze in a shower each day. One day, she asked her daughter Lydia to hang out with the family’s youngest, two-year-old Bo.
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Bo has down syndrome, a genetic disorder that brings with it developmental delays like speech. At 25 months old, he only knows about 12 words. For comparison, toddlers without speech delays usually know about 50 words at this age.
In spite of his challenges, one thing is for sure; Bo loves music, and it has already had a profound impact on his life.
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Bo has been listening to music since before he was born. His dad, Caleb Gray, is a musician, and most of the kids in the family seem to have an interest in music, too.
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In Amanda’s Facebook video, we get a first-hand glimpse into the power of music therapy. Amanda’s daughter Lydia is sitting on the floor, strumming her guitar, as her adorable little brother sits next to her.
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The mom shared the video along with this note:
“My daughter Lydia was watching Bo while I was in the shower. Came out to this. If she didn’t have a guitar I don’t know if she would know how to babysit him. This is her go to. It’s proof that music therapy works. Bo is 25 months old and has a 12 word vocabulary. Every word he has learned has been through music and singing.”
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Lydia is playing Johnny Cash’s version of the popular song, “You Are My Sunshine.” As she sings, she pauses so that Bo can fill in the blanks with the words he knows, like “dear and blue.” The way he’s swaying along to the music, it’s clear that he is thoroughly enjoying himself – and he’s learning, too!
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Bo is a lucky little guy to have such a talented family of musicians to learn from as he grows up!
Watch the incredibly sweet video below, and don’t forget to share to remind everyone of the power of music to soothe the soul.
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