Week 14 – The Musical Garden

Welcome back to our Giving Tuesday campaign. It’s week 14 and it’s all about the music. Music can have a positive effect on your well-being, focus and memory, something nature does also, which is why they are interlinked.

Here at Home-Start, we are very lucky to have a very special supporter, Linda Bance. Linda has dedicated her working life to celebrating the importance of music for babies, children and families.

In 1984 she created the popular classes “Play Music Play”, which focuses on the importance of musical creativity for children. These classes are still going strong and if you’d like to know more you can sign up here.

She has also been a consultant with the CBeebies music show Zingzillas, written two books about using music in childcare, and is also a trustee for MERYC England (Music Educators and Researchers of Young Children).

Linda has always been a strong supporter of Home-Start and runs our local choir, as well as producing two music CDs (MumSing and DadSing), both of which will shortly be available to purchase as MP3 downloads from our website!

For this week’s Giving Tuesday, she has very kindly recorded some well-loved children’s songs from the setting of her beautiful garden.

We really hope that you enjoy this music with your children at home, or perhaps with extended family via video call.

Music and nature can help to support your well-being

Studies have shown that music is good for you… listening to a ‘feel-good’ track can help stimulate the brain and release endorphins, helping to stabilise moods and relieve stress. It’s also known to aid memory and can help you cope with difficult times.

Nature also does this, taking a long walk is a good way to relieve stress also and everyone knows exercise is good for you!

Why not combine both, take some headphones with you while you go for your daily walk and listen to some of your favourite tracks.

Or if you’re at home, don’t be shy, turn on the radio, turn it up and have a little boogie! Get the kids involved and show them how much fun can be found in music.

If you’re enjoying our Giving Tuesdays, why not leave us a message on Facebook, or pop along to our donation page.