© 2019 IJRAR January 2019, Volume 6, Issue 1 www.ijrar.org (E-ISSN 2348-1269, P- ISSN 2349-5138) IJRAR19J5984 International Journal of Research and Analytical Reviews (IJRAR) 225 An Analytical Study on Teaching Moral Values to Children through Music Dr. Narendra Kaur Associate Professor, Department of Music, RRMK Arya MMV, Pathankot, India Abstract : Small children can be taught the morals of life easily and quickly with the help of music which will make the teachings lively, interesting and retentive; as music has a natural charm for the kids. Children are in the habit of being fascinated by the sweet things. Musical tones have a very strong appeal and their sensations affect the mind and the soul sweetly, therefore children long for it from the core of their hearts. Musical mnemonics help them to memorize the important facts. It gives exposure to the inner urges of the children. Songs with themes based on ideals are usually part of religious activities. It is therefore that the devotional renderings are made musical to teach morality to the human beings in our religious shrines. Thus it will certainly be of great advantage if young ones are taught the ethics with the help of music. IndexTerms - Music, moral values, culture, education, society, ethics. I. INTRODUCTION Early childhood is the pinnacle of human life. Everything experienced in this age has a definite influence throughout life. It is a crucial phase of one’s life and has a great impact in a person’s character making. It is the time when parents and teachers should keep a strict vigil on the conduct of their wards. Things learnt during this age sustain forever, the degree of retention may differ. Therefore the curriculum of education for early childhood should be such that it should incline towards the all-round development along with tending to inculcate moral principles of life. The mental development consists in itself of the intellect, mental abilities, reasoning power, creativity, concentration, contemplation, emotional development, good-thoughts etc. A teacher is required to blossom the bud of the sweet childhood to its full growth. So the teacher must impart education in such an ideal manner so as to play a role model to the children. Children learn only when they feel something sensational and interesting; and for this, their eagerness should be awakened. A child when becomes eager, will learn quite quickly though some basic instincts are inherent and eagerness plays an important role in learning. Every society has its own values and culture which are inherited from generation to generation. Education through mere books can never be complete without moral teachings. They may be in the form of musical songs, rhymes, or any other art forms. Moral teachings through music is a very natural and attractive way to teach children about cultural values. In the Indian culture, music has always been considered as an important art form. Though in our education system, music has generally been assigned a secondary place, yet it is highly sought for all round development of the personality of a child. Music provides children with a means of self-expression, it makes them aware of one’s culture ans traditions. It is through music also that we come to know the historical background of our culture and heritage. This paper aims at studying value of music for moral teachings. II. LITERATURE REVIEW This universe is a conglomeration of energies, sound energy being an important aspect of it. Albert Einstein recognized as one of the smartest men who have ever lived believing the same. In his words, “If I were not a physicist, I would probably be a musician. I often think in music. I live my daydreams in music. I see my life in terms of music. I get most joy in life out of music”. Music is important in most people’s lives independent of their cultural origin. Music can foster bonds between people and communicate values and identity. All human cultures show evidence of musical behaviours (Wallin, Merker & Brown, 2001; Merriam, 1964). The role of music across societies is very similar, for instance, lullabies are sung, dance and festivals are celebrated, personal and group identities are communicated, it delivers pleasure around the world, and many religious practices cannot be imagined without music. Music has been part of Indian subcontinent since antiquity. It was seen as an excellent means for realization of god. Music was considered as a source of culture and civilization. According to Hindu mythology each god or goddess is associated with some kind of musical instrument. Goddess Sarasvati is seen with Veena in her hands, Lord Shiva is associated with damru, Lord Vishnu with conch; Lord Krishna is inseparable with flute and Narada with an ektara. There were many works on music written in later periods explaining various characteristics, types and techniques. But the theory of music as expounded in Gandharva Veda got lost. We know that in Ages past music was not considered merely an entertainment but rather was associated, in fact, interlocked with religious, philosophical and educational beliefs, thus possessed axiological connotations. (Chabra S. and Mishra M. 2012:158) While speaking of values, some behavioural patterns that define both the individual himself and the environment he lives in cannot be ignored.There may surely be various different behavioural patterns in every society and every culture; but it doesn’t change the fact that there are also universal value patterns accepted in each society.Values aim at perfecting the individual by developing his personality in each way and bringing out the very best in him. (Aydın and Gürler, 2012:3)