Young children are honest in a way that is both brutal and refreshing, and their views are often some of the most entertaining to hear.
Junior Faith Fausnight says, “I think kindergarteners can give some of the most honest and genuine judgment, since they don’t entirely know social cues–like telling little white lies to say someone’s hair looks good after a bad haircut. Kids are taught surrounding views very quickly, but often values like sharing, telling the truth, being kind, listening and following directions, manners, and even problem solving are emphasized at a young age. As children grow up they realize these values are not upheld very well in day to day life and become part of the trend, but while young kids are very pure and can give great encouragement and advice.”
Kindergartener Elaine Linn is no exception to this statement, and certainly has some fascinating perspectives on life. She offered her valuable young thoughts on the profound influence that music can have on people.
According to Linn, there are three main reasons why people listen to music: “sometimes to learn things, sometimes to have fun, and sometimes to celebrate.” But she went a step further to assert that music has the power to change lives.
“Like Taylor Swift’s music technically changes people’s lives,” Linn says. “If you get so interested in music, you become a singer. Like if you sing along to music, like while you’re doing chores, you do your chores in a snap.” She recommends listening to “funny music”: “music that makes you laugh, like ‘Broccoli Island’ or ‘I Love My Cat’.” She also suggests listening to the “best Taylor Swift song, ‘Bejeweled.’”
Linn supports the notion that there are always opportunities around us to listen to music, whether it be “in the car, in the house, or sometimes when you’re playing a game you can listen to music.” (She holds pride in her ability to imitate the aforementioned video game music.)
Junior Reini Patel thinks it’s easy to see why Linn mentions video games as a major source of music. “[Kindergarteners] simply play, eat, and maybe sometimes want to learn. But [they’re] very hands on. They want to feel the world and learn it that way,” she says.
Though Linn enjoys music casually and respects those with more of an interest in the subject, she personally has other interests—but this doesn’t stop her from imagining. “If you like music, you can become a singer. If you like it so so much, and you get so into it, you can become the best singer in the world. I thought of it sometimes, but I normally want to be an artist or something like that. I really want to be a gym teacher or an artist.”
Linn offers a glimpse of her active imagination into what she pictures her life would be like if she was a singer. “All I would really do is plan things and sing. I would wear fancy outfits and make funny, cool music. I could make a song called ‘Walk and Meow Like a Cat.’ Yeah, I would probably make a couple movies and stage thingies. And maybe like things on the stage that make you look like you’re swimming under, but you’re actually not. Like Taylor Swift.” She takes pride in this fantastical independence, specifying that she “would be a singer on my own. I would be about this much famous. Nine inches. Nine famous. Like the ninth person famous. But I actually don’t know eight more famous people. Okay, honestly, I only know one singer. So I might be the second famous. After Taylor Swift.”
