Book of the Year 2021, Presto Classical

A book of activities, games and suggestions for parents of small children who would like to introduce joyful music-making into everyday family life.

Designed around the daily routine of young children, these miniature games and explorations encourage a natural instinct for music and lay the foundations for creativity and self-expression.

“I wish I’d had this book when my daughter was small.”
(Sarah Walker, Presenter, BBC Radio 3)

“Original, accessible and full of joy.”
(franspianostudio.me)

“A really original approach to such an important part of our children’s development. Inspired a lush morning watching my husband play epic drums on our pots and pans. A rare treat.”
(Rachel, mother to Abbie, 4, and Annabelle, 2)

“A useful and joyful manual to help parents with young children explore the joys of music. Split into sections full of ideas for musical activities covering everything from ‘morning wriggles’ to bedtime lullabies and rescue kits for ‘exhausted parents’, The Happy Music Play Book is filled with flashes of humour, interesting tips and warm insight. Williams is keen to speak to all parents, not just the converted, and the book is the result of thoughtful and personal musical experience, touching on the psychology of musical learning, child development and the great benefits and joys of early musical exploration.”
(BBC Music Magazine)

“The Happy Music Play Book is a beautiful book for any family to use and allows music to become part of life, much like language would… The ‘tailormade to each child’ approach to learning in this book is another part of what makes it such a good resourse, with there being no suggestion of ‘correct’ or ‘incorrect’. Rather, spaces are created for different responses and types of learning and exploration to take place.”
(Music Teacher Magazine)