Dad’s teaching songs hit right note

A collection of songs originally written by a dad for his two young children have led to the launch of a major new online learning resource for youngsters.

Popcorn Kidz is the culmination of a final-year project by University of the West of Scotland (UWS) student James O’Neill; a promising singer-songwriter and BA Commercial Music student.

ABOVE: James O'Neill

The website utilises the power of music and animated videos to teach toddlers about topics such as the alphabet, road safety and healthy eating, in a way that is designed to be memorable.

James said: “Music is a powerful tool when it comes to education – whether it’s children or adults, songs are easy to remember and an effective way to learn.

“I wanted to take this method of learning and use it to create a resource for nurseries and parents, to help kids understand certain things.

“To be honest, when I originally came up with the idea of doing this, I had my University project in mind more than anything else; but overwhelmingly positive feedback from parents, kids, teachers and academics encouraged me to take the concept forward.”

ABOVE: Animated videos have been designed to match each song

The project was based around songs James had written for his own young children – songs that he hadn’t expected anyone else to hear.

He added: “I’d used some of the songs from Popcorn Kidz to teach my children, and to encourage an early love of music.

“For that reason, they hold extra meaning to me, and I’m so glad to be able to share them with a wider audience, alongside brand new songs written specifically for this project.

“I’m incredibly pleased at the early reception to Popcorn Kidz, and I know it’s already being used by parents and in some nurseries. I’m blown away by that, and I’m really excited to see what the future brings.”

BA Commercial Music lecturer Clare Duffin said: “Popcorn Kidz is an innovative idea and a perfect showcase of the creativity shown by our students and graduates on a daily basis.

“I very much look forward to seeing what James does next with this project, and I’ve no doubt that his future is bright.”

For more information about studying Commercial Music at UWS, visit: https://www.uws.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduate-course-search/commercial-music/