The last few weeks we've enjoyed the following recordings in class:
Elizabeth Mitchell, You are My Little Bird
Ella Jenkins, Jambo and Other Call and Response Songs
Latin Playground (Putumayo) - various artists
What recordings does your family enjoy? Share your ideas with others on the blog by posting a comment!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Making Music in October
A couple parents mentioned today the idea of getting musical instruments as gifts for children's holiday presents - great idea! In addition to the props and instruments we use in class (many of which can be found at westmusic.com), consider small keyboards with various sounds and beats; small music players (my mom got one for our daughter that plays little Sesame Street tunes - she loves it because she can control it herself); and recordings (see another post on recording ideas). Remember some of the best toys are homemade - designate a crate of music toys and add oatmeal containers and wooden spoons, empty paper towel rolls, etc.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Music Play Teaching Methodology
The teaching methodology used in Music & Movement classes is based on research and teaching of Dr. Edwin E. Gordon and his students Dr. Alison M. Reynolds, Dr. Beth H. Bolton, Dr. Cynthia C. Taggart, and Dr. Wendy H. Valerio. Gordon has spent his professional career investigating the idea of "audiation," or thinking in sound. Audiating music is like thinking language. If you sing "Happy Birthday" in your head, you're audiating. Gordon theorized that guiding persons to audiate music of greater and greater complexity is the goal of music education; being able to audiate supports the ability to perform, understand, improvise, and compose music. Gordon developed a Music Learning Theory to describe the musical learning processes of infants and toddlers through children and adults; he and his students also developed curricula to guide and support this process.
Gordon's A Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children (2003, GIA Publications) identifies and explains the following seven stages of preparatory audiation in young children:
1. Absorption (Child is absorbing musical material)
2. Random Response (Child responds to music; responses are not directly related to musical material presented)
3. Purposeful Response (Child responds to music in a related way; responses are not direct imitations)
4. Shedding Egocentricity (Child realizes his/her responses are not direct imitations; may show a funny look of recognition on his/her face)
5. Breaking the Code (Child imitates with some accuracy; responses are not preceded by a preparatory breath and do not indicate full understanding of tonal/rhythmic context)
6. Introspection (Child realizes his/her imitations do not include the preparatory breath or coordinate fully with movement)
7. Coordination (Child imitates accurately with a preparatory breath; there is evidence of understanding of the tonal/rhythmic context)
A more in-depth explanation of these stages can be found at http://www.giml.org/mlt_earlychildhood.php or in Gordon's books. These sources also show the typical age range for each stage. It is important to note that the goal is not to progress as quickly from one stage to the next as possible. Rather, we seek to nurture children in each stage along the way. There's no hurry!
Gordon's A Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children (2003, GIA Publications) identifies and explains the following seven stages of preparatory audiation in young children:
1. Absorption (Child is absorbing musical material)
2. Random Response (Child responds to music; responses are not directly related to musical material presented)
3. Purposeful Response (Child responds to music in a related way; responses are not direct imitations)
4. Shedding Egocentricity (Child realizes his/her responses are not direct imitations; may show a funny look of recognition on his/her face)
5. Breaking the Code (Child imitates with some accuracy; responses are not preceded by a preparatory breath and do not indicate full understanding of tonal/rhythmic context)
6. Introspection (Child realizes his/her imitations do not include the preparatory breath or coordinate fully with movement)
7. Coordination (Child imitates accurately with a preparatory breath; there is evidence of understanding of the tonal/rhythmic context)
A more in-depth explanation of these stages can be found at http://www.giml.org/mlt_earlychildhood.php or in Gordon's books. These sources also show the typical age range for each stage. It is important to note that the goal is not to progress as quickly from one stage to the next as possible. Rather, we seek to nurture children in each stage along the way. There's no hurry!
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