Children's Musical Development Research Articles

PLAYING WITH SOUNDS. EARLY AND PRESCHOOL MUSIC EDUCATION THROUGH KODALY APPROACH AND EDWIN GORDON’S MUSIC THEORY

The early introduction of children to the art of music is a recommendation in numerous curricula and approaches to music education. However, there is a need for a more profound understanding and the development of clear guidelines for working with music educators in children's educational institutions. In addition to guidance for music educators, it is crucial to persuade parents, the primary source of musical stimulation for their children, to engage with their children's musical development. Children in early childhood express natural curiosity in exploring the sounds of their environment. The incorporation of music into the natural surroundings of children can stimulate their interest in singing, dancing, and playing musical instruments. Many scholars engaged in research on children’s music education are interested in understanding how to develop children’s musical abilities to support their understanding of musical language.

Practice, Performance, and Anxiety: A Pilot Study on Student Perception of Parental Involvement and Formal Music Lessons

Parents play a variety of important roles in their children's musical development. However, whether they impact upon children's music performance education and experience has only begun to be considered. The current study sought to examine whether student perception of parent involvement in music and performance education is related to their experience of music performance anxiety. Sixty-two piano students aged 11 to 17 completed a questionnaire regarding their piano studies, their parents’ involvement in them, and their parents’ prior music education. They also completed measures of performance anxiety and self-esteem. Results indicated that parents’ prior music education was significantly associated with performance anxiety in their children. Participant age, self-esteem, and practice time were also significant variables. Measures of parent involvement in music studies and parent response to weak performances were not found to be significantly related to performance anxiety scores. Implications of these findings and directions for furthering this line of research are discussed.

Ibu Soed’s “Hai Becak” Lyrics and Tone Analysis (An Ethnomusicology Research)

The background of the writing of this journal is to find out whether the lyrics and songs of Hai Becak from the work of SARIDJAH NIUNG BINTANG SOEDIBJO (IBU SOED) are in accordance with the criteria for the voices of children aged 4-6 years as seen from the structure of the song, melody and range of children's voices. In this research, the writer uses descriptive analysis method by collecting qualitative data by using appropriate research instrument. The various data are classified, validated, and interpreted. The result of this research is that, after the author has researched more deeply, the song by SARIDJAH NIUNG BINTANG SOEDIBJO (IBU SOED) can make a contribution, in every poem he creates a lot of education that can be given to children, be it education. divinity and social education, as well as for the psychological and musical development of children. When viewed from the form of poetry and melody, the song by SARIDJAH NIUNG BINTANG SOEDIBJO (IBU SOED) is suitable to be sung by the voice criteria of children aged 4-6 years.

Musical Development of Children in a Family Environment from the Research Perspective. Application of Elements of E.E. Gordon’s Music Learning Theory

The article focuses on the musical interactions of parents with children based on elements of E.E. Gordon’s music learning theory which intensify their musical development in different periods of their life. The individual case method and the interview technique were used in the research. The description of the results was generalised and synthesised by analysing interviews with nine family members. The research showed that almost all parents included intentional and varied activities to support their children’s musical development in the prenatal period. They also undertook them at later stages of their lives. These activities often focused on presenting diverse music in terms of style, dynamics, pace, tonality and meter, moving to it, singing for a child and with a child, and performing tonal and rhythmic patterns. It resulted in a wide variety of musical behaviours in the children, conditioned by their age and stage of musical development. It proves that early musical support is an important foundation for the proper course of this process and further musical education.

Determinante muzičkog razvoja i uticaj muzičkog obrazovanja na ukupan razvoj ličnosti

The development of musical abilities and the space given to music education is determined by various factors. Disagreement in opinions about the role of some factors carries the danger of neglecting some activities that would contribute to the development of musical talent. In that sense, the aim of the paper is pointed at understanding the importance of hereditary and environmental factors for the development of musical abilities, with special emphasis on determining the activities of adults in the function of music education and achievement, but also overall development. Applying the method of theoretical analysis, a comparison of different conceptual approaches was performed, as well as of the results of the conducted research and the conclusions of the authors. After considering these issues, it is concluded that although debates about giving preference to certain factors still exist, there is no dilemma that innate and environmental factors are both important, but not in themselves without the activities of an individual. Accordingly, the role of parents, educators, and teachers in motivating and provoking children's musical development with adequate musical content, overall communication, and atmosphere was emphasized. The pedagogical implications are contained in the above recommendations for the correct approach in creating musical content and a stimulating environment. Future research should be focused on examining and possibly improving the competencies of professionals-educators and teachers-to discover and support musically gifted children

The Development of Musical Skills of Underprivileged Children Over the Course of 1 Year: A Study in the Context of an El Sistema-Inspired Program.

Developmental research in music has typically centered on the study of single musical skills (e.g., singing, listening) and has been conducted with middle class children who learn music in schools and conservatories. Information on the musical development of children from different social strata, who are enrolled in community-based music programs, remains elusive. This study examined the development of musical skills in underprivileged children who were attending an El Sistema-inspired program in Los Angeles. We investigated how children, predominantly of Latino ethnicity, developed musically with respect to the following musical skills – pitch and rhythmic discrimination, pitch matching, singing a song from memory, and rhythmic entrainment – over the course of 1 year. Results suggested that participation in an El Sistema-inspired program affects children’s musical development in distinct ways; with pitch perception and production skills developing faster than rhythmic skills. Furthermore, children from the same ethnic and social background, who did not participate in the El Sistema-inspired music program, showed a decline in singing and pitch discrimination skills over the course of 1 year. Taken together, these results are consistent with the idea of musical development as a complex, spiraling and recursive process that is influenced by several factors including type of musical training. Implications for future research are outlined.

The Sounds of Intent project: modelling musical development in children with learning difficulties

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to set out the current status of the Sounds of Intent project, and explains some of the theoretical thinking that has underpinned its development over a period of 12 years. Sounds of Intent maps the musical development of children and young people with learning difficulties. It currently exists as an online resource that offers practitioners a framework for assessment (with an online recording tool), information and downloadable resources. Design/methodology/approach – The approach to the development of Sounds of Intent has been through two main phases: first, exploratory, qualitative analysis was used to inform the development of a model setting out how musical abilities and engagement are thought to develop in children and young people with learning difficulties; and second, the framework’s efficacy has been evaluated through gathering data from a number of practitioners in the field that has been analysed principally through quantitative means. Findings – The principal findings of the Sounds of Intent project to date are that virtually all children (with the exception of those who are incapable of processing sound or vibration at all) are able to engage with music, whether reactively, proactively or interactively. The great majority have potential for musical development that can be realised over time, given an appropriately rich and engaging environment. Originality/value – Sounds of Intent is the first research project in the world to focus on the musical development of children and young people with learning difficulties, and makes the first attempt to set out how this may occur. Since its public launch in 2012, the Sounds of Intent web site has had over 4,000,000 unique hits, with over 500,000 downloads of resources, from people all over the world.

Commentary on “The Sounds of Intent project: modelling musical development in children with learning difficulties”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to reflect on how developments in evidence-based intervention and assessment frameworks are centrally important in implementing assessment structures for non-accredited learning of students with special educational needs. It brings together two projects which have developed taxonomies of learning, seeking ways in which to provide evidence of progress against pre-determined scales and prioritising the importance of measuring small steps of achievement. Design/methodology/approach – In both cases, this was accomplished by trialling assessment descriptors and criteria, developing a robust assessment continuum and identifying the continuous developmental process, with achievement acting as a baseline for further development. Findings – The assessment strategies employed by both projects allowed for the evaluation of learner progress where standardised forms of assessment were inappropriate, offering approaches for raising aspirations in an individualised and relevant way. Increased availability and use of toolkits offering constructive approaches to assessment are needed not only to evidence learner progress but also to guide future learning interventions. Ways of enabling achievements to be plotted against measures of success are of vital importance to learners with special educational needs, who require support in evidencing what they can do, rather than what they cannot. Originality/value – Whilst these projects will be of particular interest to those working in the field of special education, they are of relevance to anyone seeking positive ways of performing assessment.

Book Review: Edgard, Willems. Psychological Foundations of Music Education

Edgard, Willems Psychological Foundations of Music Education, translated and edited by Jerry Louis-Jaccard. Salt Lake City, UT: BYU Creative Works, 217 pp. ISBN 978-0-8425-2827, $25.00 (paperback). Psychological Foundations of Musical Education is an English translation of Edgar Willems's (1890-1978), a Swiss composer, educator and philosopher, ideas regarding musical education. book, first published in Switzerland (1956), has since been translated to Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian. Jerry Louis-Jaccard, the translator and editor of the English edition, is a contemporary American music educator with deep ties to the foundational teaching philosophy of Pestalozzi and a recognized scholar of Kodaly pedagogy. In the translator's foreword, Jaccard stated, edition seeks to situate Edgar Willems in his rightful place among Pestalozzi's other music pedagogy descendants, namely Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, Zoltan Kodaly and Carl Orff' (p vii). Jaccard also noted the use of fixed do. The fixed-do framework of this book does not deter me--the underlying principles are applicable to both systems. Jacques Chapuis, a pupil of Willems's, and a well-known organist and theory pedagogue, wrote the preface to this edition as well as an article on Willems's invention of an Intratonal Metallophone used to teach intonation. Chapuis's addition to the book is a bonus for those interested in the study of intratonal space (chapter 6). In the preface, Chapuis suggested that real art was waning during the mid- to late twentieth century. seems to be at adventure's end since 1968; noting contemporary titles such as, Art without artists; death or mutation of art? end of the museum (p. x). While including other dire predictions about the state of artistic life, Chapuis challenged readers to withdraw from the noisy atmosphere, omnipresent violence, current anguish, and lexical plethora by which we are continually inundated preface--a two-page collection of inviting prose--piqued my curiosity and I was immediately captivated by the writings of this important pedagogue, so well loved in Latin America, but scarcely mentioned in the history of American music education. Edgar Willems and His Ideas about Musical Education Edgar Willems, born in Belgium in 1890, was influenced by the teachings of Emile Jacques-Dalcroze. During his early years, Willems was a likely participant in what Frega called the renewal of music teaching at the turn of the nineteenth century in Geneva. (1) Although Willems's early studies in the arts centered on painting and drawing, he began serious work in music in his late twenties at the Geneva Conservatory, where he encountered the teachings of Jacques-Dalcroze. According to Jaccard, Jaques-Dalcroze recognized and encouraged Willems's inclination toward intuitive rather than theoretical pedagogy. Willems, also interested in the musical development of children, contacted and studied the work of neurologist Edouard Claparede and developmental psychologist Jean Piaget. His understanding of developmental psychology and neuroscience becomes especially clear in the chapters that focus on instruction for young children (Starting Point, chapter 1) and auditory development (The Musical Ear, chapter 5). Readers will immediately note Willems's reference to musical education as opposed to music instruction. His differentiation of terms, involving what he calls his new pedagogy, juxtaposes the idea of uniting artistic and scientific aspects of music while harmonizing knowledge, sensitivity, and action (p. xviii). Willems's ideas regarding teaching music suggest a complementary balance between life, formal structure, culture, and musical education. His ideas about teaching music seem to counter midtwentieth century international conversation trends regarding the role of music and music education. Willems's Ideas within the Scope of International Music Education in the 1950s Willems's book was originally published in 1956--three years after the International Conference on the Role and Place of Music in the Education of Youth and Adults presented by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 1953. …

Music in infant-directed digital video discs: a content analysis

A rapidly growing industry creates and markets a vast range of screen media products designed specifically for babies and children under the age of three. Marketing of these products targets parents and is based on both implicit and explicit educational claims. Although the majority of products target literacy and numeracy, music presentations are also available. Thirteen DVDs with titles implying a contribution to young children's musical development and education are the focus of this paper. Using ethnographic content analysis, they were examined in light of their repertoire; representations of the multimodal and interactional nature of young children's musical experiences; the developing intermodal perception of infants and toddlers; and the formal production features used to elicit attention. Observations of young children viewing the DVDs and semi-structured interviews with their mothers allowed data triangulation. DVDs found to provide the most valuable presentations for babies offer a variety of repertoire that includes singing and the use of acoustic instruments; model musical interactions between babies and others; and are temporally synchronous and audio-visually congruent. Producers of infant-directed media must consider the developmental needs of young children if their productions are to play a positive role in the musical lives of young children.

Music as an Educational Practice Performed with Children

This is a master's dissertation's research which had, as general objective, to investigate the guiding principles of musical educational practice with children of 6 and 7 years, who participated in a social project of music education in Brasilia, Brazil's capital. Such research has as justification the use of music, which, in some educational settings, ignore children's musical development, as well as the lack of studies in this area. The methodological tool used was the observation of a social project at different times and the focus group with music educators and children. At the end of the research we found some principles that can guide an educational practice with music and, thus, may contribute to children's musical development.

The Impact of New Technologies on Musical Learning of Indigenous Australian Children

PRACTITIONERS ARE INCREASINGLY UTILISING information communication technologies (ICT) with very young children in early childhood settings. A debate is raging in the media as to the pros and cons of ‘virtual-electronic’ versus ‘material world’ active learning opportunities. However, when this scenario is played out with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian children, it is even more contentious because the technological changes have resulted in shifting responsibility for teaching and learning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander songs, dances and cultural heritage to a new physical and social environment which may distance musical development from community life. The rate of social change has been enormous, so in many cases there has not been adequate consultation and negotiation as to how early childhood professionals are to effectively implement the national Early Years Learning Framework (EYLF) (DEEWR, 2009) with respect for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music culture. The purpose of this paper is to problematise the increasing distance of musical development away from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, and to propose new methods for exploring how digital technologies may be utilised for promoting children's musical development in various contexts. The findings are applied to early childhood practitioner recommendations for future community-led music research.

The Effect of Harmonic Accompaniment on Primary Two Children's Developmental Music Aptitude

Studies on children's musical development have received increased attention than previously. The present study aims to investigate the effect on the use of bamboo xylophone as harmonic accompaniment on primary two children's music development. The study was focused on the following specific problems (1) Is there a difference with an additional harmonic accompaniment in the development of tonal aptitude in primary two children? (2) Is there a difference with an additional harmonic accompaniment in the development of rhythm aptitude in primary two children? Four classes (n=80) from two public schools in the city of Kota Kinabalu were randomly assigned to two different groups: a control (n=40) and an experimental group (n=40). Both groups of children sat for a pre-test and post-test on Gordon's Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation tonal subtest (IMMAT) and rhythm subtest (IMMAR). The results indicated no significant difference in the music aptitude test between the groups (p > .05). However, the mean gain score percentage of children in the experimental group increased more than that of the control group. The results suggest that a future study should include longitudinal data, larger sample size, different types of musical instruments and children's interest in learning music.

Interactive music video games and children's musical development

Interactive music video games are a readily available, mainstream technology but they are not generally seen as educative tools. Nor are they established within school teaching and learning environments. This study investigated children's use of these games from a music education perspective. Nine children, aged 9–11 years, and two specialist music teachers each participated in an individual semi-structured interview. The child participants were drawn from four metropolitan schools and the teachers were from different metropolitan schools. Results indicate that the games may help to develop some music skills and knowledge and that the games are of high interest and importance to students. The music teachers acknowledged the potential of interactive music video games to be incorporated into traditional music curriculum but they each expressed a belief that ideally the technology needs further development, including a greater capacity to compose and create using the programs. These findings suggest that, based on constructivist learning theories, there may be a place for these games in music education.

Sounds of intent, phase 2: gauging the music development of children with complex needs

This article reports the latest phase of research in the Sounds of intent project, which is seeking, as a long‐term goal, to map musical development in children and young people with severe, or profound and multiple learning difficulties (SLD or PMLD). Previous exploratory work had resulted in a framework of six putative music‐developmental stages set across three domains of musical engagement: reactivity, proactivity and interactivity. This was intended as a first step in enabling teachers and therapists to gauge their pupils’ levels of musical development. The research described in this paper indicates that a moderately fine‐grained observation schedule (involving three sub‐levels per Sounds of intent developmental stage) may be sufficient to show longitudinal change in the observed musical engagement of pupils with PMLD, three groups of whom participated in a specially designed programme of musical activities over a six‐month period. However, mapping the individual’s levels of attainment onto their chronological ages indicates that, generally speaking, musical progress is likely to be made in tiny increments – notionally equivalent to around one Sounds of intent level during a child’s entire time in compulsory education (4–16 in the UK). This suggests that an even finer‐grained observation scheme may be of value to practitioners seeking to chart change in the longer term. It is proposed that this should be the subject of further research, and should comprise two components: level and frequency of engagement.

Sounds of Intent: Interactive Software to Assess the Musical Development of Children and Young People With Complex Needs

This article outlines research in the final phase of the Sounds of Intent project, which explores musical development in children and young people with complex needs. This has been undertaken through observation and analysis using the previously developed ‘‘Sounds of Intent’’ schedule, which was designed through amassing 630 observations of children’s engagement in musical activities, fused with the findings of mainstream developmental music psychology and ‘zygonic’ theory, a psychomusicological approach to understanding how music makes sense to us all and building on previous extended fieldwork in schools. The main output will be a musical development framework package of web-based technology, containing video, photographs, and descriptions of children’s musical engagement. Practitioners can use the software to assess their pupils/clients, record their attainment and prog- ress, and download curriculum materials. The software is designed to become a user-owned constantly evolving, ‘‘wiki-based’’ resource, to which practitioners would contribute their own resources, ideas and views.

Learning a musical instrument: the case for parental support

The aims of this research were to identify the ways in which parents may most constructively support their children's musical development, and to ascertain whether styles of parent–teacher and parent–pupil interaction would influence the extent to which parents engage in different types of supportive behaviours. A model of parent involvement as comprising behavioural support, cognitive/intellectual support and personal support was applied to a sample of 337 parent–pupil–teacher trios, in the context of individual violin instruction. A typological approach was taken; using a quantitative survey that measured interpersonal interaction behaviours, as well as learning outcomes, six distinct categories of parent–pupil–teacher interaction types in instrumental learning were identified. The three categories of parental support were compared across these interaction types. The extent to which parents engaged in various types of support was found to vary according to interpersonal relating style, and the interaction types in turn were found to impact on learning outcomes. Learning outcomes, including enjoyment of music, motivation, self-esteem, self-efficacy and personal satisfaction with music lessons, were found to be enhanced when parents: (1) elicited their children's views regarding appropriate parental involvement, (2) negotiated with their children over practising issues, within parameters set by the teacher, (3) provided a structured home environment for practice, (4) took an interest in promoting good teacher–pupil rapport, (5) communicated with the teacher in relation to the child's progress and (6) remained as a supremely interested audience.

Interlopers in the Realm of High Culture: “Music Moms” and the Performance of Asian and Asian American Identities

In a series of articles about summer camps, the New York Times reported on the Perlman Music Program, a prestigious six-week instructional program led by the world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman. The article focused less on the teenagers who attend than on the efforts and ambitions of the moms who enroll their children in advanced programs of music study. As the reporters note: moms' seasons are far longer than those of moms. Their financial payoffs are far smaller and more elusive than those of tennis moms. But they are every bit as competitive, protective, ambitious, and self-sacrificing. The ethos of self-sacrifice emerges clearly in a comment offered by one of the article's featured mothers, Mrs. Kim, who bluntly states: First priority is Yoon-jee.1 For Mrs. Kim, this has meant living apart from her husband, a South Korean diplomat whose work required him to return to Seoul, so that her daughter, Yoon-jee, could continue her piano studies at the Juilliard Schools Pre-College Division. From the initial decision to enroll their children in music lessons to the continued labor of driving back and forth to music lessons, performances, auditions, and rehearsals, moms are active architects of their children's musical development. What the New York Times article makes clear is the integral part that parents?in particular mothers?play in the realm of classical music training. Indeed, to understand the broad context of Western classical music making, an examination of the role of moms who facilitate and support their children's musical pursuits is critical. Variations of the stage mom exist in many different realms, from competitive sports to beauty pageants. Yet, while the soccer mom typically brings to mind the image of a middle-class, white, suburban mother, as this essay reveals, the traits of sacrifice, pushiness, and determination embodied in the mom have increasingly become as sociated with being Asian.2 The contemporary racialization of the mom is not necessarily surprising given the large number of Asians and Asian Americans involved

Using Technology to Assist Gifted Children's Musical Development

Using Technology to Assist Gifted Children's Musical Development

The role of parents in children's musical development

A framework for studying parent—child interactions is proposed, based on evidence that parents play a pivotal role in their children's musical development. It is suggested that the goals and aspirations that parents hold impact on the styles and practices they adopt during interactions with their children. Importantly, the model proposes a feedback loop in which child and socio-contextual characteristics interact with parenting goals, styles and practices to help shape children's musical competence and achievement, their sense of musical identity and accomplishment, and their continuing desire to participate, exert effort, overcome obstacles and succeed musically.