Musical Toys Research Articles

ИНТЕРАКТИВНАЯ КУКЛА «ЕРЕМА» ДЛЯ ДЕТСКОЙ МУЗЫКАЛЬНО-ЦВЕТОВОЙ ТЕРАПИИ: ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНЫЕ И ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ

The article presents an innovative technology for the correction of neuroses, developmental disorders and stress conditions in children using a computerized complex for Music-Color Therapy actualized through a special Interactive Healing Doll «Jeremy» with remote control. At the same time, a comparative analysis of the existing experience of the using musical toys in children's correctional practice with the technical features and advantages was carried out.

ФУНКЦИОНАЛЬНЫЕ И ТЕХНИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ КОМПЬЮТЕРИЗИРОВАННОГО КОМПЛЕКСА ДЛЯ ДЕТСКОЙ МУЗЫКАЛЬНО-ЦВЕТОВОЙ ТЕРАПИИ «ЕРЕМА»

The article presents an innovative technology for the correction of neuroses, developmental disorders and stress conditions in children using a computerized complex for Music-Color Therapy actualized through a special Interactive Healing Doll «Jeremy» with remote control. At the same time, a comparative analysis of the existing experience of the using musical toys in children's correctional practice with the technical features and advantages was carried out.

The Effect of Watching Cartoon and Moving Musical Toy on Children’s Pain and Fear Levels During Invasive Procedures

The Effect of Watching Cartoon and Moving Musical Toy on Children’s Pain and Fear Levels During Invasive Procedures

The Effect of a Musical Toy on Preschool Children’s Pain and Anxiety During Blood Collection

The Effect of a Musical Toy on Preschool Children’s Pain and Anxiety During Blood Collection

What you really want: Two‐year‐olds prioritise ultimate goals when helping

AbstractToddlers are motivated to help others achieve their goals, but providing effective help also requires toddlers to consider what will be most helpful to another individual. Sometimes, helping requests provide conflicting information about an individual's goals, so we need to decide which information to prioritise in order to decide how is best to help. The current studies investigate how toddlers prioritise conflicting information about immediate and ultimate goals when helping. In Study 1, 2‐year‐olds were shown an opaque container of blocks (hidden blocks), a transparent container of blocks (visible blocks), and a colourful tube that plays music when a block is dropped inside. For half of the participants, both hidden and visible blocks played music but, for the other half, only the hidden blocks worked. A naïve experimenter asked for a block (immediate goal) to play music with (ultimate goal), and when both blocks were equally functional, we found that toddlers prioritised fulfilling the immediate request by providing a visible block; but when only the hidden block was functional, toddlers prioritising fulfilling the ultimate goal and helped by providing the functional but hidden block. Study 2 demonstrated that toddlers considered the experimenter's goal when helping, and not just their own attraction to the musical toy. This work adds to a growing body of literature investigating not only whether young children help, but also how young children reason when engaging in helping behaviour.

Observations of a child’s movement response to music and their interaction with a musical toy robot

This article describes the author’s informal observations of the development of movement response to music with the added interaction with a musical toy robot. The subject under observation was one child, from the age of 8 to 24 months. Overall, the child’s readiness to move seemed to be motivated by the presence of the interactive toy robot. Observation revealed a variety of movement responses at a very young age, also in attempts to interact with the toy. The child appeared to form an emotional relationship with the toy robot that can be described by different phases from partnership with the toy, to the reduction of the toy’s role, to a passive music box. The toy robot was also used in a mediator role between siblings of different ages. Thus, interactive musical toy robots may have a beneficial effect on a child’s musical development as they provide a repetitive, safe and critique-free space. The human-like features of the toy robot (i.e. happy face, moving arms and legs) seemed to catch this child’s attention, allowing him to interact with the toy similarly to a human dance partner. The robot’s clumsy moves fit the concept of motionese, supporting the development of the child’s motor skills.

МУЗИЦИРОВАНИЕ И ПЕНИЕ В ПОВЕСТИ АРКАДИЯ ГАЙДАРА «ТИМУР И ЕГО КОМАНДА»

The article deals with the motif of singing and music-making in the story “Timur and his team” (1940) by Arkady Gaidar. The author analyses 18 episodes in which the characters of the story sing or play music: a musical amateur performance (staging an opera), home and amateur music-making, Red Army chorus, trumpeter’s signals, performing a “novelty romance” and ditties accompanied by a fight, shouts of a milkmaid, improvised orchestra concert by children playing on “bottles, cans, bottles and sticks”, use of musical toys and so on. The musical texture of the novel is placed in the context of the mass musical culture of the 1930s and in the tradition of Russian classical music. The functions of this motif in the text of the story are revealed: the creation of an atmosphere of a dacha village near Moscow, allusions, and characterization of adult heroes. The article shows how the irony of the author is expressed through scenes of singing and music-making, and how the author’s accents are placed in the depiction and evaluation of characters. The analysis of this motif allows us to propose new interpretations of the world of children and adults depicted in A. Gaidar’s story; the relevant categories which distinguish children and adults in the story are original/secondary, natural/artificial, and improvisation/performance.

Music education through the lens of ITERS-R: Discussing results from 206 toddler day care groups

This article presents results from a large-scale Norwegian study that examines the quality of early childhood education and care, using the research tool ITERS-R. Although ITERS-R consists of 39 items, this article focuses solely on results within music education in Item 18. Music and movement. According to ITERS-R, results from 206 toddler day care groups reveal that the quality of music education in Norwegian day care is low. Our in-depth study of a single item reveals that a lack of musical toys and instruments is what yields such a low score. The quality of singing and the use of recorded music, however, scores better. These results point to a music education philosophy in ITERS-R that diverges somewhat from contemporary music education philosophies and curricula. The article therefore also discusses some potential consequences of this difference.

Investigating the possibilities of ocarina crafting in music education

This research features the history, characteristics and particularities of the musical instrument ocarina and proposes to stipulate models of ocarinas that can be crafted in classrooms by children with the teacher’s guidance. The study is based on authors Coleman (1927), Ramos (2011) and Matsunobu (2013). At the end of the research, we chose three models of ocarinas, as well as three types of clay and three types of tools that can be used for crafting this instrument in a classroom. Furthermore, we point to the possibility of students crafting their own instruments with quality superior to musical toys.

Musical Toys Offered to Gods at Miho Shrine: Instruments for Renewing Ritual Communication

Musical Toys Offered to Gods at Miho Shrine: Instruments for Renewing Ritual Communication

ІГРАШКА ЯК ЗАСІБ ЕСТЕТИЧНОГО ВИХОВАННЯ ДІТЕЙ ДОШКІЛЬНОГО ВІКУ

At the article reveals the influence of various types of toys on the comprehensive development of a child of preschool age, analysis of books of toys, musical toys and their role in shaping the aesthetic taste, artistic abilities and aesthetic education of the child as a whole. Key words: toy, toy-book, aesthetic education, all-round development, artistic development.

Shared musical knowledge in 11-month-old infants.

Five-month-old infants selectively attend to novel people who sing melodies originally learned from a parent, but not melodies learned from a musical toy or from an unfamiliar singing adult, suggesting that music conveys social information to infant listeners. Here, we test this interpretation further in older infants with a more direct measure of social preferences. We randomly assigned 64 11-month-old infants to 1-2weeks' exposure to one of two novel play songs that a parent either sang or produced by activating a recording inside a toy. Infants then viewed videos of two new people, each singing one song. When the people, now silent, each presented the infant with an object, infants in both conditions preferentially chose the object endorsed by the singer of the familiar song. Nevertheless, infants' visual attention to that object was predicted by the degree of song exposure only for infants who learned from the singing of a parent. Eleven-month-olds thus garner social information from songs, whether learned from singing people or from social play with musical toys, but parental singing has distinctive effects on infants' responses to new singers. Both findings support the hypothesis that infants endow music with social meaning. These findings raise questions concerning the types of music and behavioral contexts that elicit infants' social responses to those who share music with them, and they support suggestions concerning the psychological functions of music both in contemporary environments and in the environments in which humans evolved.

Putting Research into Practice for Autism Spectrum Disorder

Putting Research into Practice for Autism Spectrum Disorder

The Use of Technology to Facilitate Music Learning Experiences in Preschools

THIS ARTICLE REPORTS ON the technologies preschool teachers use to facilitate music learning experiences for children in their classrooms and why they choose to use or not use technologies. A questionnaire was administered to 185 teachers in a metropolitan Australian city focusing on the kinds of technologies being used, for what music activities, and reasons for using and not using these technologies. 81 questionnaires were returned (a response rate of 44 per cent). Nine of the respondents agreed to a follow-up day-long classroom observation and interview with the researcher. Results revealed that CDs dominated teacher use of technology to provide song repertoire and a model for singing this song repertoire. However, multimedia-based technology was also utilised for music learning experiences (i.e. DVDs/video, television, internet websites). However, more recent digital technologies such as digital music players/recorders, musical toys with digitised components and tablets were rarely used. While preschool teachers value technology to facilitate music learning experiences for young children, constraints in using technology were identified, including cost and lack of knowledge about using these technologies with young children.

Análise dos níveis de pressão sonora emitidos por brinquedos infantis

OBJETIVO: Verificar os níveis de pressão sonora emitidos por brinquedos infantis sem certificação. MÉTODOS: Estudo transversal com brinquedos sonoros ofertados em lojas de comércio popular, chamado de setor informal. Foram considerados brinquedos eletrônicos, mecânicos e musicais. A mensuração de cada produto foi realizada por um engenheiro acústico, em cabine isolada acusticamente, por meio de um decibelímetro. Para obter os parâmetros sonoros de intensidade e frequência, os brinquedos foram acionados a uma distância de 10 e 50cm da orelha do pesquisador. A intensidade foi verificada em nível de pressão sonora em decibéis dB(A) e a frequência, em hertz (Hz). RESULTADOS: Foram avaliados 48 brinquedos. Nas medidas a 10cm da orelha, foi registrada uma faixa de pressão sonora de 102±10 dB(A) e, a 50cm, a média foi de 94±8 dB(A), com p<0,05. A maioria dos brinquedos apresentou nível de pressão sonora acima de 85dB(A). A frequência variou de 413 a 6.635Hz, sendo que 56,3% dos brinquedos emitiram som com frequência superior a 2.000Hz. CONCLUSÕES: Constatou-se que a maioria dos brinquedos emitiu sons com elevado nível de pressão.

Aeroacoustics of the swinging corrugated tube: Voice of the Dragon

When one swings a short corrugated pipe segment around one's head, it produces a musically interesting whistling sound. As a musical toy it is called a "Hummer" and as a musical instrument, the "Voice of the Dragon." The fluid dynamics aspects of the instrument are addressed, corresponding to the sound generation mechanism. Velocity profile measurements reveal that the turbulent velocity profile developed in a corrugated pipe differs notably from the one of a smooth pipe. This velocity profile appears to have a crucial effect both on the non-dimensional whistling frequency (Strouhal number) and on the amplitude of the pressure fluctuations. Using a numerical model based on incompressible flow simulations and vortex sound theory, excellent predictions of the whistling Strouhal numbers are achieved. The model does not provide an accurate prediction of the amplitude. In the second part of the paper the sound radiation from a Hummer is discussed. The acoustic measurements obtained in a semi-anechoic chamber are compared with a theoretical radiation model. Globally the instrument behaves as a rotating (Leslie) horn. The effects of Doppler shift, wall reflections, bending of the tube, non-constant rotational speed on the observed frequency, and amplitude are discussed.

Hearing-Loss Prevention Practices Should Be Taught in Schools

Children are often exposed to excessive levels of sound, such as loud music, firearms, power tools, and noisy toys. Such exposure puts children at risk for developing noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) and tinnitus. For more than 30 years, health policy agencies and numerous experts in hearing science have recommended teaching hearing-loss prevention practices to children in schools as a way to reduce the prevalence of NIHL. Despite these recommendations, basic hearing-loss prevention information that could prevent countless cases of NIHL remains conspicuously absent from most school curricula. At least 10 organizations produce or use a variety of materials in a comprehensive hearing-loss prevention curriculum for school-age children. At least 18 additional organizations produce or disseminate materials (Web-based, video, or printed matter) that could be used to teach hearing-loss prevention in classrooms. Therefore, adequate materials and curricula are available for presenting this information to school-age children. It is time to implement the repeated recommendations of experts by providing hearing-loss prevention instruction in all of our nation's schools on a regular basis. These educational efforts should eventually help to reduce the prevalence of NIHL, which is a fully preventable condition.

Psychosocial Development of Children with Hearing Loss

Psychosocial Development of Children with Hearing Loss

Introduction to the special section

This special section focuses on the gap between technology foresight and market research when previewing the potential of breakthrough technologies. Previewing this potential enables companies to focus their efforts when they are developing and commercializing these technologies. The gap between technology foresight and market research hampers their critical competence to do so. Previewing the market potential of breakthrough technologies has always been a major challenge. Generations of practitioners and scientists have attempted to do so by studying the subject from different disciplinary angles and for different kinds of technologies. Many inventors try to imagine the consequences of their technologies. They have done so in the past, and theywill do so in the future. Edison, for example, tried to envisagewhat the result of his invention (in 1877) of the phonograph [1]might be. The phonographwas a product that incorporated a revolutionary new recording technology. Using a phonograph, sounds could be recorded and replayed. At first it was not clear to Edison where this technology could be applied.However, hementioned a list of ten applications in 1878 [1]. Some of his suggested applications were: phonographic books for blind people, recording of music, a music box or toys with music, clocks which presented the time in articulated language, recorded lessons of teachers which could be consulted at any time, and a connection with the telephone to record important messages. We can conclude that Edison was able to formulate an extensive list of applications for his technology. However, he could hardly foresee that it would take several decades until his technology would become widely accepted. In addition to the practitioners, scientists have also tried to preview the market potential of breakthrough technologies. Sociologists and psychologists, for example, have tried to pinpoint the unique characteristics of the first groups of consumers who adopt an innovation on the basis of a breakthrough technology. After

A Systematic Desensitization Paradigm to Treat Hypersensitivity to Auditory Stimuli in Children with Autism in Family Contexts

Many children with autism display reactions to auditory stimuli that seem as if the stimuli were painful or otherwise extremely aversive. This article describes, within the contexts of three experimental designs, how procedures of systematic desensitization can be used to treat hypersensitivity to auditory stimuli in three young children with autism. Stimuli included the sounds from a vacuum cleaner, blender, hand-mixer, toilet flushing, and specific animal sounds from musical toys. A changing criterion design was used and data were collected on (a) the number of hierarchical steps completed as comfortable with the stimulus per week and (b) the mean level of anxiety per probe. A clinical replication was implemented using a replication of the desensitization procedures for three children. In addition, a systematic replication across three different stimuli is presented for one child in a multiple baseline. The data show that the children's responses could be modified to the point where they were comfortable with these noises. Furthermore, this level of comfort was maintained at follow-up. The discussion suggests that the extreme reactions to auditory stimuli many children with autism exhibit may be decreased with procedures that have been shown to be effective with reducing phobias, and the possibility that the reactions may be symptomatic of a phobia rather than actual pain.