Music EC-12 (Music Education) Flashcards
Music education
Combining music education with other facets of education improves the overall educational experience for children in many ways. One benefit is allowing them to learn about the use of symbols in different formats. Music education allows students to see the application of math in different subjects, learn the fulfillment of self-expression while developing a personal creativeness, and discover the fundamentality of self-image and self- discipline through music practice. Students of music education find their problem-solving skills becoming more advanced, as well as experiencing the intellectual pull of having shared in the work required for a performance with the satisfaction of completing the challenge. Students do not suffer from music education and often broaden their own experiences with activities that are uplifting and wholesome.
Music educator
Any educator of children is in a position to exert remarkable control and influence over these young lives. As such, educators are responsible in making that influence a positive one so the child can reach his or her fullest potential. All teachers should seek out ways to prepare for curriculum planning and designing instructions that are appropriate for the child’s particular educational level. Music combines with all developmental, cognitive, language, physical, emotional, and social arenas of education and makes the music educator one of the most fundamental of teachers. Training is necessary for any teacher dealing with children and especially children who are young enough to still be in the most influential age ranges. Music educators should be able to guide children in their musical experiences and encourage their progress as it occurs.
Music curriculum
Music should be included in the basic curriculum for several reasons. As a topic and area of expression, music is worth learning about and knowing as it tells a lot about people and culture. Students should learn how societies and political changes occurred as a result of music and the change in musical form. Every person has the potential for musical abilities, as is evidenced in the elementary classrooms, and school is the perfect place for a child to explore that possibility. By learning about music and how different voices depend on each other, students can view the interdependence of people of various backgrounds and cultures. The study of music improves other studies, especially for students who may have difficulty in some subjects. The hearing and creating of music inspires the listeners and the performers.
Music projects
Music educators should have projects for children that can be enjoyed whenever there is a down-time. Small groups can form a rhythm band with small percussion instruments or improvised ones and record their “jam” sessions. Recorders and headphones can be set aside for children to listen to different music styles while following along with sheet music or trying to match pitches. Different examples of composers’ works can be available for children to listen to so that they can become familiar with the different styles of music as it occurred at different times. The computer can also be included so that children can use certain programs, like Finale’s Print Music, so that children can hear the music they compose. Karaoke machines are always popular and should be used with musical selections that are appropriate for the vocal ranges.
Music and the arts
Music currently stands as a sideline to the major focus of science, math, and language regardless of the studies completed that show how music education can improve students’ whole educational experience. An increased focus on music and the arts could motivate students to learn more in other areas, and all educational encouragement avenues should be considered for the changing student body. More researchers and educators are beginning to recognize music as a form of intellectual development along the same lines as Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligence theory that encompasses linguistic, spatial, intra-personal, bodily-kinesthetic, logical-mathematical, inter-personal, naturalistic, musical, and possibly existential intelligences. These theoretical systems support the inclusion of music in the basic curriculum and argue that teaching music education is only the first part to teaching all other subjects students must learn. Any learning that occurs can be fortified in other areas.
Goals
Music educators, parents, other teachers, and other adults have witnessed an improvement in children who participate in instrumental and choral music education and practice, not only in their musical abilities but also in their social skills and teamwork. These children learn about self-discipline while improving their self-esteem and enhancing their self- expression and creativity. The basic foundations of learning an instrument and then mastering that instrument to play a beginner piece and eventually an advanced piece serve to instill within the child a sense of accomplishment that correlates to improved self-image and a greater confidence in an ability to complete other tasks and to persevere even when those tasks appear daunting. The goal, then, of music education should be to foster a sense of purpose and self- worth in the student.
Relation of music to other subjects
The study of music should not be considered separate from other studies as music enhances other disciplines and can be used to reinforce basic tenets of those studies. Music is scientific when considering sound, quality of pitch, and acoustics. Music is mathematical as the musician must count the beats of the measure and the rhythmic notation. Music is geographical as it plays a part in every culture and can be used to increase global awareness. Music is historical as it forms an important part of history, serving as the main entertainment before there was television, and shows a lot about the political climes of the nations. Music is linguistic as works are divided into introductions, bodies, climaxes, and resolutions. Music is expressive as it incorporates details from Italian, German, French, and Spanish stylings. Music is physical as all musicians must learn how to support breath tone and maintain proper technique.
Block schedules
Music educators and other teachers have reported more success when they are involved in the block scheduling with the administration so that the schedules can suit the particular needs of the students as well as the teachers without causing difficulties. Music educators especially have noticed that block scheduling increases issues regarding consistent enrollment and balance, class conflicts with advanced or elective classes, the inability to sign up for multiple performance classes, difficulty in reinforcing the teaching/learning dynamic, setbacks for missed school days, students’ performance levels, and modified blocks of time for instruction. Block schedules have resulted in student fatigue and lack of attention, as well as time conflicts for rehearsals and performances. Music educators have learned to implement accommodating instruction techniques and scheduling while focusing on the quality of the lessons.
Block scheduling results
More schools are adopting the block scheduling, and this translates into different areas of concern for music educators. The modified form of block scheduling has shown a stable enrollment in performance classes but with the drawback of decreases in student participation. The quality level of ensemble rehearsals and performances has been reported as declining, and music educators continue to see changes in student enrollment and schedule conflicts. Additional studies show that students have a greater possibility of burnout, that music is being further classified as an extracurricular activity, that music educators have an increased workload, and music educators are showing increased job dissatisfaction. Researchers will continue to seek out better ways of designing the teaching format and class schedule, and music educators will continue to facilitate that change.
Special needs children
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Not all music educators will have an opportunity to incorporate the teaching requirements for children with special needs into their teaching practices, but all music educators should be prepared for any kind of modification that needs to be included when dealing with a child that has different realistic expectations for responding to and participating in musical education activities. Music educators should begin by talking with the child’s parents and former teachers and learning about what strengths and weaknesses the child possesses. By learning if the disability affects a domain or several domains of development, the music educator can tailor the classroom activities toward that end without alienating the child or providing a less effective lesson.
Special needs children
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Depending on the kind of disability, children may be able to respond to music with movements unique to that child in his or her response. The music educator should verify that any wheelchair-bound children have ample room for movement and are either moved in the chair or allowed to move their arms or hands in the chair. In fact, specific movements with just the head, neck, hands, or arms can be assigned to the child when the other children are moving legs and feet. Small percussion instruments can be modified with larger knobs and pieces, and bells could be adjusted to encircle the wrist to be worn as a bracelet. Instruments can be given to children who cannot sing, and the vibrations created can be just as effective for children who cannot hear the sound. Partners can be assigned so other children can help play with the instrument.
Behavioral disabilities
Children can become easily frustrated when they are unable to participate in the musical exercises and games because the movements or responses are too complex for them. Music offers better opportunities to join in since there are no right or wrong ways to create music. Any instructions for these children should be simplified and broken down into small steps, and children should not be expected to combine a series of steps or responses at one time. Even children who have no cognitive disabilities require simplicity in new exercises. All songs used should have repeated parts, and pictures can be incorporated since children remember the words or phrasing better when pictures are included in the music. Music educators should work with children with behavioral disabilities and provide them a chance to see, hear, move, or touch instruments without any stress on the child to perform.
Concert etiquette
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Not all schools are large enough to have an accommodating stage or performance area, so concerts may be held in the gymnasium. Music educators need to instruct their students how to perform the selected pieces but also how to conduct themselves during the performance in the gym. A quick review with the audience members before the performance is often necessary to establish the etiquette rules. Audience members should remain seated during the performance and, if required to leave, should do so between songs. Music performances are not the same as athletic events, so constant clapping, whistling, or cheering is unnecessary. Small children should be prevented from acting out or running along the bleachers or stands. Once the song has ended, the audience members may show their appreciation by clapping and/or whistling.
Concert etiquette
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Music educators should work with musicians and audience members to remind them about etiquette for performances in any venue. Audience members should enter the concert area quietly and be attuned to any activity on the stage. Extreme quiet should be observed for orchestra tuning, and polite applause may be accompany the conductor as he takes his position. Conversation should be prohibited, as well as fidgeting with the program, jewelry, or candy wrappers. Hats should not be worn and food and drinks should not be consumed during the performance. Special attention should be paid to the conductor as he or she will give the audience members an indication if a piece is ended as several works contain multiple movements. When audience members leave the concert area, they should adjust their seats to make passage easy for other members.
Concert etiquette-Concert etiquette for parents
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Parents can be difficult audience members, so music educators should discuss concert etiquette with them or provide a flyer for children to take home. Instructions should indicate that parents should not talk to each other or on their cell phones during the performance as this is distracting to other audience members and the performers. Parents should not wave to their children on the stage or during the performance, and flash photography should always be avoided in concert halls as the flash can seriously affect the musicians during their play. Once the child’s portion is completed, parents should not leave the concert area as this is also distracting to performers. Applause is appreciated when it occurs at the correct times, so parents should be attuned to the conductor’s movements at the end of the piece.
Music education at home
To continue a child’s musical education outside of school, music educators should encourage parents to involve their children in music outings such as free concerts or performances in outdoor theaters where children can listen to the music being played as well as the sounds of the outdoors and the audience members. Parents can even plan to attend with other families so that the children can enjoy the outing socially as well as musically. Music educators can also help parents locate musical instructors who would be willing to provide lessons for the children. As a limited option, music educators could create a marching band take-home box for parents that includes books on the music of marching bands or even composers like John Philip Sousa, CDs of marching band songs, index cards describing how to make small instruments, and party hats to remind the parents and children that music is fun.
Parental involvement
Parents should always be encouraged to become more actively involved in their child’s education and musical development starting with early education. Music educators should make a special effort to include parents in any discussions of instruments or musical practice as this will not only improve the child’s success in this and other avenues of study but also allow the parents to take a more influential role in the child’s pursuit of education and age-appropriate experiences. Parents are teachers first, of course, and a full support from them for the study of music and other subjects will help the child learn the importance of education and maintaining good study and practice habits. Music educators should always seek out ways to keep parents involved, such as through band support programs or fund-raising.
Musical introduction
Music educators should be instructed in how to watch children and learn the best and most effective ways to combine their natural inclinations towards music with lessons learned in the classroom. All instruction should be deliberate, and music educators can assist with other teachers who may have little to no musical background but also want to incorporate music instruction in their classrooms. All educators should continue to seek out songs and chants to supplement their own repertoire for musical instruction, and all music educators should learn how to sing and how to play simple rhythmic instruments. Movements to music should be practiced by any adult who will be instructing children in musical performance and expression.
Rests
Music is an important skill for music educators and parents to teach, and different children will be focused on certain sounds or the volume of those sounds. Silences or rests within the music can be the most difficult to teach young children who are interested in playing or singing continuously. Based on the same concept as the whole, half, quarter and eighth note beats, rests are set up with a corresponding count and also adhere to the restrictions put in place by the time signature. Children should be introduced to the symbols used to indicate rests and instructed how to count each rest. When interspersing beats with rests, some music educators find that clapping the beat and then turning the palms out for the rest is an easy way to show children how the rests function in relation to the beat.
Attitude
Music educators should always approach any musical assignment or practice with children the right attitude of patience and exploration for the children to get the most out of their musical experience. The best equipment and the most up-to-date books will not guarantee that children have a good experience with musical instruments and music appreciation in general, so the attitude of the music educator is paramount to the children’s success. Children learn best in a classroom and musical environment that includes structure even while fostering an individualized, creative movement format of learning. Music educators should adopt a philosophy based on core values and life experiences about how to introduce children to music and how to make it successful.
Philosophy statement
Before beginning in a new classroom or in a new region, music educators should create a philosophy statement to help them keep their instructions organized and assist them in maintaining a goal for the children to learn about music and education within a year or semester. The music educator should write down what music nurturing is and how children can learn and be nurtured by music. The desired environment for this nurturing should then be described, along with all the planned activities and possible options for educational focus in which the music educator believes that children should be involved. Once this has been completed, the music educator should write down what future growth and development expectations he or she has for the children.
Accreditation criteria
The accreditation criteria and procedures of NAEYC require 35 to 50 square feet of space per child for any indoor activity for young children. Music educators and other early childhood education teachers have learned to be resourceful in maintaining this requirement for space by storing items in marked bins or buckets or placing specific items on the shelves in designated places. The best way to store rhythm instruments is in a bin by themselves and clearly marked on the outside with names and pictures. The same picture and name designation system can also be used on the storage systems used with shelves or cabinets. Larger instruments with straps can even be placed on hooks in certain areas. Bean bag chairs can be situated with tape machines and listening centers.
Space and attitude
The method of organizing the musical instruments and accoutrement shows a lot about the attitude of the music educator and the corresponding treatment of music as a topic for children to learn. Larger spaces are more inviting for children to freely express themselves to the music as it is played or created while smaller spaces that appear cramped do not offer children the same feeling that music is subjective and should be expressed. Music educators should also be familiar enough with the children to anticipate how they will view the set up of the music area since not all children will see the same room the same way. As always, the music educator should take into account the development of the children and arrange the musical instruments and specific music areas in accordance to their age and developmental abilities.
Self-consciousness
Not all children between 6 and 9 are comfortable dancing and moving in front of other children or the music educator unless they have been doing so since they were much younger. One of the easiest ways to foster an environment of acceptability is to sing and dance alongside the children so that they can see others behaving in a particular way without being ostracized or ridiculed. Music educators could also provide areas for creative movement that have higher walls or are separated and somewhat shielded from the rest of the room. The music center can include headphones so that children do not feel they are encroaching on others’ quiet time for homework. Room dividers combined with rugs and drapes can also provide some basic soundproofing.
Equipment
Music classrooms for children of all ages include different types of materials that are appropriate for the development of the children. Besides large instruments such as pianos and large or small keyboards, the music classroom will also include rhythm instruments, percussion instruments, string instruments, Orff instruments, Montessori sound cylinders and bells, guitar, and autoharp. Optional hardware includes tape recorders, headphones, tapes, CDs, players, and a karaoke machine. Some music educators like to provide specific furniture for the classroom, such as containers or shelving systems for storage, tables, tents, and rocking chairs. Music boxes are a nice addition to smaller sections, and computer software may be more appropriate for older children. Music- related pictures can be hung around the room as well as unbreakable mirrors for children to watch their own movements.
Materials
Music educators may have to create simple instruments or may find the children are creative enough to benefit from a more hands-on experience so as to appreciate this part of the work. The construction materials used in a music classroom may include paper, glue, and paint, as well as rubber bands, shoe boxes, and milk cartons of different sizes. Regular household items such as paper or disposable plastic plates, cans with lids, plastic bottles, toilet paper tubes, mailing tubes, and wrapping paper tubes act as containers and can be filled with such items as rocks, rice, beans, sand, or seeds. The containers can be further enhanced with guitar strings, bells, or brass pipes in different lengths. Scarves and ribbons can help with movement visualization, and drum heads and sandpaper samples can introduce different textures. As always, music educators can employ whatever materials imaginable to teach children about sound.
Stringed instrument in-school practice
Several studies over a span of 30 years have been completed regarding the effects on students’ knowledge and proficiency in different subjects when those students were allowed to miss classroom time in the elementary school to participate in stringed instrument practice. The biggest concern was that these students would perform lower in math and reading than other students who were able to remain in the class the whole period. All studies show that there was no regression of the child’s abilities in these subjects. In some cases, students’ test scores improved by 10 to 20 points on standardized tests after the musical instruction, and those students who had been practicing music longer showed an even greater degree of improvement.
Computer centers
Technology is becoming a greater component of today’s classroom for all subjects, from science to composition to arts. The music classroom can also be improved by computers and computer- related software and hardware. As young children become more computer literate, they will discover that more companies are creating computer programs for their level of intelligence and musical development. Music educators should consider including the computer in the music classroom so that children can compose their own music, have it notated on music paper, and played aloud. Headphones can also be combined so that children will not bother others with their compositions. Older children can be allowed to use the Internet for music- related searches and information about current trends in instruments and performing styles.
Computers and composition
Through composition, music educators can show students how to combine the singing, notation, form, style, tempo, dynamics, improvisation, assessment, and music vocabulary together with a computer and have positive results. Using a computer, an electronic MIDI keyboard, and a television, an entire class can work together to create a musical piece. All the students can view the development of the musical piece on the television. Each student writes a poem, and the class chooses the best one for the subject of the composition. The class can further edit the poem for the arrangement. Then the stresses of the poem are translated into rhythmic notation. Once the rhythm is defined, a melody is improvised by a handful of students, and the class votes on the preferred melodic line. Cadence is determined, and students consider the number of lines and possible arrangements. Harmony is added, and the tempo is selected.
