What are the advantages and disadvantages of a musical education ...
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a musical education ...
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a musical education ...
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Music performers would not be able to survive without <strong>the</strong> listeners <strong>and</strong> consumers. Just <strong>the</strong><br />
very fact that <strong>the</strong> listener can underst<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> appreciate <strong>the</strong> music, in itself shows that<br />
everyone is in fact <strong>musical</strong> in some form or ano<strong>the</strong>r. Joanna Glover backs up this argument in<br />
her book ‘Teaching Music in <strong>the</strong> Primary School’:<br />
‘The very existence <strong>of</strong> a pr<strong>of</strong>essional performer, depends on listeners who in one important<br />
respect must be no less <strong>musical</strong>ly pr<strong>of</strong>icient than he is. They must be able to distinguish <strong>and</strong><br />
interrelate different patterns <strong>of</strong> sound’ (2004, P.3).<br />
Without even realizing it people label <strong>the</strong>mselves as not <strong>musical</strong>, when in fact music is a part<br />
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir everyday life. When a person watches a film it is <strong>the</strong> music in <strong>the</strong> background that<br />
helps to convey emotion <strong>and</strong> tension. If a person were to close <strong>the</strong>ir eyes during a film it is<br />
probable that <strong>the</strong>y would still be able to determine what type <strong>of</strong> scene is taking place, whe<strong>the</strong>r<br />
it be a love scene or a horror scene. This very fact shows that <strong>the</strong>y have an underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> music <strong>the</strong>y <strong>are</strong> listening too. Just because someone isn’t an accomplished musician<br />
doesn’t mean <strong>the</strong>y <strong>are</strong>n’t <strong>musical</strong>; just <strong>the</strong> fact that people buy, appreciate, <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong><br />
music makes <strong>the</strong>m <strong>musical</strong>. Due to <strong>the</strong> fact that music subconsciously plays a large part in<br />
everybody’s day-to-day life, means that by <strong>the</strong> time a child stats school, he or she will already<br />
have had a considerable amount <strong>of</strong> exposure to it <strong>and</strong> will <strong>the</strong>refore be able to make music<br />
<strong>and</strong> respond to it. Joanna Glover explains that just by being competent adults, primary school<br />
teachers will already have <strong>the</strong> fundamental skills needed to teach music to <strong>the</strong>ir pupils <strong>and</strong><br />
that it is more a lack <strong>of</strong> confidence in knowing where to start that causes <strong>the</strong> problem: ‘All<br />
teachers, by virtue simply <strong>of</strong> being competent adults, have <strong>the</strong> <strong>musical</strong> capacity to provide a<br />
basis for a music curriculum for <strong>the</strong>ir own class, though <strong>the</strong>y may lack <strong>the</strong> training in music<br />
<strong>education</strong> to feel confident about where to start’ (2004, P.3). The idea that teachers lack <strong>the</strong><br />
<strong>musical</strong> training, <strong>the</strong>refore contributing to a lack <strong>of</strong> confidence on how to structure <strong>the</strong>ir<br />
teaching, implies <strong>the</strong> need <strong>of</strong> a school music coordinator. The job <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> coordinator wouldn’t<br />
be to teach to <strong>the</strong> class, but to <strong>of</strong>fer support to <strong>the</strong> teachers to give <strong>the</strong>m a greater knowledge<br />
on how <strong>the</strong>y can use <strong>the</strong>ir skills to teach music to <strong>the</strong>ir pupils.<br />
Primary school age children shouldn’t be expected to become great musicians but <strong>the</strong>y should<br />
be able to benefit from having an underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> music <strong>and</strong> being able to listen <strong>and</strong> react to<br />
it. ‘An important first step with a new class <strong>of</strong> any age will be to create some <strong>musical</strong> ‘play’<br />
situations which will help to uncover <strong>the</strong> children’s <strong>musical</strong> liveliness’ (Glover, 2004, P.7). In<br />
<strong>the</strong> early stages <strong>of</strong> <strong>musical</strong> learning it is important that children have <strong>the</strong> opportunity to<br />
discover <strong>the</strong>ir own individual <strong>musical</strong> abilities. This can only really be achieved through<br />
allowing a period <strong>of</strong> time during <strong>the</strong> class where children <strong>are</strong> encouraged to experiment with<br />
different instruments <strong>and</strong> listen to different types <strong>of</strong> music to see how <strong>the</strong>y respond. This time<br />
also gives <strong>the</strong> teacher a good opportunity to observe <strong>the</strong> children <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir <strong>musical</strong> abilities. If<br />
teachers <strong>are</strong> able to watch <strong>and</strong> observe <strong>the</strong> children in a play situation it could give <strong>the</strong>m a<br />
better idea <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> how to structure <strong>the</strong> rest <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lesson, <strong>and</strong> what techniques<br />
work best with certain children. If <strong>the</strong> government put more thought into <strong>the</strong> different ways<br />
Music Education in Regard to Children CM6002 Emily McGregor 163930<br />
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