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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"To teach a child an instrument without first giving him preparatory training <strong>and</strong> without<br />
developing singing, reading <strong>and</strong> dictating to <strong>the</strong> highest level along with <strong>the</strong> playing is to<br />
build upon s<strong>and</strong>” (Kodaly cited in Estrella, 2005).<br />
The voice is <strong>the</strong> most commonly used instrument in <strong>the</strong> ‘Kodaly Approach’. He believed that<br />
singing was <strong>the</strong> best foundation for any musician <strong>and</strong> that singing was just as natural an<br />
activity as speaking. Kodaly believed in <strong>the</strong> importance <strong>of</strong> folk music <strong>and</strong> thought that it was<br />
important to have an underst<strong>and</strong>ing <strong>of</strong> music from around <strong>the</strong> world. Many folk songs <strong>are</strong><br />
pentatonic; <strong>the</strong>y only use five notes in <strong>the</strong> scale <strong>the</strong>refore making <strong>the</strong>m easy to sing. Kodaly<br />
had a strong belief that if children were educated in music <strong>and</strong> had sufficient training that it<br />
would help <strong>the</strong>m in o<strong>the</strong>r subjects included in <strong>the</strong> curriculum. Kodaly’s <strong>the</strong>ory is backed up<br />
by <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong>re is still new evidence coming out <strong>and</strong> experiments taking place today to<br />
prove that music can have a positive contribution to o<strong>the</strong>r <strong>are</strong>as <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> curriculum. ‘Music<br />
training is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract<br />
reasoning skills, <strong>the</strong> skills necessary for learning math <strong>and</strong> science’ (Borgese, 2010).<br />
Dr. Shinichi Suzuki was born in Japan in 1898. He developed an approach to music <strong>education</strong><br />
called <strong>the</strong> ‘Suzuki’ method but it is also commonly known as <strong>the</strong> ‘mo<strong>the</strong>r-tongue’ approach.<br />
Suzuki started to develop this approach while on a trip to Germany. He observed that <strong>the</strong><br />
children in Germany had no difficulty in learning <strong>the</strong> German language just as children<br />
brought up in Japan had no difficulty in learning Japanese. The reason that <strong>the</strong> children found<br />
it easy to learn <strong>the</strong> language was because it was <strong>the</strong>ir mo<strong>the</strong>r tongue. Suzuki <strong>the</strong>n came to <strong>the</strong><br />
conclusion that if all children can learn <strong>the</strong>ir mo<strong>the</strong>r tongue due to <strong>the</strong> fact that it is<br />
introduced to <strong>the</strong>m from birth <strong>the</strong>n all children could develop a <strong>musical</strong> ability if brought up<br />
in <strong>the</strong> correct environment.<br />
"Musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed. Any child who<br />
is properly trained can develop <strong>musical</strong> ability just as all children develop <strong>the</strong> ability to<br />
speak <strong>the</strong>ir mo<strong>the</strong>r tongue. The potential <strong>of</strong> every child is unlimited" (Suzuki cited in Estrella,<br />
2005).<br />
The fact that human beings can learn to speak <strong>the</strong>ir mo<strong>the</strong>r tongue is never thought <strong>of</strong> as a<br />
particularly remarkable achievement, this is due to <strong>the</strong> fact that <strong>the</strong> ability comes naturally.<br />
This implies that if something is introduced from birth children will have <strong>the</strong> ability to pick it<br />
up without difficulty. ‘We have lived without giving special thought to being able to speak<br />
one language as though it were a matter <strong>of</strong> fact. However it is a wonderful fact. Consider<br />
learning ano<strong>the</strong>r language. <strong>What</strong> hardship it involves! Therefore, being able to fluently speak<br />
<strong>the</strong> mo<strong>the</strong>r tongue is a wonderful ability’ (Kataoka, 1997, p.7).<br />
Music Education in Regard to Children CM6002 Emily McGregor 163930<br />
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