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 and without developing singing, reading and dictating to the highest level along with the playing is to build upon sand” (Kodaly cited in Estrella, 2005). The voice is the most commonly used instrument in the ‘Kodaly Approach’. He believed that singing was the best foundation for any musician and that singing was just as natural an activity as speaking. Kodaly believed in the importance of folk music and thought that it was important to have an understanding of music from around the world. Many folk songs are pentatonic; they only use five notes in the scale therefore making them easy to sing. Kodaly had a strong belief that if children were educated in music and had sufficient training that it would help them in other subjects included in the curriculum. Kodaly’s theory is backed up by the fact that there is still new evidence coming out and experiments taking place today to prove that music can have a positive contribution to other areas of the curriculum. ‘Music training is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills, the skills necessary for learning math and science’ (Borgese, 2010). Dr. Shinichi Suzuki was born in Japan in 1898. He developed an approach to music education called the ‘Suzuki’ method but it is also commonly known as the ‘mother-tongue’ approach. Suzuki started to develop this approach while on a trip to Germany. He observed that the children in Germany had no difficulty in learning the German language just as children brought up in Japan had no difficulty in learning Japanese. The reason that the children found it easy to learn the language was because it was their mother tongue. Suzuki then came to the conclusion that if all children can learn their mother tongue due to the fact that it is introduced to them from birth then all children could develop a musical ability if brought up in the correct environment. "Musical ability is not an inborn talent but an ability which can be developed. Any child who is properly trained can develop musical ability just as all children develop the ability to speak their mother tongue. The potential of every child is unlimited" (Suzuki cited in Estrella, 2005). The fact that human beings can learn to speak their mother tongue is never thought of as a particularly remarkable achievement, this is due to the fact that the ability comes naturally. This implies that if something is introduced from birth children will have the ability to pick it up without difficulty. ‘We have lived without giving special thought to being able to speak one language as though it were a matter of fact. However it is a wonderful fact. Consider learning another language. What hardship it involves! Therefore, being able to fluently speak the mother tongue is a wonderful ability’ (Kataoka, 1997, p.7). Music Education in Regard to Children CM6002 Emily McGregor 163930 16
The Suzuki method is an idea that is based around the importance of parental influence and involvement. ‘Adults play a critical part in whether or not children become creative people. Unless they work sensitively with children and their families, the emergent possibilities for creativity that are in every child do not develop or can be quickly extinguished’ (Bruce, 2004, P.24). The Suzuki method teaches that children should be exposed to music from birth and that parents and teachers need to work together to help develop musical ability in children at a young age. Suzuki believed that parents played a vital role in teaching music to their children and that their input was just as important and beneficial as music classes held in schools. The Suzuki method was originally developed to help children learn to play the violin but it has now been adapted to include other instruments such as piano, guitar and flute. Typically children start instrumental lessons at two or three years of age and background music should be played to children while at school to help them develop good listening skills. The main aims of the Suzuki method are to develop discipline, confidence, technical mastery and musicianship. All four of these musical scholars have made a huge contribution to musical education and in their own individual ways they have helped to mould the music curriculum into what it is today. Their different approaches to music are still being practised all over the world. Jingle Jangle Club Journal During the process of writing this dissertation a personal experiment took place to see how young children react and respond to music. Six musical storybooks were written about various percussion instrument characters. The instrument characters were: Tommy the Triangle, Antoinette the Castanet, Izzy Bell, Molly the Maraca, Dean the Tambourine and Wilbur the Whistle. Each musical storybook came with a song, a dance, and a short story that taught the children about the instrument and when to play it. An interactive children’s event/play called the ‘Jingle Jangle Club’ was then put together with the main aim of getting young children involved in making and responding to music. The play consisted of various musical activities that were all based around the six musical storybooks. During the event the children were able to get involved making their own musical instruments, which they were then taught to play. All the instruments made were percussion instruments; this gave the children an opportunity to play around with different rhythms and sounds. The children then took part in an interactive performance in which they were able to sing, dance and play the instruments that they had made. The response from the children was quite remarkable. It was amazing to see how an introverted and shy child at the start of the event then transformed into a smiley, chatty, and confident child by the end of the day. The Music Education in Regard to Children CM6002 Emily McGregor 163930 17
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