Sibonga Community College

Poblacion, Sibonga, Cebu

486 – 8232

MUSIC 1: TEACHING MUSIC IN THE ELEMENTARY GRADES

Module 1: MUSIC AND CHILDREN
Introduction

The Philippines has a very rich musical culture and heritage, spanning from many
centuries ago, spread across more than the 7,000 islands that make up this nation. The
Filipinos' talent and love for music are known worldwide. What better way then to preserve and
cultivate this gift than through education? Young elementary students make up a great portion
of the population. Sadly, many young Filipino children know music from foreign sources but
are unfamiliar with their own native music. They can catch a tune, memorize and sing it, but
never really get to fully understand it. There is pride in knowing one's own music and culture
for it gives a person his/her unique identity. Music refines and ennobles the human spirit.

This module aims to equip future music teachers with the knowledge and skills needed
to impart musical understanding. Topics are organized systematically according to contents,
strategies, guides to delivery, and aids in evaluation. An entire chapter is devoted to reviewing
basic concepts, so that our future teachers are not lost in the dark while teaching Music.
Integrated within the lessons are various engaging activities that depart from the usual lecture
approach and sometimes involve cooperative group dynamics. There are portions which
require listening to music online, so that students can fully appreciate the topics being taught.
It is my sincere hope that this module, though far from being perfect, can contribute
something to the music education system of this nation, which seems to be relatively
overlooked and neglected at the present day. Writing this module was a difficult endeavor, but
nevertheless it was a blessing.

Music and Children

Objectives
In this lesson, the student will be able to:
1. determine the three groups of people present in the music-making experience,
2. ascertain how music plays an integral part in the growth and development of children; and
3. develop a perception of music as an art, a language, and a science.
 Music has always been a part of man's culture. Throughout history, we can see many
instances where music has a place in our lives. As infants, our parents (especially our mothers)
sang to us lullabies to comfort and put us to sleep. As children, we grew up listening to songs
that taught us about the world we live in—places, people, customs, things, nature, and events.
Music also awoke in us feelings, right conduct, faith, values, and noble ideals, such as nationalism
and love of country. To an individual, music can be a cherished personal possession—it may
have a sentimental value. As a collective people, the value of music may be greatly multiplied—
it may unify people toward a common goal, or it may intimidate and discourage an opposing foe.

Such is the wonderful nature of music. Yet, if we look into our current educational system,
why are subjects such as music and the arts always overlooked? Why are these generally the first
to be eliminated when there are budget constraints? There is such a huge talent pool of young
musicians in our country, yet for the most part, this potential remains untapped. Support for music
and the arts are relatively inadequate, considering our population to be already pegged at more
than 100 million. There have been many good intentions done in the past, but we need to back
up those intentions with a clear direction. We begin by establishing a foundation why music must
be integrated into elementary education and its benefits. In this lesson, we shall also look at music
in its different facets: as an art, a language, and an exact science.

THINK: Music - Why Teach It?

I am sure that in the past, you have heard many people advocating about the advantages
of teaching music. There have been many researches made in the past, and the literature is full
of examples—from the Mozart effect to increasing test scores and music as a tool for therapy
among others. However, there is one key concept that each music educator must understand
and keep in mind. Our primary goal is not to create a future audience who will watch and listen
to recitals, concerts, musicals, and opera productions. We are not bent on training children to be
professional concert pianists, divas, rock stars, rappers, actor-musicians, recording artists,
composers, or the like. We do not expect them to represent our country in international
competitions and bring honor and prestige to our nation (though that would be great). Our
foremost goal is simpler, honest, less ego-centric, yet practical and noble. Our main goal is to
develop in them a love and enjoyment for music—to teach them how to attain satisfaction
whether they may be composers, interpreters, or listeners.

In teaching music, we must be able to give children equal and various opportunities for
them to be able to experience music as composers, interpreters, or listeners. Let me explain
these three in further detail:

1. Composers — We allow children, as composers, to contemplate and perceive the world

around them, and let them examine both the common and the rare. We do not expect them
to write a full song or a symphony, but we give them chances to improvise and experiment
on creating musical ideas based on what they perceive around them. Young children have
a naturally "honest," innocent, and unbiased perception (schema) of their surroundings.
2. Interpreters — The path of the interpreter is usually that of a performer: he/she is tasked to
give meaning and life to the creations of composers. Children can interpret music either by
their ability to "play by ear" or by reading musical notation, both traditional and nontraditional.
Since not one human being is alike, a single piece of music may be interpreted uniquely.
The interpreter is usually a singer, an instrumentalist, or a conductor. Interpreters may
perform solo, in duets, or as a group.

3. Listeners — The listener is not to be judged as a passive partaker in the music-making

process. Listeners do not merely enjoy the complementary efforts of the composer and the
interpreter; they are the ones who "evaluate," critique, and try to understand the message
being put forth by the composer and the interpreter. Listeners also investigate connections
between the music, the composer, the interpreter, and many other factors, such as historical,
political, and cultural contexts. In a way, listeners also determine through their reception of
a musical piece whether it is a success or a flop.

What is the Mozart effect?

In October 1993, researchers Dr. Gordon Shaw, Frances Rauscher, and Katherine
Ky made a research exposing college students to some of Mozart's piano music
before taking a spatial reasoning test. Students who listened to Mozart's music prior
to the test scored significantly higher compared to those who did not. Their research,
a one-page article originally titled "Music and spatial task performance," was
popularized and coined by the media as the "Mozart effect," hence the name.

As we continue working with our young students, we, teachers, should be aware which
of these three paths our students' strengths are aligned and which needs reinforcement.
We must be able to label our learning activities whether they are oriented toward
composing, interpreting, or listening.

Life poses many challenging problems, and through music, we can equip our young
students in improving their achievement levels and provide them avenues for using creative
solutions. Here are just a few of the benefits of music in a child's development:

1. Music enhances cognitive skills in reading, language development, and proficiency.

Early musical training develops areas of the brain related to reading and language, since
music in itself is also a language, and it requires its own notation to read. Lyrics in songs
also help to retain word usage, grammar, pronunciation, and vocabulary.

2. Music simultaneously activates many areas of the brain.

Children learn to perform various skills all at once when making music, such as:
listening, staying in tune and keeping in time, memorizing, using imagination to convey a
message, using different body parts, and following instructions.
 3. Music improves mathematical and reasoning skills.
There is a running joke that most musicians are quite bad at arithmetic. On the contrary,
music employs math extensively. Where some mathematical formulas remain theoretical
ideas, music is very tangible and can be realized immediately by human senses. Music also
teaches reasoning since it teaches and searches for meaning through relationships between
and groups of notes which in turn determines what kind of sound/s is/are produced.

4. Music helps in creative thinking.

Music, like most other arts, is highly subjective. There are some aspects of music that
are not absolute. Children learn that there are many solutions to arrive at a common
answer, or that there may be more than one right answer.
Music also helps in thinking "out of the box."

5. Music helps improve motor skills and coordination.

For instance, when playing the piano, one has to look at sheet music to read the notes,
use his/her hands to strike the keys, listen whether the notes are correct in pitch and rhythm,
and press the pedal/s with the foot. Activities like these train finer muscle control and
coordination between the brain and various body parts.

Music as an Art, a Language, and a Science

To be truly effective musicians, we must have a thorough understanding of the nature of

music. No, it does not require us to be virtuosos in a particular instrument—performing and
teaching are two separate worlds. There are those who are good in performing but cannot teach,
while there are some who can teach but cannot perform. Ideally, we must strive to strike a happy
balance between these two. Realistically, especially here in the Philippines, we earn a living by
being proficient enough in both teaching and performing music, as the opportunity arises. Being
able to do both skills can contribute to a more enriching and satisfying career.
In the course of our teaching, we should keep in mind that music is unique compared to
other fields, in that it is an art, a language, and a science all at the same time.
1. Music as an art — As mentors, we are to guide our elementary students on how to
develop an aesthetic taste for music, since there are some types of music which are not
quite appropriate to be heard by young children either because these might be too
complex or boring or might contain text that are not fit for young listeners' innocent ears.
There are many ways that music can be enjoyed or experienced as an art, such as:
a. a sense of affinity when hearing familiar music;
b. an emotional appeal when hearing distinct tunes and how they are arranged;
c. a certain detachment for music that is too complex or hard to understand or relate to;

d. an awareness in the use of form;

e. a sense of recognition whether music is played accurately, with or without feelings; and
f. evokes a mental image or stirs up the imagination for an idea being put across by the
music.
2. Music as a language — Since it is a universal language, we aim for children to have the
ability to use music as a means for communication and self-expression. This is achieved
through activities that encourage them to compose simple songs and tunes, and also through
listening experiences where they get to understand how others express and communicate
through music.
Music as a science — Music is an exact science, and it is important that students, as they
continually progress in their learning, would be familiar with technical concepts, such as tonality,
compound meters, and the like. A lack of awareness of music as a science will not help in
unlocking it being also appreciated as an art. As guides, we, teachers, should ask questions like:
"When does a child need to know that a key signature of three sharps may either be A major or
F# minor?" When does this knowledge become useful for the child?