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Composite Synthesis. At the partial


synthesis level, students are able to give syn- tax to a series of familiar tonal or rhythm patterns. At composite synthesis, students read and write a series of tonal and rhythm patterns with the ability to identify the to- nality or meter of the series.


Inference Learning Students are not taught by rote at this


level; they make their own discoveries. As a result of their experience with familiar patterns at various levels of discrimination learning, students are able to identify, cre- ate with, and improvise unfamiliar patterns in inference learning. Whereas in discrimi- nation learning a teacher teaches a student both what to learn and how to learn it, in inference learning a teacher teaches a stu- dent only how to learn. The student teaches himself what he learns. Generalization. Generalization has verbal, and


three sublevels: aural/oral,


symbolic. The sublevels are analogous to the corresponding levels of discrimination learning, except, that the student is able to audiate unfamiliar patterns by comparing them to the familiar patterns he learned by rote. At generalization-aural/oral, for ex- ample, the student indicates whether two tonal or rhythm patterns are the same or different. At generalization-verbal the stu- dent, upon hearing a tonal or rhythm pat- tern


performed without solfege, is able


sing or chant the pattern with appropriate solfege. At the generalization-symbolic lev- el, students read unfamiliar patterns (com- monly called sight-reading) and write unfa- miliar patterns from dictation. Creativity/Improvisation. In order to


create or improvise, the student must have something to create or improvise with. The tonal and rhythm patterns learned in dis- crimination learning comprise the content the student uses to form his own unique musical ideas in creativity and improvisa- tion.


Creativity is easier than improvisation


because there are more restrictions on a performer when he improvises than when he creates. In improvising to a song, for ex- ample, the student is limited to a particular tonality and meter, and he must follow ton- al functions according to the form (chord progression) of the song. When engaging in creativity, the student is in effect creating his own “song,” and selects his own restrictions


MARCH 2013


of tonality, meter, tonal and rhythm func- tions, and form.


As in discrimination learning, learning sequence activities at the creativity/improvi- sation level consist of tonal and rhythm pat- tern echoes between teacher and students. In creativity, the student responds to the teacher’s pattern with a different pattern of ANY function. For example, if the teacher sings a tonic pattern in major, the student may respond with a different tonic pattern, a dominant pattern, a subdominant pattern, or a pattern of some other tonal function (see tonal content). In improvisation, the student must respond with a different pat- tern of a specific function stipulated by the teacher. For example, the teacher may chant a macrobeat/microbeat pattern


in duple


meter and ask the student to respond with a different macrobeat/microbeat pattern (see rhythm content). See improvisation for methods and materials specifically developed for teaching improvisation in classroom activities. Theoretical Understanding. Music


theory explains why music is audiated, per- formed, read, written, created, and impro- vised as it is. It is to music what grammar and linguistics are to language. Taught in proper sequence, theoretical understand- ing can strengthen what was learned at the lower levels of music learning. In language learning, grammar and the parts of speech are not taught until children have developed considerable skill in thinking, speaking, im- provising (conversing), reading, and writing in their native tongue. The same should be true in music teaching. Unfortunately, music theory is often taught to students who do not audiate. Such a sequence can only hinder audiational de- velopment. For most efficient learning, ide- ally students should not be introduced to theoretical understanding until they have achieved all previous levels of discrimina- tion and inference learning to the extent that their music aptitudes will allow. At the theoretical understanding lev-


el, students learn information commonly taught in traditional methods as a readiness for music reading, such as the names of lines and spaces; time value names (eighth note, quarter note, half note, and so on); sharps and flats; measure (“time “) signatures; and key signature definitions. They also learn intervals, chord spellings, and other infor- mation traditionally taught as music theory.


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The above sequence, although listed in a linear fashion, can and should be changed, using “bridging movement” as is desired during instruction so as to promote a bet- ter understanding of the material. There are “bridging” movements from discrimination to Inference learning that are recommend- ed. These “bridging” movements are specif- ic, yet they leave a lot of room for flexibility. Tonal and Rhythm content are orga-


nized in a way to achieve maximum learn- ing by comparison. That is, for example, learning Major and then Minor in tonal content and learning duple and triple in Rhythm content. Once duple and triple patterns have been learned the student is able to “synthesize” them by comparison so that the learner can audiate major and mi- nor as well as other tonalities in tonal con- tent and duple and triple as well as other meters in rhythm content. At first glance all of this does seem


daunting. It is not as complicated as it seems. Once it is put into practice it be- comes remarkably clear how effective the theory is and the teacher has a lot of fun being creative in teaching and the learner learns how to audiate for a lifetime of music understanding and creative fun as well! It is a wonderful addition to any music educa- tor’s teaching conception. It also fits right in with the NJ Core Curriculum standards and sequential objectives and sample les- sons. Feel free to “Jump Right In”! The Book Learning Sequences in Music by Edwin E. Gordon, GIA, Chicago, is highly recom- mended for further exploration.


Anyone wishing to join the New Jersey chapter of GIML please go to the website GIML.org and join the National organiza- tion. Be sure to click on “none” for Chapter affiliation as the NJ Chapter is new and is not currently listed. This way the organi- zation will know by your address that you wish to be part of the NJ Chapter. After do- ing so please e mail: jperry@woboe.org or joeljperry@comcast.net. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns regard- ing MLT.


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