Guest Feature Continued from page 35 Moving the body while singing can
impact the quality of that singing. In one study, Liao and Davidson (2007) found that children’s bodily movements reflected the quality of their voice when singing, with size of movements reflecting dynamics and continuity reflecting articulation. Other studies have reported that children’s (Campbell, 2010; Moorhead & Pond, 1978) and adolescent’s (Ebie, 2004) movements support their voices and reflect their expressive intentions.
Ideas for the Classroom Here are some ideas for incorporating
movement to improve melodic understanding and performance. If you want to focus on melodic phrases for instance, have students listen for the phrases in a performance of a piece that they are learning. As they listen, they should draw the phrase in the air with one finger. Once they figure out how long the phrase is, they should be challenged to manage their space, time, and energy so that they do not end before the phrase ends. For a locomotor variation on that theme, have students walk the phrase in space from point A to point B. Each student can predetermine the distance by placing a red plastic cup on point A and a blue plastic cup on point B. As they listen, sing, or even play the melodic phrase, they should walk from point to point.
Given the abstraction and mystery
of producing sounds in the voice (Abril, 2007) and the support from the research described above, you might consider incorporating movements to represent pitches in singing instruction. Curwen hand signs, as often used in the Kodály method, where a particular positioning of the hand represents a particular pitch, might prove beneficial in developing interval identification and sight singing abilities (see Choksy, et al., 2001). Using
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a Dalcroze approach, you might focus on the pitch contour of a melody by having students move the contour with their bodies or draw the contour in the air with their arms (see Mead, 1994). Finally, allow students to freely move their bodies as they sing as a way to help them develop more expressive and/or supported singing.
Listening While there is less research testing
the effect of movement instruction on music listening, there is some evidence that it does positively impact listening skills. Sims (1986) reported that preschool children who participated in some movement experience with music were more attentive when listening to that music in comparison to those who only
movement experiences, those that are led by and designed by the teacher, and (b) creative movement experience, those that are generated by students (Abril, 2011). An example of a directive movement experience would be having students copy your choreographed movements, while listening to Queen’s song, “Bicycle Race.” Another example would be to teach students a folk dance from one of the songs Alfred Reed used in his band piece, Armenian Dances. These experiences can focus students’ attention on certain aspects of the music, from its expressivity to its historical roots, to its form.
Creative movements give students the
freedom to generate their own movements as they listen. For example, instead of or in addition to having students follow or create visual maps to represent a section from Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring, you might challenge students to create a movement piece to represent the music they hear. The goal is not to create choreography as much as it is to help students develop a deeper understanding of the music they are listening to. Another example of creative movement is to give students one or two specific Laban effort actions (dab, flick, punch, slash, glide, float, wring, press) and ask them to improvise movements
listened passively. Another study found that children who moved while listening to music scored significantly better on a measure of form perception than did other students who followed a listening map without moving (Gromko & Poorman, 1998). Giving children experiences moving spontaneously (i.e., freely) to music might improve their ability to represent that music using graphic notation (Fung & Gromko, 2001).
Ideas for the Classroom Designing listening experiences that
incorporate movement for students can be divided into two types: (a) directive
inspired by those actions as they listen to music. For more information on movement and listening, see Kerchner (2014).
Concluding Thoughts Jonathan, a twelve-year-old boy, said
it best in an interview talking about his experiences in a school music program: “…I can’t sit still long. Nobody should have to sit still when there’s music. It moves, and makes you move” (Campbell, p. 198). Jonathan’s insightful comment speaks volumes, and it is supported by research, which has consistently shown that humans (especially children) have a natural tendency, need, and desire to move
Wyoming Windsong
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