early childhood education
correlation exists between the music pref- erences parents acquired when they were young and the current preferences of their adolescent children. They also determined that higher education promotes a taste for classical music and jazz, lower education induces lack of attraction for these types of music, and both parents convey to their children their orientation to classi- cal music, whether loving it or detesting it. Many researchers indicated that young children tend to value the opinions of parents and teachers, while adolescents are drawn toward the influence of their peer group and adolescent-oriented seg- ments of the media. David Hargreaves, professor of education at the University of Roehampton (London, UK) and author of numerous books and articles on the psychology of music, examined 41 studies and came out with the conclusion that a) younger children are more open-eared, b) open-earedness declines as the child enters adolescence, c) there is a partial rebound of open-earedness as the listener matures from adolescence to young adulthood, and d) open-earedness declines as the listener matures to old age (1982, p.2). It has also been noted that the time between third and fourth grade appears to be a pivotal time and turning point in terms of music taste (Greer, Dorow and Randall, 1974) as well as a turning point for the stabilization of music aptitude (Gordon, 1996). So, as educators, is there anything we can do to develop more harmonious and balanced musical preferences in our children?
Implications for Music Teaching 1. The years of early childhood present the most favorable opportunities for development of music preferences and musical taste. Infants are inherently musical and begin to form musical preferences very early in life. Parents and caregivers should be encouraged and supported to share many different types of music with infants.
2. Young children are open to and accept- ing of a wide range of musical styles. Parents and teachers should continue to share a variety of music throughout
Wisconsin School Musician
childhood. World music, music of differ- ent styles and historical periods, music with or without accompaniment, music of different genres – from Bach to rock – should be circulated and valued.
3. Listening to music is a valuable en- deavor. Providing children with regular opportunities to listen to music has the potential to enhance children’s musical environment and developed well-rounded musical taste. With appropriate supervision from adults,
individual listening using technology should be encouraged.
4. Active music listening must be pres- ent at the pre-school and school cur- riculum. Shehan (1984) indicated that active instructional methods empha- sizing performance through singing and playing instruments may increase students preferences for the music style being studied to a greater extent than
Continued on page 46
Be the Grand Champion of Summer at the Wisconsin State Fair
Be a part of the partnership between two Wisconsin traditions!
Wisconsin School Music Association and Wisconsin State Fair Present the
WSMA World Music Showcase State Fair Park • West Allis, Wisconsin
August 12, 2016
For more information, please contact Tim Wurgler:
twurgler@wsmamusic.org
45
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68
