Musical Development and what can be taught to Elementary School

Children
Emily Wylie
MUED 380, Fall 2018

Research Questions
Problem Statement
1. How likely is it for younger learners to learn harder skills in music
before overwhelming them?
This research explores the extent to which elementary schoolers
would be able to learn musical skills beyond what they learn now; 2. Is there a set guide for which musical skills need to be taught
meaning short and simple melodies, the diatonic scales, and when in a learner’s life?
common-time meters. This topic is meant to discover how more
advanced skills can be taught in younger age groups while continuing
to engage learners. The goal from this research was to discover
whether or not the way musical information is taught effects what
information can be taught regardless of age. There should be a way
to approach teaching apart from a standards perspective where
learners aren’t necessarily treated as individuals and are able to
learn more than what is required of them at their age. Implications for Practice

Some uses for what this research has given is for each class an educator
teaches to be approached differently from any other class. Not only each
class, but each individual student. This goes for the way in which individual
students are taught to what they are capable of learning. Learning the culture
of an area before teaching there including the music everyone listens to and
Article Summaries the way in which families in an area talk to each other indicate what kinds of
Bamberger, 2006: music to begin with when working towards creating well-rounded musicians.
Defines Musicality as "transformations that occur over time in how individuals
organize their perceptions and the strategies they bring to bear in
constructing their understanding of the world around them." Brings the idea
of scaffolding through meeting students where they understand or enjoy the
material. Then the teacher's role is to bring what isn't known to what is
already known.

Mills & McPherson, 2006:

Compares learning music or developing musicality to learning a language
where both reading, writing, speaking, and comprehending. To them, there is
no way for someone to be considered musically illiterate. The way to develop
musically is to treat learning experiences like games.
Levitin, 2012:
He looks at how music affects the brain physically meaning the way gray
matter forms because of musical understanding. Different aspects of
musicality are explored and with him, it is also impossible to be musically
illiterate, someone may just possess more gray matter for a different form of
musicality. Interest or whatever music sparks dopamine receptors in the
brain can be used to engage students and introduce them to newer
materials.
Suggestions for Further Research
Is it the materials or the teacher?
Future research could include a study on the types of course materials used
engagement based on how information is taught to truly find if it is the
information being taught itself or the way in which it is taught that encourages
engagement in a music classroom. Most of the information found covered how
musicality can be developed without specifying where to begin or what can be
taught when.

Welch, 2006:
Musicianship is developed over a period of time from a mixture of nature and
nurture. Practice with music and points of musicality produce changes and How can a changed curriculum change the standards that are already set
improvement. The culture of individual students and classrooms as a whole in place?
change the way a class can be taught.
Exploring how an alteration to the curriculum put in place by age has an affect
Trainor & Trehub, 1994: on music education standards can also be explored in the future. Finding
Uses the classic music model to explain why diatonic scales and common changes in standards from the past and seeing if it truly needs to be changed
time meters are taught to younger learners and then branched out later on in or whether what is there now could fit with this idea of teaching advanced skills
life. This is regardless of their statement of children having the ability to learn can affect how music is going to continue to be taught.
musical elements beyond what they say is necessary to teach younger
children.

Swanwick, 2001:
Learners should be treated as individuals because their personal
developmental stage differs from other learners in a classroom. Music
teaching can be seen as a layered process, going back and forth in
progression as individuals need help or advancement.

Doxey & Wright, 1990:

Music is developed in the home similarly to learning a language. The innate
potential of children to excel at music is realized most in their early life. It is
important for both parents and teachers to provide opportunities for children
to sing and experience multiple genres of music.