Chapter 1: Lesson 1 - A Preview of Music Education

Chapter 1: Introduction of the Course

Lesson 1
A Preview of the Course
“Music is one way for young people to connect with themselves, but it is also a bridge for connecting with others.
Through music, we can introduce children to the richness and diversity of the human family and to the myriad
rhythms of life.”
(Daniel A. Carp, Eastman Kodak Company Chairman and CEO)

Learning Outcomes:
• Give the importance of music and other arts in the elementary school
• Explain the integrated approach in teaching and learning music
• Give examples of musical integration in the classroom

Key Terms
• Music – an organized sound in an artistic form of auditory communication
incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured, continuous manner
• Music education - a field of study associated with the teaching and learning
of music; It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor
domain, the cognitive domain, and, in particular and the affective domain,
including music appreciation and sensitivity
• Integrated approach – connecting learning in one subject area to a related
content in another subject area
• Developmentally Appropriate - an approach to teaching that respects both
the age and the individual needs of each child.

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Activate prior knowledge

• What comes to your mind when the word music is mentioned?
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• Describe your musical experiences which you have been doing since
childhood until today. What did you learn from those experiences?
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• What musical instrument/s do you play? What did you learn from that
experience?
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Acquire new knowledge

Music is signinficant in all of our lives, not only during cetain times and occasions,
but also as an everyday experience that enriches our thinking. As a pre-service teacher,
you are about to enter the most exciting area of your course experience – teaching. The
formal education of a child rests in your hands. Your enthusiasm is contagious, your
beliefs in life’s wonders inspire, your understanding comforts, and your knowledge and
skills motivate and mold intellectual and emotional growth of the children in the
classroom. This subject will lead you to believe that every classroom teacher can
accumulate knowledge and develop skills that will enable you to lead a child in
meaningful experiences with music which is developmentally appropriate. Each of
you has particular talents. Some of you sing well; others play instruments; still others
may never have sung in a choir or played an instrument but enjoy listening and dancing
to music. Some of you have travelled or read a great deal and would like to share with
your students music and arts of other countries and peoples. Whatever your background,
this course will build on your strengths to teach music and will expand your horizons that
you will be better equipped to teach music and integrate musical experiences into the
elementary school curriculum.
Developments in Music. There were educators in the twentieth century who advances
in music education, such as Zoltan Kodaly, Carl Orff and Jacques-Emile Dalcroze who

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believed that music should be accessible for children regardless of their ability. They were
the proponent of the creative experiences of children at an early age that would take
place through the act of singing, movement, and instrumental activity. On the other
hand, Howard Gardner states that intelligence is not only manifested on the linguistic and
logical-mathematical (often emphasized in school) but also in musical, spatial, bodily
kinesthetic, interpersonal, and intrapersonal. Gardner encourages teachers to provide a
comprehensively balanced school curriculum that assists students in developing the
potential of all their intelligences. Bringing about the music of other cultures can benefit
in understanding related to musical concepts, such as rhythm and pitch, to the children’s
own musical inventions. Furthermore, the development of music will enable children to
develop respect and understanding for all human musical cultures in their richness and
diversity.
The Importance of Music Education in the Elementary School. A guiding principle
of the elementary music program is that all learning must be related to the experiences of
the child. In the music program, students will have the opportunity to work independently
and to co-operate in groups. Early exposure to music as a form of relaxation and
enjoyment should be given importance beginning in the child’s early years. With this, they
will be exposed to a wide variety of career choices involving music. The development of
musical ability and an appreciation for music is the cornerstone of the elementary music
program and will undoubtedly contribute significantly to the overall personal development
of the students. Because of the rigorous career preparation, the school systems strive to
implement mandated standards to help students excel on this to gain skills for future job
opportunities. Thus, art and music are cut off or are less taught. However, music
education could have major impacts on growth and development of children.
• Music enhances literacy – music can enhance larger vocabulary, enhance
reading comprehension, ability to learn words, and communication.
• Music improves memory – music education involves high level of
memorization. It requires to recognize and repeat pitch, tone and lines of
the song.
• Music enhances socialization - music can give children opportunities to
connect with people through singing or instrument ensembles, and other
musical activities.
• Music integrates to different subject areas – music gives children a chance
to work on their math skills, reading and writing skills, science skills, and
history knowledge.

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• Music strengthens coordination – music enhances dexterity, eye-hand

coordination (i.e. playing instruments), and eye-foot coordination (i.e.
dancing).
• Music enhances culture – music provides children an understanding of the
important aspect of their culture
• Music boosts self-concept - early experiences in music may have a
profound effect on students' self-concepts

Promoting an Integrated Approach to Learning and Teaching in the Classroom.

Integrating music into a child’s daily classroom experiences has many advantages.
Children can be taught to perceive ideas that are related. An example of the schedule
below shows how music is integrated in the day’s activity.

Sample Schedule of Classes (with the integration of Music)

• 8:00 – Play music before the lesson starts

• 8:10 – Floor time (for Primary children) Sing “Good Morning” or do a
movement activity with music
• 8:30 – Morning Work, Attendance, Weather, Calendar – Sing songs related to
this (i.e. “Where is _____”, “Today is _____”)
• 9:00 – First subject
• 9:30 – Second subject
• 10:00 – Pick up and Pack up - Sing a goodbye song

Note: Use songs for transition (between subjects)

Apply your knowledge

Activity 1.

Watch this animated short story (7 min.) of a poor musician and a stray dog.
[Link]

Answer the following questions:

1. Why do you think this short film is entitled “Rubato”?

2. Watch the sequence from 0:50 – 1:14. Why do you think the man is in
the spotlight?
3. How do you integrate this story to Science, Art, Language, and Social
Studies? Give examples.

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Activity 2
Interview an early childhood teacher or a primary teacher in your
community. Use the interview questions below and record all information in your
notebook. After the interview, organize the information and write a paragraph
report to share to class.

Name of Interviewee: ___________________ Date of Interview:______

Teacher in: ___ Early Childhood; ___ Primary

1. Do you teach songs to your class? How often?

2. How did you learn to teach music? Did you have formal lesson
in this?
3. Do you love and enjoy teaching music to children in your
class? Why or why not?

Note:

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Assess your learning

Write T if the statement is true and F is the statement is false before the number.

______ 1. Early musical stimulation is necessary to aid children’s musicality.

______ 2. All children should be exposed to music regardless of their ability.
______ 3. Integration occurs when separate subjects are brought together with a single
topic.
______ 4. Music of other cultures can benefit the child to learn more about respect and
understanding of people from other countries.
______ 5. Developmentally appropriate practices encourage teachers to provide a
comprehensively balanced school curriculum.