SPONTANEOUS MUSIC MAKING IN THE GENERAL MUSIC CLASSROOM Martina Vasil, doctoral student West...
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SPONTANEOUS MUSIC MAKING IN THE GENERAL MUSIC CLASSROOM Martina Vasil, doctoral student West Virginia University [email protected]Mountain Lake Colloquium
SPONTANEOUS MUSIC MAKING IN THE GENERAL MUSIC CLASSROOM Martina Vasil, doctoral student West Virginia University [email protected] Mountain Lake Colloquium
SPONTANEOUS MUSIC MAKING IN THE GENERAL MUSIC CLASSROOM Martina
Vasil, doctoral student West Virginia University [email protected]
Mountain Lake Colloquium 2013
Slide 3
Overly rigid and sequenced instruction can have a negative
impact on learning (Benedict, 2009)
Slide 4
Childrens musical cultures are unique Children may react in
various ways to musical stimuli Honoring and using childrens
perspectives of music, this is the root from which all later
musicality can grow and flourish (Moorhead & Pond, 1941)
Imperative to music teacher education
Slide 5
Sohow DO children make music? Jackson Pollock, Lavender Mist:
Number 1, 1950. Oil on canvas, Oil, enamel, and aluminum on canvas;
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C. Creative Improvised
Spontaneous
Slide 6
Creative music making Investing objects with a new form;
creating rather than imitating (Merriam-Webster, 2012) Improvised
music making Composing, reciting, arranging, making, or playing
impromptu (Merriam-Webster, 2012) An improvised response puts the
full responsibility for the music being made on the person/s making
it, and for the entire duration of its making (Curran, 2006, p.
483)
Slide 7
Spontaneous music making Voluntary or involuntary actions or
movements (Merriam-Webster, 2012) Natural impulses,
physical/emotive responses to music (Bereson, 2005) Responses that
are not teacher- directed
Slide 8
Which one are YOU doing? 1. Creative 2. Improvised 3.
Spontaneous "Musiciens aux masques by Pablo Picasso 1921, oil on
canvas. New York, NY.
Slide 9
Spontaneous music making How would children engage in
spontaneous music making? How would the teacher respond to
childrens spontaneous music making?
Slide 10
How did children spontaneously make music? Rhythmic responses
Raindrops, raindrops, fall-ing down Rain on the green grass Rain on
the trees Rain on the rooftops But not on me Old King Glory
Slide 11
Vocalizations (sung words, solfge patterns, spoken dialogue)
Rain coming down from the clouds Sol mi sol mi do Hmmmm hmm
hmmmm
Slide 12
Spoken Responses Im listening for the beat Play it again! Thats
a hard rain Nice to meet you Hi, how are you? Hello! Hello!
Slide 13
Rhythmic movement
Slide 14
Exploratory movement Pretending Modifying Props
Slide 15
Teacher response to spontaneity ENCOURAGING Teacher as
facilitator Student cues Safe environment Active learning Student
choice Ask for ideas
Slide 16
How can this help? Use spontaneity to: Develop new ideas for
classroom experiences Promote student ideas Understand how children
learn music Incorporate student interests and skills
Slide 17
Rhythmically Rhythm vs beat Ostinatos Vocalizations Invent
songs Experiment with solfge patterns Choose a melody to hum while
lining up for class Spoken responses Students have time to discuss
what they hear Time for improvised dialogue and interaction with
stimuli Understand how children learn music Incorporate student
interests and skills Develop new ideas for classroom experiences
Promote student ideas
Slide 18
Rhythmic movement Encourage rhythmic movement during
imaginative play New ways to do rhythmic patterns Exploratory
movement Play with props Free movement to music
Slide 19
How understanding spontaneity can benefit music teacher
education programs Contribute to the literature Improve preservice
music teacher preparation Spontaneous music making can provide
clues for the next steps in instruction Spontaneous music making
can provide exciting variations to lesson plans
Slide 20
Encouraging student ideas + offering students choices= safe
environment Flexibility is necessary Use varied stimuli High energy
and special needs children may display more spontaneity Be more
inclusive of students with lots of spontaneity Spontaneity (or lack
of) does not impact musicality