Session 3: Musical development in Children and Adolescents

Some Basics of Cognitive Development
 

 

Young Child	Adolescent
Evenly paced cognitive development	More erratic cognitive development
Concrete thinking	Able to reason and process abstract ideas
Internalizes ideas at a slower rate	Able to internalize concepts at a faster rate
Tends to focus on fewer variables at any given time	Able to focus on multiple variables at one time
View things as they are	Able to see things as they might be
Focused on own perspective	Able to consider other viewpoints
Problem solutions are dictated by the problem (immediately tries to solve the problem; sticks with one solutions; modifies problem to match the solution)	Better able to apply analytical thinking to solve problems; seeks multiple solutions
Reacts emotionally	More introspective; able to talk about emotions in a tactful manner
Takes things literally	More likely to understand symbolic meaning
	Enjoys work that requires thinking, ingenuity, and discovery

Some Basics of Musical Development

• Babies respond to sound stimuli by the 3^rd trimester.

• Pre-school and primary school children demonstrate very positive attitudes toward many kinds of music.

• Pre-school and primary school children are capable of perceiving and responding to many more sophisticated musical concepts than their vocabulary allows them to express.

• Young children benefit more from listening and doing. The more they participate the more they learn.

• By age 11 or 12, young people demonstrate a measurable capacity to deal with musical concepts.

• The capacity to deal with musical concepts on a more discriminating level accelerates and develops at its fastest pace between ages 10 to 14.

• The rate of growth in capacity to deal with musical concepts slows between ages 14 and 23.

• Adolescent musicians are capable of mastering musical concepts on a level equal to adults providing the musical material is suitable to their technical development.

• Both boys and girls do equally well on tests of musical ability.
   

Note: Life experience plays a major role in any individual's ability to process and make sense of higher order concepts and thinking.  Consider the extent and circumstances of a person's life experiences when setting expectations for understanding and application.

A Three-Phase Model

Bateson and Ellis (as cited in Campbell and Scott-Kassner, 1995) propose a 3-phase model to help understand musical development in the study of instruments.

• Phase 1: Early Development 

Children are perceivers and performers of simple pieces. This is a time of playful experimentation. This phase is typically the emphasis of instruction in the early grades.
 
• Phase 2: Middle Development

The student makes a commitment to practice in order to develop the technical skills needed to build a performance repertoire. This a time of attention to performance technique and concentration on competence. The focus of instruction up through 6^th grade is often dominated by this phase.
 
• Phase 3: Mature Development

Performance skills are refined and the goal of music as a form of expression is attained. Instruction at the middle school and high school levels tends to address this phase.

Source: Campbell, P. and Scott-Kassner, C. (1995). Music in childhood: From preschool through the elementary grades. New York: Schirmer Books.
 

Musical development by general grade levels

Level	Conceptual	Performance Skill	Creativity	Critical Response
Elementary	Level I knowledge and understanding of core concepts     Example: Dynamics are an element in music used to create contrast and add interest	Play independently Demonstrate an early sense expression Play from memory and written music Play varying styles and genres Echo and perform easy rhythms, melodies, and harmonies Perform in groups Perform independent parts while others play contrasting parts Begin to respond to the conductor	Improvise answers in the same style given Improvise and compose simple melodies and ostinato accompaniments Create short pieces within specified guidelines	Perceive, respond, and describe basic elements using correct terminol-ogy Listen and describe aural examples of different styles and types Identify the sounds of various instru-ments Demonstrate appropriate audience skills Respond through purposeful move-ment
Middle School	Level II knowledge and understanding of core concepts     Example: Dynamics add interest to music by varying the volume to create an emotional response	Perform independently Perform in small ensembles, perhaps with one person to a part Perform in large ensembles Demonstrate musical and technical skill consistent with level 2/3 music on a 1-6 level Perform music from diverse periods, styles and genres Play simple melodies, harmonies by ear	Improvise and compose simple harmonic accompaniments Improvise short melodies over given accompaniments Compose and arrange short pieces within guidelines using elements to achieve unity and variety, tension and release, and balance Use of variety of traditional and non-traditional sound sources	Aanlyze the uses of musical elements in aural examples from diverse styles and genres Describe musical events in aural examples using appropriate musical terms Interpret complex music through movement Listen to music as an informed audience member
High School	Level III knowledge and understanding of core concepts     Example: Dynamics provide a means to create nuance, shading, and shape in music	Perform independently Perform in chamber ensembles with one person to a part Perform in large ensembles Demonstrate musical and technical skill consistent with level 4/5 music on a 1-6 level Perform independent parts of a sophisticated level while others play sophisticated contrasting parts Respond to more sophisticated conducting nuances Demonstrate a sophisticated level of expression	Improvise in a variety of modes and tonalities Improvise in a variety of styles Improvise original melodies over given chord progressions Compose music in distinct styles use elements for expressive effect Compose music for a variety of medium Demonstrate knowledge of factors related to traditional sound sources	Demonstrate how musical elements interact Listen to exrended and complex music as an informed audience member Describe unique quality of a piece of music Compare and contrast the use of varied compositional devices

How is this knowledge applied to teaching instrumental music?

An excellent question that will be discussed in class. Give this question thought before our next meeting. Identify the relevance this theory has for teaching. In other words, how can this theory be used in practice?

Session 4 Class Notes

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