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MUSICAL LEARNING
ENGAGE CHILDREN
 Music is important to children.
o Some listen to it.
o Others sing, hum, whistle or
chant to it.
o Others play it on musical
instrument—solo
friends.
or
TO

with
o Some enjoy dancing to it.
- Gives rise to physical
responses
- Create:
1. ‘Brand new music’ and
poems
2. Plays
3. Dances
 Listening, singing, playing, moving or
creating music—musical experiences
—are important in the lives of children.
MUSIC’S MANY
FUNCTIONS
 The use of music by everyone is
evidence of its staying power.
 Alan P. Merriam (1964)
o Anthropologist
o Presented a classic outline of
music’s many functions across
cultures.
 For experiencing artistic and
nonverbal expressions of life’s
beauty.
3. Entertainment – the use of music as
diversion and amusement.
 Media music is effortless “easy
listening” for them and greatly
entertaining.
4. Communication – the conveying of
feelings and emotions that are
understood by people within a
particular culture.
5. Symbolic Representation – the
expression of symbols exist in the
texts of songs and in the cultural
meaning of musical sounds.
6. Physical Response – the use of
music for dancing and other physical
activity.
7. Enforcement of Conformity to
Social Norms – the use of music to
provide instructions and warnings.
8. Validation of Social Institutions and
Religious Rituals – the use of music
in religious services and state
occasions.
9. Contribution to the Continuity and
Stability of Culture – music is an
expression of cultural values.
10. Contribution to the Integration of
Society – the use of music to bring
people together.

MUSIC FOR CHILDREN IN A

1. Emotional Expressions – the CHANGING SOCIETY
releasing of emotions and the
expression of feelings.  A port in the storm
2. Aesthetic Enjoyment – the use of o Resting spot
music for deep emotional and o Retreat from the crown and hectic
intellectual enjoyment. lives
 Safety valve
o Appropriate release of energy
when no other channel is
possible.
 Their musical experiences are
enriched by in-school instruction.
o The meaning of multiple musical
expressions is deepened for them
by music teacher specialists with
the support of classroom
teachers, parents and other
responsible adults.

A MUSICAL FUTURE
 Children have their first musical
experiences in home.
o The teachers are entrusted with
the responsibility for building on
these experiences.
o The transmission of musical
culture is in their hands.
o Through long and specialized
training, the teacher can ensure
quality instruction.
o Musical future of children rests on
the teacher’s confidence that
he/she is a musician.
 Live music making led by the teacher’s
own performance + opportunities for
guided listening to performances and
recordings of other professional
musicians makes music meaningful to
children.
 Teacher’s own training and
interests – the comprehensive and
most effective method through which
children become musically educated.