Music in Classrooms

How does incorporating music in general

education classrooms support students?
The Authors:

- Lisa Huisman Koops. Dr Lisa Huisman Koops, professor, area head and coordinator of graduate studies in
music education at Case Western Reserve University, researches musical parenting and the interplay of enjoyment
and agency in musical play. Koops is the author of Parenting Musically (Oxford University Press, 2020). She
teaches early childhood music classes at The Music Settlement in Cleveland. She obtains a Google Scholar profile
and the author of many books and article published worldwide.

- Kimberly Tate. Kimberly Tate taught preschool and early childhood Spanish and music classes for over 20
years in Ohio, Missouri, and Utah. She is currently completing a Masters in clinical mental health counseling
specializing in early childhood. She plans to use music in her counseling practice with individuals and groups. She
brings an inside perspective to how music relates to education and continues to improve students’ success. Kim is
the co-author of this article and has written her own articles with her research.

- Article was published by the Taylor & Francis Group in the United Kingdom
What is the article about?
● Lisa Koops went into her son’s classroom and noticed that his teacher, Kim tate got the
students’ attention by singing a song and clapping along with them.
● Music can be a cue for routines, to create relationships, to shift the energy in the students,
and be a bridge for family interactions in the classroom.
● Studies showed that teachers do not feel confident in playing music or singing along
because of the little experience they have with music.
● Teacher’s certainty for music instruction, perceptions of the role of music and how
teachers use music in classrooms has been studied for years and has shown a great
problem. Studies showed that teachers do not feel confident in playing music or singing
along because of the little experience they have with music. They also feel as if their
relationships with their students could be enhanced if their skills and knowledge of music
enhanced as well.
● Teachers who already implement music into their routines in their classrooms shared that
the relationships within their room between teacher and students and student to student
are great and have been improved thanks to music activities.
Cont.
● Koops developed a Family Musicking Framework that she used to observe eight families and how
their prior knowledge or involvement in musical activities at home changed their family
relationships, dynamics and style of living. She conducted data for one year by doing many in
home visits as well as outside family gatherings, recitals and events.
● Musical parenting: Enrolling children in lessons for musical instruments or choral practice or
providing materials to make their own musical instruments.
● Parenting musically: Using music to help complete tasks or make chores around the home or
family life easier. Ex: singing Happy Birthday while washing hands, after dinner dance party to get
energy out before bed.
● Both styles of parenting were observed and taken into consideration when talking about how
music affects students lives inside the classroom and at home.
● “One way the teachers incorporate music is through using a common set of musical cues for
gathering children, calling attention, clean-up, hall travel and waiting in line for the entire
building…teachers commented that they noticed greater generalized cooperation from the children
in their classes and as they transitioned.”
● “Musical interactions have been shown to influence the development of relationships from early
infancy and beyond, as well as the quality of relationships”
Why is Music good to incorporate into classrooms?
● Teacher-child relationships can be enhanced through music and rhythms played
throughout the day, as well as their emotional skills.
● When teachers include music in their classroom they could be: Using it with a main goal
of teaching something musical, such as pitches, vibrations, volumes, rhythms,
lyrics…etc. Or they could be: Improving improve techniques by adding onto something
the teacher or another student does to guide their lesson a certain way.
● Students tend to remember concepts or tasks more when there is a tune aligned with it.
● Playing music in a classroom while students do class work improves their cognitive
skills, along with their memory, which overall enhances their learning and success.
● Music has a positive impact on how students process information and how we
communicate our ideas with others in the form of speech or writing.
How can we, as teachers, support our students with music?

● Teaching children using music can be done by using tricks such as the Clean Up song,
transition song or alarm, Days of the Week song, Months of the Year song, Good
Morning Meeting song, Goodbye song, lunch-time karaoke or any other musical
activities.
● When stuck inside due to weather, teachers can play games such as freeze dance, line
dance and statues. Using music to get students to use their muscles in a safe and fun
way indoors is popular among many teachers.
● When students are able to take the lead in an activity such as choosing a student to
create a rhythm and everyone has to repeat it back, increases student enjoyment, the
relationships in the classroom and student confidence.
● Creating songs to help remember tasks, such as the order to put on winter gear, order
in which to do math problems, order to complete morning routines…etc.
 Cont.
● A primary goal of deepening relationships with music is having classes sing songs
that incorporate student’s ideas for versus or their names.
● Including hand-clapping gives students the opportunity to connect with their peers by
maintaining eye contact, finding partners and coordinating with one another.
● “Gathering to sing a ‘goodbye song’ gives children a chance to pause and prepare for
the change to home. The routine lets them anticipate the action of the end of the
school day, get used to their feelings and say goodbye to their friends and teachers.”
● Combining practical and relational musicking blends the goals of teaching children
music and teaching with music. Both require musical confidence from the teacher,
which then rubs off on the students to welcome them into an engaging classroom.
Key Takeaways:
● Music in classrooms not only improves students academic life but also their personal
and emotional life as well.
● The relationships you build with your students will be strengthened with music,
whether it is singing, dancing to music, clapping along or even just playing in the
background.
● A teacher needs to be confident in their music knowledge or skills in order to
successfully incorporate it into their classroom routines.
● Understanding your students lives at home and if their parents include musical
parenting or parenting musically into their routines affects how they behave in school.
● Students’ creative thinking and teamwork can be supported by including musical
activities throughout the day.
● Our goal as a teacher is to set our students up for success and personal growth in a
positive and safe environment and this can be done by including music into the
classroom.
Resources:

Waldo Library Link:

https://primo-pmtna01.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/9hbp01/TN_cdi_informaworld_taylorfrancis
_310_1080_03004430_2020_1862820

Article Link:
https://www-tandfonline-com.libproxy.library.wmich.edu/doi/full/10.1080/03004430.2020.1862820

Author Bio Link: Bottom of Page

https://www-tandfonline-com.libproxy.library.wmich.edu/doi/full/10.1080/03004430.2020.1862820