SHEPHERDVILLE COLLEGE

(FORMERLY JESUS THE LOVING SHEPHERD CHRISTIAN COLLEGE)

Talojongon, Tigaon, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Tel. No. (054) 884-9536
“Excellence in truth in the service of God and Country”

Module

in

Teaching Music in the Elementary Grades

Prelims Module

1st Semester A/Y: 2023-2024

Prepared by:

JASON V. COMPETENTE
Instructor

COMPETENCY # 1: FUNCTIONS OF MUSIC TO CHILDREN

  Objectives
At the end of the lesson, the students should be able to:
 explain the different functions of music to children,
 identify the different persons and their contributions in the development of music education,
 label the function of a certain song; and
 justify the importance of music in their daily lives.

MOTIVATION

Work in triads and answer the following questions based on your prior knowledge. Then, send your
answer in our group chat.

1. What is sound? Give at least three examples and perform it to the class.
2. What is music? Give at least three examples and execute it to the class.
3. What is the difference between sound and music?

INTRODUCTION

Sounds are all around us, from birds chirping and waves lapping against a coastline to cars honking in
traffic. But sometimes sounds are put together in purposeful ways to create a specific atmosphere or to
express ideas or emotions. Such organized sounds are called music.

CONTENT

Music is a collection of coordinated sound or sounds. Making music is the process of putting sounds
and tones in an order, often combining them to create a unified composition. People who make music
creatively organize sounds for a desired result, like a Beethoven symphony or one of Duke Ellington's jazz
songs. Music is made of sounds, vibrations, and silent moments, and it doesn't always have to be pleasant or
pretty. It can be used to convey a whole range of experiences, environments, and emotions.

Traditionallly, music has been defined as the organization of tones expressive of, and stimulating to
human feelings. Modern composers define it as deliberately not organized, not expressive of human feelings
and occasionally not written in any form. Ordinary students define music as the art and science of combining
vocal or instrumental sounds in varying melody, rhythm and tempo so as to form complete and emotionally
expressive compositions.

Music is not like the random sound we usually hear everyday. Its elements – pitch, duration, tone, and
dynamics – are organized into an artistic form of communication with instrumental or vocal sounds within a
specific time span.

Almost every human culture has a tradition of making music. Examples of early instruments like flutes
and drums have been found dating back thousands of years. Ancient Egyptians used music in religious
ceremonies. Many other African cultures have traditions related to drumming for important rituals. Today,
rock and pop musicians tour and perform around the world, singing the songs that made them famous. All of
these are examples of music.
 Children of all ages express themselves through music. Even young infants sway, bounce, or move their
hands in response to music. Many preschoolers make up songs and, with no self-consciousness, sing to
themselves as they play. Children in elementary school learn to sing together as a group and possibly learn to
play a musical instrument. Older children dance to the music of their favorite bands, and use music to form
friendships and share feelings.

Infants and Music: Infants recognize the melody of a song long before they understand the words.
Quiet, background music can be soothing for infants, especially at sleep time. Loud background music may
overstimulate an infant by raising the noise level of the room. Sing simple, short songs to infants.

Toddlers and Music: Toddlers love to dance and move to music. The key to toddler music is repetition,
which encourages language and memorization.

Preschoolers and Music: Preschoolers enjoy singing just to be singing. They aren’t self-conscious about
their ability and most are eager to let their voices roar. They like songs that repeat words and melodies, use
rhythms with a definite beat, and ask them to do things. Preschool children enjoy nursery rhymes and songs
about familiar things like toys, animals, play activities, and people. They also like finger plays and nonsense
rhymes with or without musical accompaniment.

School-Age Children and Music: Most young school-age children are intrigued by kids’ singalong songs
that involve counting, spelling, or remembering a sequence of events. School-age children begin expressing
their likes and dislikes of different types of music. They may express an interest in music education, such as
music lessons for kids.

Teens and Music: Teenagers may use musical experiences to form friendships and to set themselves
apart from parents and younger kids. They often want to hang out and listen to music after school with a
group of friends. Teens often have a strong interest in taking music lessons or playing in a band.

“Music ..... Gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination ..... and life to
everything.” – Plato

“Music may achieve the highest of all missions; she may be a bond between nations, races and states,
who are strangers to one another in many ways; she may unite what is disunited, and bring peace to what is
hostile.” - Dr. Max Bendner

“The function of music is to enhance in some way the quality of individual experience and human
relationships; its structures are reflections of patterns of human relations, and the value of a piece of music as
music is inseparable from its value as an expression of human experience” Blacking (1995, p.31).

SAQ #1: Why do you think music is important and how does it affect different people? (5 points)
 Music ignites all areas of child development and skills for school readiness, including
intellectual, social-emotional, motor, language, and overall literacy. It helps the body and the mind work
together. Exposing children to music during early development helps them learn the sounds and meanings of
words. Dancing to music helps children build motor skills while allowing them to practice self-expression. For
children and adults, music helps strengthen memory skills.

lan Merriam, an anthropologist and one of the founders of ethnomusicology, created a list of ten
commonalities of musical behavior after travelling extensively among many different people. His list, known as
the “Ten Functions of Music,” is included in his landmark study The Anthropology of Music (1964).
1. Emotional expression
2. Aesthetic enjoyment
3. Entertainment
4. Communication
5. Symbolic representation
6. Physical response
7. Enforcing conformity to social norms
8. Validating social institutions and religious rituals
9. Providing continuity and stability of culture
10. Facilitating social integration

Everett Gaston, a psychologist, music educator, and founding father of music therapy, developed a similar
list containing eight fundamental considerations of the impact of music on humans concerning his work on
music and therapy in Music in Therapy (1968).
1. All humans need aesthetic expression and experiences
2. Musical experiences are culturally determined
3. Music has spiritual significance
4. Music is communication
5. Music structures reality
6. Music is derived from the deepest and most tender human emotions
7. Music serves as a source of personal gratification
8. The potency of musical effects are greatest in social interactions

FUNCTIONS OF MUSIC TO CHILDREN

1. Emotional Expression
- the releasing of emotions and the expression of one’s feelings
- these are conveyed through the lines of a song or in a melodic movement of an instrumental piece.
example: children may sing and dance to express joy
*Anak by Freddie Aguilar

2. Aesthetic Enjoyment
- the use of music for deep emotional and intellectual enjoyment, for experiencing artistic and
nonverbal expressions of live's beauty
 - provides anyone who engages with it a sense of achievement, happiness and satisfaction.
- very personal and intimate art form that no two listeners have exactly the same emotional response.
The manner by which the melody, rhythm, tone, color, lyrics, and harmony of a song or music affects
the listener is always a unique experience.
example: children might find this through a song that they find profoundly beautiful
* “Here by Friendship Firm United” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

3. Entertainment
- use of music as diversion and amusement for different occasions, celebrations, and programs
- helps us discover also the degree of musical talent we possess and appreciate the musical skills of
other individuals
example: any music listened to for fun such as favorite car-ride jams and video game music
* The Entertainer by Scott Joplin

4. Communication
- the conveying of feelings and emotions that are understood by people within a particular culture
- children can receive/express music ideas and feelings that are meaningful to them within their family,
community, and societal cultures
example: movie soundtracks are typically designed to communicate what the film makers want the
audience to feel

5. Symbolic Representation
- the expression of symbols exists in the texts of songs and in the cultural meaning of the musical
sounds
example: this often overlaps with the communication function, one example would be a theme song
that becomes a symbol for the show it's played on after a child hears it over and over and it's
associated with that show
* for me as a child, I found this an association I subconsciously made that violins symbolized a
connection to my mom

6. Physical Response
- the use of music for dancing and other physical activity
- elevates the level of artistry of the performance of the actors and dancers by providing the aural
dimension.
example: children can be drawn to dance, skip, swap, clap, etc.
*Carinosa (Dance)
* Sun and Moon” from the Broadway Play
Miss Saigon by Claude Michel Shoenberg (theater)
“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor DReamcoat” by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice

7. Enforcement of conformity to social norms

- the use of music to provide instructions or warnings
 example: the "clean up" song from Barney or songs used to signal students that it's time to transition
from desks to carpet spots, etc.
*for me as a child, my mom would sing songs with us as we got ready for bed in which the words of the
songs told us what to do (like brush teeth, wash face, put on pajamas)

8. Validation of social institutions and religious rituals

- the use of music in religious services and state occasions
- music can be a means of partaking in and/or strengthening institutions/rituals
- through music, one can also venerate and worship the Supreme Being. Its effect reaches deep down
into one’s spirit and stirs him or her to noble thoughts and feelings.
example: built into play, such as chants and songs that accompany games/select team members
* “Dona Nobis Pacem” by Kerenyi Gyorgy
* “Ama Namin” by Eduardo Hontiveros

SAQ # 2: Give two examples of songs or music that can be used for the following occasions or activities.

a. Wedding ( 2 points)
b. Independence Day Celebration ( 2 points)
c. Sunday Service ( 2 points)

9. Contribution to the continuity and stability of culture

- music as an expression of cultural values
- few other cultural elements are such complete vehicles for the transmission of history, literature, and
social mores as is music, offering children an understanding of the long life and stability of their culture
- music is art and culture is reflected in art, the study of music is indirectly the study of culture.
example: “Mutya ng Pasig” by Nicanor Abelardo

10. Contribution to the integration of society

- the use of music to bring people together
- Music is also an effective means of developing nationalism and strengthening national discipline
children are socialized through music and recognize their membership within a group through
music that is shared among its members
example: “Ang Bayan Ko’t Aking Lahi” by Juan S. Hernandez

In teaching music, we must be able to give children equal and various opportunities for them to be able
to experience music as composers, interpreters, or listeners.
1. Composers - We allow children, as composers, to contemplate and perceive the world around them,
and let them examine both the common and the rare. We do not expect them to write a full song or a
symphony, but we give them chances to improvise and experiment on creating musical ideas based on what
they perceive around them. Young children have a naturally "honest," innocent, and unbiased perception
(schema) of their surroundings.

2. Interpreters - The path of the interpreter is usually that of a performer: he/she is tasked to give
meaning and life to the creations of composers. Children can interpret music either by their ability to "play by
ear" or by reading musical notation, both traditional and nontraditional. Since not one human being is alike, a
single piece of music may be interpreted uniquely. The interpreter is usually a singer, an instrumentalist, or a
conductor. Interpreters may perform solo, in duets, or as a group.

3. Listeners - The listener is not to be judged as a passive partaker in the music-making process.
Listeners do not merely enjoy the complementary efforts of the composer and the interpreter; they are the
ones who "evaluate," critique, and try to understand the message being put forth by the composer and the
interpreter. Listeners also investigate connections between the music, the composer, the interpreter, and
many other factors, such as historical, political, and cultural contexts. In a way, listeners also determine
through their reception of a musical piece whether it is a success or a flop.

SAQ #3: Think and write down at least 2 activities for elementary students that would help them experience
how to be a composer, an interpreter, and a listener in the music-making process. Fill out the table below
and write down activities suited for each of the columns. (5 points)

COMPOSER INTERPRETER LISTENER

Why should music be at the curricular core?

1. Music is an intelligence, not a magical talent
2. Music is a critical component of societies
3. Music is a repository of historical traditions and contemporary ideas
4. Music is a means of knowing “self” and “other” through performance, listening, and creative processes

John Blacking
- anthropologist (1995)
observed musical nature of children in South Africa
all children innately have music in themselves waiting to be brought out and developed
this contributes to the argument for music to be kept in schools’ curriculum because it says that music
is in all children, not just a select few

Howard Gardner
- cognitive psychologist (1983, 2004)
Theory of Multiple Intelligences
all children possess musical abilities that can be nurtured through instruction
this theory contributes to the argument for music to be kept in schools' curriculum because it says
music is an intelligence, not a natural talent, and needs to be nurtured with instruction
it should impact how we teach because it emphasizes the fact that musical intelligence exists in all to
some degree and needs to be nurtured with instruction

Christopher Small
 - sociologist (1998)
coined term "musiking" (the act of making music)
concerned with how children and adults participate in the musical process - singing, playing, and
moving to music
said all are more capable than some societies allow
this contributes to the argument for music to be kept in schools' curriculum because it particularly the
capabilities of all
it should impact the way we teach because it notes the participatory nature of making music, no
matter one's age

Music's Historical Role in the Curriculum

- music has historically been considered a basic subject
(ancient Greeks & Romans, Middle ages, "Renaissance men", European schools in the Enlightenment)

- IN THE UNITED STATES:

formalized training began with singing schools (17th & 18th centuries) with music of the Baroque and
Viennese Classical eras

- New England in particular looked to provide all children with cultural knowledge in public schools
through music
This and growing cultural dedication to choral music made way for Lowell Mason
Other influential figures: Pestalozzi, Dalcroze, Dewey, Kodaly, and Orff

Lowell Mason
- pioneer of public school music in Boston in 1838
got music a place in curriculum of public schools
provided vocal training and music reading lessons

Heinrich Pestalozzi
- influential in Mason’s approach
Anschauung (“sense intuition”) – learning through senses (“sound before sight” and “practice before
theory”)
(1746-1827)

Emile Jaques-Dalcroze
- primarily known for use of whole-body movement (eurhythmics) and improvisation to guide musical
development of children
(1865-1950)
John Dewey
- advocate for a child-centered curriculum using music, movement, and arts
this helped secure music’s place in the curriculum, especially during the Great Depression and WWII
(1859-1952)
Zoltan Kodaly
- known for emphasis on musical literacy through ear-training and vocal exercises
methods embraced by educators and given American perspectives
(1882-1967)

Carl Orff
- performed experiments in music for children that he then turned into practices that merge music and
play/dance/dramatic arts
methods embraced by educators and given American perspectives
(1895-1982)

A Musical Future
- music transmission must be very intentional and not haphazard
maximize curricular time by carefully selecting music and instructional techniques to use
this is important because it reinforces the fact that music education must be based in theory and
standards, not folk pedagogy.

SAQ #4: From your perspective, what is the most important or convincing reason why teaching music should
be strengthened, especially in elementary schools? Why? (4 points)

SUMMARY

 Music is a collection of coordinated sound or sounds. Making music is the process of putting sounds
and tones in an order, often combining them to create a unified composition. People who make music
creatively organize sounds for a desired result, like a Beethoven symphony or one of Duke Ellington's
jazz songs.
 Traditionallly, music has been defined as the organization of tones expressive of, and stimulating to
human feelings.
 Modern composers define it as deliberately not organized, not expressive of human feelings and
occasionally not written in any form.
 Ordinary students define music as the art and science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds in
varying melody, rhythm and tempo so as to form complete and emotionally expressive compositions.
 Music should be at the curricular core because music is an intelligence, not a magical talent, it is a
critical component of societies, it is a repository of historical traditions and contemporary ideas and it
is a means of knowing “self” and “other” through performance, listening, and creative processes.
 Infants recognize the melody of a song long before they understand the words. Quiet, background
music can be soothing for infants, especially at sleep time. Loud background music may overstimulate
an infant by raising the noise level of the room.
 Toddlers love to dance and move to music. The key to toddler music is repetition, which encourages
language and memorization.
 Preschoolers enjoy singing just to be singing. They aren’t self-conscious about their ability and most are
eager to let their voices roar. They like songs that repeat words and melodies, use rhythms with a
 definite beat, and ask them to do things. Preschool children enjoy nursery rhymes and songs about
familiar things like toys, animals, play activities, and people.
 Most young school-age children are intrigued by kids’ singalong songs that involve counting, spelling,
or remembering a sequence of events. School-age children begin expressing their likes and dislikes of
different types of music. They may express an interest in music education, such as music lessons for
kids.

REFERENCES:

 Vivian R. Lugue, et al. Enjoy Life With Music and Arts

 Jocelyn V. Bautista, et al. Exploring with MAPEH

 https://prezi.com/p/_whvbefwy1et/the-multiple-meanings-of-music-for-children/
 https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-music-definition-terminology-characteristics.html

EVALUATION

In your cellphone, make a video recording of your favorite song for children with background music.
Before you sing the song you selected, kindly state your name and section, then explain the function it has to
the children and its importance to your life. After that, upload it in our group chat intended for Videos in
Music. (10 points)
ASSIGNMENT

Make a research on “How Filipinos Value Music”.

SHEPHERDVILLE COLLEGE
(FORMERLY JESUS THE LOVING SHEPHERD CHRISTIAN COLLEGE)
Talojongon, Tigaon, Camarines Sur, Philippines
Tel. No. (054) 884-9536
“Excellence in truth in the service of God and Country”
Name: ____________________________________________Course/Year/Sec: ________________ Date: ____________

Competency # 1 Answer Sheet

Functions of Music to Children

SAQ #1: Why do you think music is important and how does it affect different people? (5 points)

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________.

SAQ # 2: Give two examples of songs or music that can be used for the following occasions or activities.

a. Wedding ( 2 points)
b. Independence Day Celebration ( 2 points)
c. Sunday Service ( 2 points)

____________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________

SAQ #3: Think and write down at least 2 activities for elementary students that would help them experience
how to be a composer, an interpreter, and a listener in the music-making process. Fill out the table below
and write down activities suited for each of the columns. (5 points)

COMPOSER INTERPRETER LISTENER

SAQ #4: From your perspective, what is the most important or convincing reason why teaching music should
be strengthened, especially in elementary schools? Why? (4 points)
 ____________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________.

EVALUATION

In your cellphone, make a video recording of your favorite song for children with background music.
Before you sing the song you selected, kindly state your name and section, then explain the function it has to
the children and its importance to your life. After that, upload it in our google classroom. (10 points)