Major International Music Education Methods

Émile Jaques-Dalcroze

Dalcroze method

Main article: Eurhythmics

 

The Dalcroze method was developed in the early 20th century by Swiss musician and educator Émile Jaques-Dalcroze. The method is divided into three fundamental concepts - the use of solfege, improvisation, and eurhythmics. Sometimes referred to as "rhythmic gymnastics", eurhythmics teaches concepts of rhythm, structure, and musical expression using movement, and is the concept for which Dalcroze is best known. It focuses on allowing the student to gain physical awareness and experience of music through training that takes place through all of the senses, particularly kinesthetic. According to the Dalcroze method, music is the fundamental language of the human brain and therefore deeply connected to what human beings are.







Zoltán Kodály

Kodály method

Main article: Kodály Method

 

Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967) was a prominent Hungarian music educator and composer who stressed the benefits of physical instruction and response to music. Although not really an educational method, his teachings reside within a fun, educational framework built on a solid grasp of basic music theory and music notation in various verbal and written forms. Kodály's primary goal was to instill a lifelong love of music in his students and felt that it was the duty of the child's school to provide this vital element of education. Some of Kodály's trademark teaching methods include the use of solfege hand signs, musical shorthand notation (stick notation), and rhythm solmization (verbalization). Even though most countries have properly used their own folk music traditions to construct their own sequence of instruction, America primarily uses the Hungarian sequence even though Hungarian folk music is completely different from American. The work of Katinka S. Daniel brought Kodaly’s ideas to the forefront of music education in the United States. Daniel introduced her curriculum to the International Kodaly Conference in 1973 and in the years that followed published works for music educators which combine Hungarian folk songs with American folk songs and western classical music. Ms. Daniel agreed with Kodaly about the appropriateness of using simple songs from students’ own culture as the basis for their music education but she was adamant that the sequence in which tonal patterns are taught should begin with the descending minor third, or “sol-mi”, pattern as it is the most natural and simplest interval for all children to sing in tune. Katina Daniel made the task of adapting Kodaly’s work to American music education less daunting for American educators.





Carl Orff

 

Orff Schulwerk

Main article: Orff Schulwerk

 

Carl Orff was a prominent German composer. The Orff Schulwerk is considered an "approach" to music education. It begins with a student's innate abilities to engage in rudimentary forms of music, using basic rhythms and melodies. Orff considers the whole body a percussive instrument and students are led to develop their music abilities in a way that parallels the development of western music. The approach encourages improvisation and discourages adult pressures and mechanical drill, fostering student self-discovery. Carl Orff developed a special group of instruments, including modifications of the glockenspiel, xylophone, metallophone, drum, and other percussion instruments to accommodate the requirements of the Schulwerk courses.

Shinichi Suzuki

Suzuki Method

 

Main article: Suzuki Method

 

The Suzuki method was developed by Shinichi Suzuki in Japan shortly after World War II, and it uses music education to enrich the lives and moral character of its students. The movement rests on the double premise that "all children can be well educated" in music, and that learning to play music at a high level also involves learning certain character traits or virtues which make a person's soul more beautiful. The primary method for achieving this is centered around creating the same environment for learning music that a person has for learning their native language. This 'ideal' environment includes love, high-quality examples, praise, rote training and repetition, and a time-table set by the student's developmental readiness for learning a particular technique. While the Suzuki Method is quite popular internationally, within Japan its influence is less significant than the Yamaha Method, founded by Genichi Kawakami in association with the Yamaha Music Foundation.

THE HISTORY OF MUSIC EDUCATION

 
Music education has grown into a crucial component of today’s school curriculum. In the early development of the United States, there was no time
for music; therefore, there was no need for music education. However, as our nation began to take shape, music began to find purpose. This purpose,
combined with the work of a dedicated few, led to the birth of music education.

Music was not a major priority in the lives of the first American colonists. The Boston Bay Settlement flourished in 1630, a mere ten years after the
settlers at Plymouth Rock. These people had an incredible amount of work to do, and little time to devote to music. However, music soon found a
valuable place in the church environment. Without musical instruments, early settlers turned to singing as their mode of worship. Music was “lined
out” by the minister, and the congregation repeated him. As you can imagine, this was not a successful practice. Reverend Thomas Walter made the
following comment regarding early church music: “Tunes are miserably tortured . . . gloomy picture of the state of music.” In response to the
wretched sound of the early church music, the foundation for music education was born.

Reform began to take place in the appearance of singing schools. The first of these schools opened in 1712. The purpose was solely to improve the
quality of church music. A traveling teacher would come into town, set up class, and teach basic concepts of vocal music and music appreciation.
The first manual used in music education was called “Into to Singing Psalm Tunes” by John Tufts, and it was around to see 11 editions. Soon after
Tuft’s manual, Thomas Walter put forth 8 editions of “Grounds and Rules of Music.” With the help of these early learning texts, singing schools began
popping up everywhere. The groundwork for music education had been laid.

The 18th century presented us with many important pioneers of music education. In 1762, a “Renaissance man” named Jean Jasque Rousseau wrote
an important book called “Emil.” For the first time, it was observed that children learned differently than adults. In 1746, a Swiss teacher named
John Pestalozzi came up with a revolutionary approach to education. His philosophy emphasized concepts such as child-centered learning and sequential
learning. In the 1830’s, a man named William Woodbridge brought some very progressive ideas to America. He made a bold statement when he
suggested that singing should be taught in schools – and taxpayers should fund it! Woodbridge also believed that not only should every boy go to
school, but so should every girl! These were very wild ideas at the time, and they set the course for the education systems we have in place today.

Perhaps the most influential contributor to music education was a man named Lowell Mason (1792 – 1872). Although Mason made his living as a
banker, he was a protégé musician. When Mason was 13 years old, he was organizing choirs. At 16 years old, he was a master at a singing school
and writing his own material. As he grew into a young man, he put into practice the principals of Woodbridge and Pestalozzi. Mason began setting
up conventions and workshops everywhere. Suddenly there was an abundant supply of music teachers. In 1836, Mayor Sam Elliott authorized music
class in public schools. Unfortunately, this wonderful advancement failed due to the lack of funding for these programs. In response to this setback,
Lowell Mason taught at Hawes School in 1837 free of charge. His hard work was well received, and in 1838, funding was granted for public school
music programs. Lowell Mason’s dedication to music earned him the title “Father of Music Education.”

Music education has come a long way since the days of Lowell Mason. The dedication of a few has led to the determination of many. Through the
hard work of these contributors, music education has become more than just an elective course – it has become a critical aspect of the present educational
system.

Brain Comes Alive to Sound of Music

Finding offers hope for variety of cures
Los Angeles Times, November 11, 1998 (Reprinted in the Sacramento Bee)

 

The music that makes the foot tap, the fingers snap and the pulse quicken stirs the brain at is most fundamental levels, suggesting that scientists one day may be able to return damaged minds by exploiting rhythm, harmony and melody, according to new research presented Sunday (November 1998).

Exploring the neurobiology of music, researchers discovered direct evidence that music stimulates specific regions of the brain responsible for memory, motor control, timing and language.  For the first time, researchers also have located specific areas of mental activity linked to emotional responses to music.   . . .

The latest findings, presented at a meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in Los Angeles, underscore how music--as an almost universal language of mood, emotion and desire--orchestrates a wide variety of neural systems to cast its evocative spell.    "Undeniably, there is a biology of music," said Harvard University Medical School neurobiologist Mark Jude Tramo.   "There is no question that there is specialization within the human brain for the processing of music.  Music is biologically part of human life, just as music is aesthetically part of human life." . . .

Overall, music seems to involve the brain at almost every level.  Even allowing for cultural differences in musical tastes, the researchers found evidence of music's remarkable power to affect neural activity no matter where they look in the brain, from primitive regions in all animals to more recently evolved regions thought to be distinctively human.

Left Vs. Right Brain Modes

Left -- Learn through phonetic, analytic methods. Verbal Analytic Logical Sequential Systematic Symbolic Linear Factual Abstract Digital Rational

Right -- Learn through sight method. Nonverbal Synthetic Intuitive Ramdom Casual Concrete Holistic Visual Sensory Spatial Emotional

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Our Typical Brain Behaviors

Left Brain behaviors respond to: Recognizing and remembering Names Verbal instructions/information Processing information sequentially Evaluating their performance to some standard Serious, systematic problem-solving Critical, analytic reading/listening Problem-solving through logic Remembering through language Reading for details and facts Realistic stories Leaning through systematic plans Outlining rather than summarizing Remembering verbal qualities Well-structured assignments Independent

Right Brain behaviors respond to: Descriptive, concrete Recognizing and remembering faces Visual and kinesthetic instruction Emotional responses (strong) Producing humorous thoughts/ideas Processing information subjectively and in patterns Emphasize second person when writing Playful problem-solving Problem-solving through intuition Demonstrations instructions/information Remembering though images / pictures Reading for main ideas/overviews Fantasy, poetry, myths Learning through exploration Summarizing rather than outlining Open-ended assignments Sensitive Prefers an overview of a chapter, book, story before receiving the big picture