Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
MEANSTO CHILDREN
Music plays a prominent role in the daily lives of children, whose statements about its
purposeand value can help musicteachersdesignmeaningfulschoolprograms.
T en-year-old Alan makes no didn't "get it" until I took time to step
bones about it: music is away from teaching in order to watch
important to him. He rea- and listen. Over weeks that turned to
sons that "some music ... months and finally became more than
gives me energy. When I'm a year, I observed children making
on my bike, listening to music on my music beyond the direct influence of
headphones, it makes me pedal fast or their teachers.And I listened to them
to a beat. I feel like I'm flying." Four- talk-sometimes nonstop-about
year-old Michael describes music as Childrensocialize,vent music that they valued and just had to
"so sweet," especiallywhen his mother have in their lives.1
sings to him. Carrie, a precocious six- emotions,and entertain
year-old, thinks that "music helps the themselves WatchingThemMakeMusic
stories along," and nine-year-old through How does music figure in the lives
Manuel, a drummer in his family's music. of children? When I began to probe
band, likes music in school because he children'svaluing of music, their uses
gets to learn "moreof the sounds, dif- of it, and the types of music that they
ferent sounds, and to read notes." were making their own, it was clear to
Music plays a key role in the life of me that I needed to enter their world.
Tuyen, an eleven-year-oldwho is pres- I needed to become the anthropologi-
ident of her school's music club. Her cal "fly on the wall," learning about
tone is determined, and she uses a their musical and social worlds first-
questioning inflection at the end of hand, from what I could see and hear,
her comments more as a way of ascer- long. They socialize, vent emotions,
and entertain themselves through without becoming a participant in
taining that her listener understands their musical play. I sought slices of
her position than of expressing any music. Their bodies stretch, bend,
step, hop, and skip in rhythmic ways, their musical life, and I was greatly
doubt about it: "I wouldn't want to be
while their voices rise and fall melodi- rewardedfor my efforts.
without it. ... It's not like food; you
wouldn't starve without music. But it cally, becoming fast and then slow, Consider the following scenes for
makes my life worth more?" loud and then soft. Children experi- what they show about music'sconstant
ence both the music that they make presencein children'slives:
Music "happens"to children, and
themselves and the music that sur- * Music emanated from the farthest
many are immersed in it all the day
rounds them-the music that others corners of the Horace Mann school-
are making and that is "mediated"to yard. Two third-gradegirls jumped in
them via television, radio, and record- a hopscotch pattern painted on the
ings. blacktop, singing familiar songs as
Patricia
ShehanCampbell
is professor
of music Yet, despite textbook claims about they moved. One afternoon, their
and chairof music educationin the School of musical children who sing, move, music included segments from the
MusicattheUniversityofWashington inSeattle. dance, and listen with rapt attention, I theme song of the TV show Friends
_ t l0 ' 7 ) 1p * ~ :11
Jump down! Jump down!
MARCH 2000 33
with the children's vocalizations.
Watching the cars pass, a small boy
Figure3. Interlockingrhythmsproducedby upperelementary stood mesmerized and then remarked
students to no one in particular,"It sure sounds
like racecar music here."
a. Ostinatopatterntappedon the lunchroombench The music of all of these children
was a blend of mediated, family-
inspired, invented, and school-learned
4 n n j l j I1 j
) !
X XI music. Sometimes consciously but
more often unconsciously, the chil-
dren were singing, "rhythmicking,"
chanting, and dancing their way
through the events that comprised
b. Longer patternpoundedon the table their day. Whether their musical utter-
ances were offered spontaneously or
with deliberation, they were certain
testimony to the integral place of
music in the children'slives.
Talkingto ThemaboutMusic
After observing children in their
playful musical engagements, I moved
next to engaging them in conversa-
tions about music and its meaning.
What music did they know, listen to,
then opened his hand to use his palms nine, the goose drank wine," and
on the unaccented ones (figure 3b). "Fudge, fudge, call the judge," for sing, and play? How did they use
music? How did they acquire their
Together, they played this rhythm for example) was new to me. In fact, all
several minutes, while other children their pieces were variantsof composi- musical knowledge and repertoire?
at the table bobbed their heads in tions printed in collections of chil- What did they value from their musi-
dren'slore dating back severalgenera- cal experiences at school? I learned
expressions of interest and approval:
some answers to these questions
they had caught the boys' "groove." tions.2
* Sometimes I rode the school bus, * On a hunch, I visited a premier through the responses of the children
an experience that took me into an toy store. I suspected that children's who spoke with me:
underground world where I heard musical behaviorsat home and at play * George is a kindergartner at a
children'sjokes and jeers, rhymes and were stimulated at least in part by modern suburbanschool. He plays his
cheers,and riddles and songs. Many of their toys. My trip turned up the usual father'sbass guitar because he likes the
the songs that the boys sang were par- musical toys, such as plastic flutes, "strong sound" he hears through the
odies of tunes in the traditional chil- harmonicas, saxophones, and dolls "ear muffs" (headphones) when his
dren's repertoire-a nursery rhyme that talked, sang, and danced. Yet, father plugs it in. He also enjoys his
("Little Miss Muffet"), a Christmas what fascinated me was the extent to six slide whistles because their sounds
song ("We Three Kings"),and a patri- which the nonmusicaltoys were able to make his tummy tickle "like going up
otic hymn ("The Star-SpangledBan- trigger musical behaviors in the chil- on a rolley coaster."He prizes his two
ner"). One afternoon, I heard several dren interacting with them. By the harmonicas because they sound
fourth-gradegirls singing the Scottish furry plush animals, a girl of kinder- "thickerthan whistles."On the subject
folk tune "Over the Sea to Skye," a garten age was cradling a very real- of popular music, George explainsthat
few verses of "Froggie Went a- looking brown-and-white bunny and song and dance belong together and
Courtin'," and "Hey, Ho, Nobody softly singing, "I caught a rabbit, uh- that "it's important to do both if you
Home" as a canon. These perfor- huh." A preschool boy climbing onto want to be a good musician." His
mances were the real thing-not paro- the back of a large giraffe was squeal- valuing of music is intimately con-
dies at all. ing, "I'm higher than anybody," to a nected to its kinetic quality; music for
Some of the younger girls, mostly spontaneous sol-mi-la melody. In an him is a nonverbal,often unconscious,
between first and third grades, were area set aside for remote control cars, and physicalexperience.
eager to chant and clap the rhymed several boys and girls, about seven to How music is produced is a ques-
verses. This they did softly and with ten or eleven yearsold, were rumbling, tion that intrigues George. In his
little facial expression,while staring at roaring, and "vrooming" with their father's tool shop, he collaborates on
their moving hands or partner's face voices in imitation of engine sounds. the creation of the slide whistles,
and speaking almost as though they Severalof the carsproduced their own flutes, and wind chimes of his dreams.
were in a trance. None of their reper- sound-effects-swooshes, skids, and His only mention of music at school is
toire ("Appleon a stick," "Three, six, squeals-that blended polyphonically in relation to the wind chimes: "I've
MARCH 2000 35
doubt, music offers children powerful moremusic betterso that they can use development as thinking and feeling
aural images by which they come to it to full advantageto enrich and give individuals.
understand themselves symbolically meaning to their lives. This is where
and emotionally. Music reflects their we come in.
varied moods and helps them figure Children become more musical
out who they are or are in the process through authentic interventions that
of becoming at particular times and teachers provide in thoughtfully pre-
places. Through music, they examine pared programs of school music.
themselves, their experiences, and the Teaching strategiesare authentic when
relationshipsthat they have with their they are rooted in children's actual
friends and members of their family. needs and interests. The ways in
Nothing besides music gives them the which children use and value music
Childrenbecomemore
same way of thinking and feeling should serve as the foundation for the musicalthrough
aloud. Separate songs and styles hold instructionalplans that we design and
unique meanings for each child based deliver to them. In effect, children authenticinterventions
on who he or she is as the result of his have much to teach us about how to
or her personal, cultural, and musical teach them.
thatteachers
providein
experience. When eleven-year-old Anna an- thoughtfully
prepared
nounces that "music gets me going
and gives me strength,"I am remind- programsof school
ed to select pieces and styles that will
help children grow socially and emo-
music.
tionally. When five-year-old Darryl
quips that "music is about stuff you
do," I am inspired to design instruc-
tion that centers on children and
involves them actively in making
Musicreflectschildrens music and responding to it. When
variedmoodsand helps twelve-year-old Jonathan wonders
"how a violin would sound hooked
themfigureout whothey up to speakers,"I see the need to sat- I now know better than ever that
isfy the curiosity of children who listening and watching children in
areor arein theprocess want to know about the mechanics of their musical behaviorscan be a trans-
of becomingat musical instruments, electronic sound
systems, and computer applications in
forming experience. Children are sur-
prisingly accomplished listeners, cre-
particulartimes music. When eight-year-old James ators, and performers. We should let
excitedly reports that "the violins their behavior and needs shape our
andplaces. sounded good when we were that designs for their musical education.
close," I realize that school music Perhapsby hearing them out, we can
instruction must bring live musicians find ways to augment the role that
in from the community to give the music already has in their lives and
children direct and personal contact thus help them acquire even greater
with music. And when children make musical riches.
music while playing games, interact-
ing with friends, eating together, and Notes
passing the time on buses and in toy 1. Patricia Shehan Campbell, Songs in
WhatChildren TeachUs stores, I am impelled to listen and Their Heads: Music and Its Meaning in Their
Although children are musical learn more about their involvement
Lives (New York: Oxford University Press,
without expert guidance, they become with music.
1998).
more so as a result of it. Their lives are If teachersare to be responsiblefor
2. See Roger D. Abrahams, Jump-Rope
enhanced by education in and children'seducation and welfare, there
Rhymes: A Dictionary, American Folklore
through music as they become all that ought to be occasions for us to sit
back to watch children at musical play Society Bibliographical and Special Series,
they can musically be. As they
vol. 20 (Austin: University of Texas Press,
progress,they become more human, as and to learn about their knowledge of
well, by knowing music at many lev- and regard for music. Without this 1969); and Carl Withers, A Rocket in My
els, in many guises. There is good evi- information, the very best plans that Pocket (New York: Henry Holt, 1948).
dence that children have a natural adults can fashion for children may 3. John Blacking, Music, Culture, and
inclination to think and act musically, still be far removed from the realities Experience (Chicago: University of Chicago
but they also have a right to know of what children may requirefor their Press, 1995). -