Early Childhood Music - How to teach it!

This is a response to a new early childhood music teacher who had a lot of questions and thinks starting early makes the most difference.

First off, just sing and chants tons and tons of repertoire. Find out what they really like and do a bunch of it. Play great great music. Use CDs of the Masters (classics, jazz, blues, all styles are great to expose young ones to—just have to find the right content). Dance to it and be expressive. GO crazy over the top in modeling your enjoyment of what you do. Don't talk much "about" anything. On the other hand, I do tell children when they're not using their singing voices, at age 3 or so. At 4 or 5, I tell them they are singing different tones than me if they're not in tune. I distinguish tones from rhythm by having them show me their singing voices for tones and their talking voices for rhythms. I do a wide mix of individual patterns—diatonic and arpeggiated patterns—with a mix of sounds and syllables. This is especially so in 2-3 year olds. I find that singing ooo-ooo, say on D to A above middle C in the key of D helps children use their singing voices. Then I use the syllable BUM when they're ready—very infrequently before 4 years old. You have to keep listening and learning from the children. They'll demonstrate for you what their needs are if you are challenging them appropriately. Sometimes I stretch too far, other times not far enough. That's why I like EC sooo much. Yes! I'm with you that this will make the most difference in the long run.

Comments

[Gakingmusic]

Start with John Feierabend's First Steps in Music curriculum, then pick up his other books for more songs you can add to the curriculum. Feierabend's CD's, including Keeping the Beat! and Move It!, help you to use recordings of great classical music for movement activities. I use the songs and recordings from Feierabend's resources for all my classes from ages 3 to 6. I use selections from these materials with older students as well.

[Dr. RizzRazz]

Feierabend's repertoire is a pretty good start, but it doesn't have the diversity of repertoire, especially when considering the variety of tonalities and meters. I'd still use a lot of it.

Also, using good classical recordings is great. But, also, use jazz, blues, world music, EVERYTHING that you think is great music. Move expressively to it all. Sing tonal patterns and rhythm patterns.

You're on the great track, but I'd just use more diversity of music—stylistic, cultural, and contextual.

[Gakingmusic]

I agree about needing more diversity than what's in the Feierabend curriculum. I like to use other materials within the Feierabend structure as well. I started bringing in more world music last year, and the kids loved it. Are there any listening suggestions you could make from jazz and blues that would be good for movement?

[Dr. RizzRazz]

Q: What is your synopsis of Feierabend's structure?

Here's a list of repertoire I've used for movement.
http://www.peabody.jhu.edu/2965