9/22/10 - 3 Points of Interest on Chapter 9

1. "The auditory sense develops early and is remarkably keen in most children" (pg. 223). I think it is fascinating that the auditory sense develops so early in children. I also think it is remarkable that as children, all five senses (hearing, touching, smelling, tasting, and seeing) seem to develop at different rates. It is wonderful to think that we have so many ways of comprehending the world around us. And through the ability to hear sounds, our brains can begin to map out sounds that go together and eventually assemble the sounds as "music." I truly feel sorry for those who are not able to ever have the ability to hear. A lot of children are born deaf, or with decreased capacities to hear certain sounds. Other children can only hear at a certain volume. Many will one day lose their hearing until they can hardly hear at all. As someone who enjoys his hearing and respects the ear, I think that all of us who have been blessed with the ability to hear should protect our hearing. This means watching how loud we listen to music, and making sure we are doing all we can to use proper noise-reducing ear-plugs and other devices.

2. "Young children from preschool through the age of eight are usually remarkably open to all kinds of music" (pg. 224). I think that there is a lot of truth in this statement. I remember being open to a lot of music during this period of my life. However, I strongly favored music that had a strong beat and was fun to listen to. I tended to shy away from classical music and really all of western concert music. I simply thought it was boring and was for older, intellectual people. I didn't really discover or like classical music until I was in high school. However, once I was old enough, I found this to be the more pleasing music (though I still love popular music). I think children in general will react to music that is fun, and easy to listen to.

3. "Active listening to recorded music means involving more than the ears and the mind" (pg. 228). I know that this is true, especially for the younger student just being introduced to music. For example, teaching aids always seem to be helpful to teach children music, especially if the music is hard or complex. For example, I really liked what Vanessa did at "The Music Settlement" the other day. I liked the "road map" she used to teach the students the main melody from "The Moldau." The kids really responded well to this activity, and they learned more about the phrasing of music. The kids even used movement to respond to the "peaks" and "valleys" of the music. Using these "active" techniques really helped the children to learn the music at a faster pace. I think it also will help them to recall the music in the future.