Time Moves On!
Right now I am working with my graduating senior piano student on the music she is preparing for her Senior Recital. She has selected a wonderful program of music that cares the listener through the historic development of music. It has given us both a great opportunity to discuss the development of music through time, including changes in music education.
When I started teaching some 40 years ago I used the same beginning books as I used when I started lessons in the third grade twenty years earlier. I still use some of the Schaum method as my students move from the Animal method into standard notation. The basic method of this series of music education books has changed little since I studied them as a child. Historically, changes in music education have evolved slowly.
Because standard notation is difficult to for most students to understand at first, a lot of music teachers do not accept a student until they are 8 and/or in the third grade of school. The Suzuki method of teaching does work with very young music students by developing their listening skills, but does not start note reading until later in the student’s musical training. There are so many advantages for children to have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument early in life. However, for most instruments note reading is at the very basis of becoming an accomplished musician. The Animal Note method is the “new kid on the block” of music education. It is one of those steps in the history of music education that allows children as young as 3 to become acquainted with music notes, and by 4 years, play simple pieces on the piano. This is really a new idea, but I have worked with it for 15 years with positive successes. With the word clues that are fun for the children and the Animal Note/standard note flash cards moving to standard notation is not a problem. It does take longer for the youngest children to make the transition; that is why I am working on “fun music” similar to the Christmas Book. This allows a child to have fun playing songs while growing more comfortable with note reading and spending time reviewing the word clues, and the flash cards. It is great; give it a try!
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