Music for Development vs. Music for Skill Building

[Elizabeth Schwartz]

• Share how you can explain to parents the difference between music for development and music for musical skill building.

[Laura Montesano]

Here at Sprouting Melodies, although musical skills may develop, our focus is on supporting music for their development, their development as a whole person. There are musical developmental levels that your child will go through, beginning with awareness- this is an early level where children are awakening their senses, recognizing the timbre of your voice, as well as changes in your voice, each level has different skills that we observe. The next levels include: trust, independence, control and responsibility, and we can talk about what is observed at each level as we go through them. You will see as you watch your child throughout the sessions each week, that they are doing new things that reflect what developmental level they are in, but again, as much as some musical skills will naturally unfold, we are not teaching how to play, or what is “the right way” to play or engage. We are supporting the children in discovering these skills and variety of experiences available to them in a supportive, fun, loving, musical and playful atmosphere.

[Cindy Humphreys]

In Sprouting Melodies we recognize that every child is musical. Music is a natural way for children to explore the world around them, and we are here to give them opportunities to reach their potential through music play. Along their journey they will achieve some musical skills, but our focus will be on individual development and not on teaching music. We are here to provide you and your child a fun, joyful and meaningful experience.

[Lisa Spall]

Music for development and music for musical skill building are two different types of music for learning, however, they do overlap in some areas. For instance, learning to follow a rhythm IS a musical skill, but the ability to do so is also a developmental milestone. We’re not using music in order to teach children ‘how’ to maintain a rhythm or to learn a series of rhythms. We do use the music to give them the opportunity in the experience to develop this skill, which involves awareness, independence, choice-making, and motor planning. In our classes, we’re not targeting learning specifically how to play an instrument or training your children to sing, but developing sets of skills such as social interaction, communication, and motor movement in the presence of the group with embedded music. A simple song with directions to clap your hands involves receptive language, self-awareness, sequencing, motor planning, and expressive language if they can and do sing along. We practice these skills with the younger children until they are able to independently manifest them on their own. That is how and especially why we utilize music for development in Sprouting Melodies.

[Tamara Strom]

In sprouting melodies…and in music therapy…the goal is to use music as a tool to develop the whole child: cognitive, social, emotional, fine and gross motor, receptive and expressive language, etc. Music is used as a tool and as a motivator, but unlike a class teaching musical skills, we are not judging the kids based on their competence in playing an instrument “correctly”, singing in tune, etc. We are more concerned withe their abilities to move through the stages of gaining trust, awareness, independence, control, and responsibility. At the same time, we accept where they are developmentally in the moment, and try to assist them in reaching a higher level of development.

[Amy DiLabio]

Every child develops musically at his or her own pace. Sprouting Melodies’ goal is to provide positive and enriching musical experiences that support and promote the developing child. Children can learn and experiment with new skills through music. In contrast music for skill building is more appropriate for older children after they have reached the Responsibility stage of musical development.

[Alyssa Kereki]

I view “music for development” as enhancing normal developmental processes that occur naturally outside of the music group. Rather than teaching musical concepts, Sprouting Melodies uses musical experiences specifically designed to practice developmental milestones in a fun, family-oriented environment. Although children may learn musical skills from these experiences, that is not the primary function of the group. Sprouting Melodies is organized to assist children on their unique journey through the five developmental stages (awareness, trust, independence, control, and responsibility)and help parents recognize these stages, as well.

[Robin Jacobs]

Wow Cindy, beautifully said. Can I quote you on that?!?!

“In Sprouting Melodies we recognize that every child is musical. Music is a natural way for children to explore the world around them, and we are here to give them opportunities to reach their potential through music play. Along their journey they will achieve some musical skills, but our focus will be on individual development and not on teaching music. We are here to provide you and your child a fun, joyful and meaningful experience.”

The Only other thought I had to share was that if your child chooses to study music (instrument, singing)in the future they will have a large musical “vocabulary” foundation to draw on. Then draw the analogy of how long children hear all kinds of language before they begin speaking and how that made it possible for them to understand and speak their native language.

[Angie Carter]

As an early intervention provider, I use music for development on an everyday basis. I share with families the various grasps we are looking for with maracas and how that transfers to blocks or the rotation of the wrist when using a mallet. I help them to observe whether a baby’s hand is open or closed and how that often changes with the presence of a sparkle drum. I can describe the evolution of vocalizations to song and instruments and how it is magnified by the use of music.

Musical skill building is emphasized more in classes such as Kindermusic. These actions will happen naturally through classes with a music therapist, but are not the emphasis.

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