Elementary music teachers are only allotted so much time, so the choices we make must build a strong musical foundation for the future. Listed below are the five essentials that every student should experience in every class (or almost every class). These necessary experiences will develop the skills for musical success in middle school, high school, and beyond. Students need to sing (with beauty and expression), move and create as they add solfege/rhythm syllables and playing instruments to the primary skill of singing.
1. Every Student Sings Every Class!
Music education is a joyful expression that begins with singing and then transfers to every other musical skill. Singing is the first and foundational skill in the elementary classroom and must be developed and nurtured in every student. Students need to sing songs from around the world, which should include all ethnicities because all voices matter. (https://www.mfsmithmusic.com/post/crafting-a-song-list-to-engage-the-school-and-community). Some students will sing naturally while others will take time to learn to use their singing voice. It is important for the teacher to model light singing that is appropriate for children’s voices. It is also important to have students who sing naturally model beautiful singing for other students. Student voices need to blend and not stick out. This is an important lesson for young students and a life lesson as well. A single voice is not more important than our combined blended voices. Yes, there are times when we sing alone or as a solo, but we want to learn to have our voices blend. Unison singing and rounds are important to use in every class.
2. Every Student Moves!
Now it’s time to discuss the importance of movement in music. Movement matters because singing, rhythm, and movement are all connected as we experience music. Teachers use folk dance and movement to feel the beat and identifying form and phrasing. Also, any kind of movement can bring clarity during listening as it helps students to identify phrases as well as the beat. Teachers use movement to assist in learning songs quickly as students identify movement with lyrics. In fact, if students are doing nothing while they are listening to music, they may not be learning anything at all. Adding kinesthetic movement helps all students learn faster. They have to think about the movement associated with lyrics and phrases. Some people, including me, like to teach a song using sign language. As students practice sign language, they learn a song quickly and thoroughly.
3. Every Student Creates!
Next we need to discuss the role of creating in the elementary music classroom (https://www.nationalartsstandards.org/). Creating music allows students to take what they know about music and use it to express themselves. We get so busy teaching so many things like literacy that we forget to allow students to improvise, create, and process their understanding. When students know the syllables “mi, re, and do,” they can combine the notes into new patterns and songs. Creating music fosters problem-solving and composition skills. There may be a direct link between creating and problem-solving which will enhance test-taking skills and make our role in the future of education even more vital.
4. Students Develop Literacy through Solfege & Rhythm Syllables!
Now we add solfege and rhythm syllables to our students' beautiful singing voices. When students sing with joy and expression, students will then sing solfege with enthusiasm and understanding. Solfege is not the goal; singing is the goal that transfers to singing with solfege for literacy. Solfege gives students the skills they need to lead them towards understanding notation and singing in tune. Many teachers like to use solfege hand signs while students sing solfege. The advantage of hand signs is the kinesthetic relationship between movement and singing. When students are using hand signs, they are making the sign with their hands while singing the syllable. Again, when students have to do something, it engages their minds and helps them with understanding.
Rhythm syllables can be organically taught from the students’ song repertoire. There are a variety of effective rhythm syllables from different methodologies, and teachers at the middle school should use the same rhythm syllables as the elementary so that we build on what students know rather than starting over. By using rhythm syllables, students are able to identify simple and compound meter and note lengths in developmentally appropriate ways.
5. Students Sing through an Instrument!
Finally, it’s time to play an instrument, and students are able to use their established song repertoire to sing through their instruments or sing along with ukuleles or other instruments (https://youtu.be/EgbfviAPwq4). Students can use solfege syllables and rhythm syllables as they connect these skills to playing a recorder or another instrument. The application of joyful singing and solfege lays the groundwork for playing an instrument. Students can sing with syllables while fingering on the instrument, and then they will be able to play any of the songs they know. Beautiful singing comes first and transfers to vibrant solfege and rhythm syllables as students sing and finger on the instrument; and finally, the students play. Now that the students can play the song, they can see what the notation looks like. The notation becomes the information that allows students to play more songs.
Conclusion
Sing beautifully and with expression; and then add moving, creating, solfege, and rhythm syllables and playing instruments. These five essentials for a strong musical foundation require skillful teaching and all the time that is allotted to us as teachers. The big lie is that if we teach literacy everything else will follow. The truth is that if we teach musical singing, then all the skills. Including literacy, will flow into a joyful experience and a strong foundation for elementary school and beyond.
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