Developing Musicianship in ALL Students

This is a topic about which I feel very strongly. I recently had the privilege of presenting on this topic to a group of WELS teachers at the teachers’ conference hosted by St. John’s and St. Mark’s the end of September. Here are some highlights from that presentation.

“Developing.” Teaching children to listen to and perform music with thoughtful, deep understanding is not a random process. It is a carefully sequenced process, requiring thoughtful planning by an entire school faculty, even a whole congregation. There is much research on the appropriate sequence to follow when teaching music. (See below.)

“Musicianship.” Just as a good school aims to produce students who use language intuitively, creatively, and effectively, so also a good school (and congregation) strives to produce students who use music intuitively, creatively, and effectively. And, in fact, research shows that the process of music-learning follows the same sequence as language learning.

“In ALL students.” Music is God’s gift to all people, and he integrated it into every aspect of his creation. Great or small, every student’s musical potential deserves to be maximized, to the glory of the One who gave that musical gift. Unlike American society, we don’t just glorify the performers given a large gift. A small musical gift deserves to be developed, too.

“Active learning.” Music learning is best learned in a very active environment. Music and movement are largely inseparable, and active learning is nearly always more meaningful than passive learning. As a creative art, young musicians must have the opportunity to create and experiment, both individually and in groups.

“Sequential instruction.” Just as in language learning, parents and teachers must immerse children in the sounds and movement of music to build a strong foundation. Next, children must have the opportunity to experiment with their voices and bodies and discover how to make different sounds. Next, reading music is built on these foundations, and finally musical theory enhances the understanding already developed.

“Constructivist learning.” Just as in other areas of the school curriculum, students need to be given many opportunities to make decisions about and take ownership in their music making. The teacher’s role is largely that of facilitator, guiding students into discovering the wonders of God’s creation of music, especially its power to carry God’s Word to the human heart.