Live Interactive Chat

Answers to Questions (Transcript)

September 21, 2004

Eve Harwood
Associate Dean, College of Fine and Applied Arts, and Associate Professor, Music Education, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

See also: Biography and Related Resources

IELmoderator
Greetings, IEL Chat participants. Welcome to the fourth IEL Chat of 2004, and the first Chat of the 2004-2005 academic year. Our Chat tonight is titled "My Child Loves Music, but I Can't Carry a Tune in a Bucket: A Guide to Preschool Music Making." To get started, let me introduce our guest speaker, Eve Harwood, who is the Associate Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, and also Associate Professor in Music Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Eve Harwood
Hi! I'm glad to be here. This is a topic that is very near and dear to my heart as a teacher and a parent.

IELmoderator
The procedure for the live Chat session is as follows. Participants can send questions to the Chat guest at any time. When you send your question, please note that it will not be visible to all Chat participants. The IEL Moderator receives the question first and will post it to the whole Chat group. If there's a long queue of questions, the Moderator will notify the questioner that the question was received. Then, at the next break in the discussion, the question will be posted for all to see and for our guest to answer.

Note that there will be a pause after a question is posted while the Chat guest speaker composes a response to the question. So please be patient! During these pauses, the Moderator will post occasional information about the IEL Web site. Because some Chat participants enter the Chat in the middle of the session, some of these messages may be posted more than once.

Questions will be posted in the order they're received, unless there's some obvious reason to group similar questions together. Participants may send follow-up questions. If you do send a follow-up question, please remind the guest and other participants of the earlier question (something like "In my earlier question about the third-grader's reading difficulty…") because it's easy to forget earlier questions in the long list of questions that occur during the Chat session.

If your question is not answered by the time the Chat session ends at 8 pm, the question and its answer will be included in the Chat transcript that will be made available online approximately 3 weeks from today.

If, at any time during the Chat, you want to review the procedure for participating in the Chat session, you can do that at this Web page: http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/info/ecapchat.html or in Spanish at http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/info/ecapchat-sp.html.

IELmoderator
Now let's begin our Chat. Professor Harwood, we have a question that we received in advance of the session.

Is formal music instruction for preschool children a good idea?

Eve Harwood
It depends on what "formal" means. A complete curriculum includes a teacher-led circle time as well as free play in music centers. So there is definitely a role for teachers and a formal curriculum in that sense. There are also examples of formal programs such as Kindermusik and others where children and parents/caregivers attend music lessons once a week where there is a variety of singing, playing, chanting, and moving activity. While the lessons are structured, for the children they have the feeling of playtime with music. However, most experts do not recommend formal instruction such as private piano lessons or voice for preschool-age children.

IELmoderator
Chat participants, information about Kindermusik can be found at http://www.kindermusik.com/.

Professor Harwood, here's a question we received from a Chat participant.

Singing One
Hi. This is a great topic! I love to sing, and I always presumed that my daughter would love it, too. But most of the time she doesn't seem very interested, and she doesn't really stay on pitch very well. She's 3-1/2. Am I expecting too much?

Eve Harwood
Singing One: It is an unusual 3-year-old who would be able to sing on pitch. The more experience your daughter has with singing, the more control she will have over her voice. In particular, games that ask her to vocalize high and low, like imitating sirens, help develop vocal maturity in a playful way.

Singing One
I never thought of playing games to help her learn more control of her voice. That's a great idea! Thanks!

IELmoderator
Professor Harwood, here's another question that we received prior to the Chat. This question is from Debbie.

I was wondering if playing music had any effect on the length of time it takes for preschool children to clean up after playtime? Do you know of any studies or examples?

Eve Harwood
Debbie: I know of no research that has investigated this idea, but it certainly helps in my experience to have some music for cleanup time, just for aesthetic purposes. My own 5-year-old started wanting to play the piano because her teacher always played a piano piece to signal cleanup time in her room.

IELmoderator
Professor Harwood, here's our next question.

Is there an optimal age to begin formal music instruction?

Eve Harwood
When Zoltan Kodaly, noted Hungarian music educator and composer, was asked, "When does music education begin?" he originally answered, "Nine months before birth." He later amended that to "nine months before birth. . . of the mother." Certainly it is never too early to begin singing lullabies, rocking, and rhythmic chanting. There are some formal programs for infants and parents in the marketplace, but most programs do not begin before age 3. There is no data to suggest that there is an optimal age in terms of musical growth.

The exception is studies of absolute pitch, the ability to identify the exact pitch of a sound without reference to a piano or tuning fork as a reference. Studies of adults who have this ability reveal that almost all of them were involved in formal music such as violin or piano lessons by the age of 3. Some theorize that all of us at one time have the ability to detect absolute pitch, but lose it because we have no use for that particular perception. Individuals who have reason to link the sound with the name "A flat" for example, tend to retain the ability into adulthood. However, absolute pitch by itself is not a marker of musicianship or success as a musical performer.

IELmoderator
You can find additional resources on "My Child Loves Music, but I Can't Carry a Tune in a Bucket: A Guide to Preschool Music Making" in the supplement to this Chat session. This supplement is available on the IEL Web site at this URL:
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/harwood/sup.htm.

Nancy
Hello. You mention singing, but does a child get the same benefit from listening to recorded vocal or instrumental music?

Eve Harwood
Nancy: There is certainly benefit to both, but vocal development depends on active singing and active music making. The research also supports the notion that active singing by the parent has more effect than passive listening.

IELmoderator
Professor Harwood, here's our next question.

Is there a connection between music and math ability?

Eve Harwood
This is a claim that is often made, but there is no solid research to support it. It is certainly true that many people with mathematical interests also enjoy music—engineers and math students who play an instrument at advanced levels, for instance. My personal observation is that those who have mathematical ability and knowledge often find they can apply it to understand musical phenomena, particularly those areas related to acoustics.

But those with high levels of musical ability and knowledge do not find that it aids their understanding of mathematics. There IS a relationship to arithmetic, particularly fractions, in the elementary stages of learning rhythm notation, but this is relatively a small part of musical development.

IELmoderator
The transcripts of the IEL Chat sessions from 2002 through 2004 are archived on the IEL Web site. Go to the IEL Chat Resources page at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chatres.htm, then scroll down the page to the particular Chat that you're interested in. For each Chat, you'll see a link for "Chat Transcript." Click on that link to view the transcript for that particular Chat. Editor's note: This url has changed: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat

The most recent Chat was on the topic of "Supporting the Literacy Development of Diverse Language Learners in Early Childhood Classrooms" with Rosalinda Barrera. The transcript of this Chat session is available from the IEL Chat section at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/barrera/trans.htm.

Note that IEL Chat transcripts are also available in Spanish. To find IEL Spanish Chat transcripts (Trasuntos de chateo), go to the Spanish Chat Resources (Chateo Recursos) page at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chatres-sp.htm. Nota del Editor: Este sitio de Internet ha cambiado a otra dirección: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert-sp.htm#pastchat

The Spanish transcript of the just-mentioned Barrera Chat is available at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/barrera/trans-sp.htm.

Jen
Professor Harwood, I just entered the room so I am not sure how much has been covered, but when discussing children and music making, what do you think are the benefits of children creating their own musical instruments to allow themselves to experiment with different sounds, etc.?

Eve Harwood
Jen: It is a great idea. Children can explore the nuances of various timbres (sound qualities) as they create their own instruments. It has the added advantage that children are working in more than one form at a time in constructing the instrument and judging the sound that it makes.

TL
I think that it's important for children to be exposed to many different kinds of music. My husband thinks young children can't really appreciate classical music and that the best music for them is the kind written specifically for young children. Who's right?

Eve Harwood
TL: Whoops! I don't want to get into the middle of a marital battle! Children do enjoy a wide variety of musical types, and to limit them to music specifically for young children is to reduce their listening range. Research with young children up to age 11 shows that they are accepting of a wide variety of musical styles.

wp72205
As a music teacher, I often wonder how hard to push a young student. I realize that not every student is going to pursue music as a profession, but I still want them to practice in order to improve for their own benefit. Do you have any thoughts on this balance, particularly for very young students?

Eve Harwood
wp72205: Yes, from my Chat supplement at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/harwood/sup.htm.

In Musical Beginnings: Origins and Development of Musical Competence, edited by Irene Deliege and John Sloboda, see Chapter 7, “The young performing musician,” by John Sloboda and Jane Davidson. There are indications in our data that young people who achieve high levels of expressivity in performance are more likely to have indulged in unplanned performance activities in early learning (that is, improvisation, free activity unrelated to lesson tasks).

These activities (often described by both children and parents as “messing about”) may create more of the necessary conditions for expressive trial and error than highly task-oriented formal practice. They are also arguably more likely to generate the kind of pleasurable emotional ambience for new learning of emotion structure links than are achievement-oriented forms or technical or repertoire practice.

It seems to be absolutely crucial to the development of musical expressivity that childhood is characterized by experiences of music that are pleasurable and unthreatening, like the instance of the friendly first teacher of the high achievers in our study (autobiographical memories of high-achieving musicians). These experiences can be inhibited by some pedagogic regimes imposed by well-meaning teachers and parents.

For very young children, I regard music lessons much like swimming lessons. We want our children to be stronger in the water; we want them to be stronger in the musical medium, if they choose to go on in later life; but musical fitness is the goal, not virtuosity.

IELmoderator
As mentioned earlier, Professor Harwood is the Associate Dean of the College of Fine and Applied Arts, and also an Associate Professor in Music Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She currently specializes in elementary general music. Before coming to Illinois from her native Canada, she taught school music in grades K-8 for 6 years. In the 1980s, she taught group music lessons for preschool children, privately and through the Conservatory of Central Illinois, and joined the faculty of the School of Music at the University of Illinois in fall 1989.

She has taught courses in early childhood music, contemporary trends in teaching music to children, and Orff and Kodaly. As a parent of four children, and as a professional music educator, she has maintained her interest in the multitude of offerings now available for music instruction for young children.

Recent publications include "Go on Girl: Improvisation in the Play of African-American Girls," in In the Course of Performance: Studies in the World of Musical Improvisation (University of Chicago Press), and articles in Research Studies in Music Education and The Mountain Lake Reader: Conversations on the Teaching and Learning of Music.

Professor Harwood is coordinator of the teaching academy for the College of Fine and Applied Arts, whose mission is to develop a community of artist-teachers in higher education across all seven units of the College. Her research interests include children's musical folk culture, music teacher education, and continuing professional development for college teachers in the arts.

When teaching children, Professor Harwood strives to motivate and develop the musician/artist in every student. She recognizes that general music students come to music through different paths including performing, composing, and listening to music of others. When guiding young adults to become teachers or graduate students who will become college teachers, she applies the same principles.

Professor Harwood strives to motivate and develop the teacher/scholar in every student. Through deep engagement with a variety of teaching methods (for undergraduates), or with scholarly literature based on different research and philosophical paradigms (for graduate students), her students are encouraged to choose the path that best matches their individual strengths and values as teachers.

TL
Are you familiar with the "Baby Bach" and "Baby Mozart" videotapes? At the end of one of the videotapes, the developer of the video series says that listening to music is really educational—I think she even cites some research. Do you know about this research, and is it credible? Are you familiar with these videos?

Eve Harwood
TL: I've not seen those particular videos, but I am familiar with the so called Mozart Effect. When you look closely at those studies, you will find that children that are involved in active music making using keyboards showed gains in some kinds of intelligence, but just listening to Mozart (or anyone else) does not have an effect on spatial/temporal tasks.

Jen
How do you feel about music that is played in day care and preschool centers that encourages learning through song as opposed to just listening to the music. For example, learning to count, ABCs, how to tie your shoes, etc. Do you feel that music is a good way to help children learn about such things?

Eve Harwood
Jen: Yes, it is a great way to use music to learn other things. As such it has educational value. I view that as separate from education in music itself, but at some level, if you are singing the days of the week, you are building singing in as a part of regular class activity.

IELmoderator
Remember that the IEL Web site is available not only in English but also in Spanish. The Spanish home page is at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/index-sp.htm.

wp72205
Thank you for your response to my last question. What do you think about the relative benefits of starting young children in a group setting vs. private lessons.

Eve Harwood
wp72205: For children under about 6, private lessons can be really daunting. Unless you have a prodigy on your hands, group lessons are more likely to be beneficial and satisfying. The prodigy would not be satisfied with group lessons only and will let you know that.

TL
Does anyone or any group rate children's music, or are there music "awards" like there are book awards? I have a hard time finding really good music, or knowing if it's really good.

Eve Harwood
TL: Great question! Sadly, I don't know that music is rated in this way. Please read Considerations for Choosing Repertoire for the Young Child's Classroom or Home at
http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat/harwood/sup.htm for guidelines on how to look at repertoire; particularly avoid CDs and books with titles you've never heard of that clearly have only a commercial purpose.

IELmoderator
Professor Harwood, here's another question we received before the Chat.

What is the "Mozart Effect?" Is there any validity to this theory?

Eve Harwood
The "Mozart Effect" refers to a particular line of research by psychologists who found that young adults performed better on certain spatial/temporal tasks after listening to a specific piece by Mozart. The effect was short term. There is also brain research that indicates that certain parts of musicians' brains are more developed than non-musicians, and this finding is stronger for those who started lessons early. These two findings among others led to research with young children and music instruction. (Frances Rauscher is a principal researcher in this area.)

In one study of 3- to 5-year-olds, children were divided into three groups. Some children received music lessons involving keyboards, some received casual singing only, and some received no music but an equivalent amount of instruction time on computers. After 9 months, the keyboard group improved significantly over the other two on spatial/temporal tasks (such as building blocks in a pattern, solving puzzles that require sequencing in time).

So while there is valid evidence for a relationship between brain development and early musical participation, particularly with active music making, there is no evidence that simply listening to Mozart or any other composer increases brain function. Certainly the claim that "Mozart makes you smarter" has no validity.

IELmoderator
Professor Harwood, here's a comment from one of our Chat participants.

whitechocolate
I had a day care for over 8 years, and I always had the children listen to music while sleeping, which was Mozart or Bach, etc.

Eve Harwood
whitechocolate: Yes, this is a perfect use for listening, and similarly playing soothing music really has an effect on classroom atmosphere.

claire
So, is that the same principle behind teaching foreign languages in early childhood?

Eve Harwood
claire: That is a really interesting question, and several music education authorities have used the foreign language principle to guide their programs. A Hungarian, for instance, Kodaly, thought children should learn their musical mother tongue first, so he used songs only in the first language in early childhood, but other writers have suggested that learning the second language with the first makes for more fluent speakers in the long run.

IELmoderator
Remember that you may send a question at any time to the IEL staff. Just email your question to iel@uiuc.edu.

You can also phone in a question. Please note that IEL's toll-free telephone number has recently changed. The new number is 877-275-3227. IEL staff are usually available between 8-12 and 1-5 on business days.

Mel
What does the brain research say about children under the age of 3 and music's relationship to brain development and/or language development?

Eve Harwood
Mel: Wow! Big question! Brain research does show that certain parts of musicians' brains are more highly developed than non-musicians'. It also indicates that stimulation through music and the other senses results in greater brain development in young children. Research does not tell us yet what kinds of musical stimulation might be more effective than others.

jpm
Dr. Harwood, through my granddaughter (who is 19 months old), I've become aware of just how many toys out there play tunes when children do something with them. The tunes might be familiar (ABC, the Bear Went over the Mountain, etc.) or some new little ditty. It seemed like she was surrounded by these things. What, if any, effect might there be on a child's musical development or understanding of music? I grew to dislike most of them because they seemed disconnected from the actual process of making music. What are your thoughts?

Eve Harwood
jpm: For some children, being able to create music through touching a button or hitting a lever on a toy is rewarding. For children with learning disabilities, this have been particularly effective. For your granddaughter, however, the tunes may just be playful and the repetition is much less likely to bother her than the adults who have to listen to it too.

IELmoderator
This is the first Chat session of the 2004-2005 academic year. The next IEL Chat will be "From Chewing to Choosing: Bonding Books and Children" with Elizabeth Hearne, professor of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This Chat will be held on Tuesday, October 19, at the usual time, 7:00 pm Central.

In this Chat, Professor Hearne will discuss reading high-quality books to children from birth to age 5. The discussion will include guidelines on why it's important, what to select, what to expect, and how to connect with the child. See the IEL Chat page for additional details: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat.htm Editor's note: This url has changed: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat.

Singing One
My observation is that listening to Baby Bach or Baby Mozart just mesmerizes the toddlers—they watch slack-jawed and fascinated. I can never decide if that's good or bad!

Eve Harwood
Singing One: Unfortunately, I don't know these videos. If the children are truly mesmerized, they may be enjoying the music as a pure listening experience. As far as it goes, there is nothing wrong with it, but if you are looking for brain development, you need active music making as well.

IELmoderator
Another IEL Chat is scheduled for Tuesday, November 9, also at 7:00 pm Central Time. This Chat is "TV, Computers, and Video Games—How Much Is Too Much?" The guest is Carol Weisheit, Early Childhood Resource Specialist from STARnet Regions I & III.

wp72205
I have heard some music educators suggest that educating a student's parents is almost as important as educating the student. Do you agree? If you do think that this is true, how does this apply in a setting where the parents aren't present during the lessons, or who aren't willing to be musically educated?

Eve Harwood
wp: There are many ways for parents to support their children in musical development besides attending lessons. Being present during some practice sessions, accompanying children to concerts, playing recordings in the house, and messing around with music informally are examples. Research does show that children who do excel in music are more likely to come from musically rich home environments.

scott
I'm curious about perfect pitch. I understand there is research that shows that in cultures with some kinds of languages, people tend to voice phrases in the same pitch as everybody else. Is there other evidence that perfect pitch can be taught through consistent exposure as children? Or is there an enabling factor (genetic) as well?

Eve Harwood
scott: We received a question prior to the Chat that is very similar to this. It will be posted now.

IELmoderator
Scott and others, here's the question posted from before.

*** Question repeated from above
Is there an optimal age to begin formal music instruction?

*** Eve Harwood's response, repeated from above
When Zoltan Kodaly, noted Hungarian music educator and composer, was asked, "When does music education begin?" he originally answered, "Nine months before birth." He later amended that to "nine months before birth. . . of the mother." Certainly it is never too early to begin singing lullabies, rocking, and rhythmic chanting. There are some formal programs for infants and parents in the marketplace, but most programs do not begin before age 3. There is no data to suggest that there is an optimal age in terms of musical growth.

The exception is studies of absolute pitch, the ability to identify the exact pitch of a sound without reference to a piano or tuning fork as a reference. Studies of adults who have this ability reveal that almost all of them were involved in formal music such as violin or piano lessons by the age of 3. Some theorize that all of us at one time have the ability to detect absolute pitch, but we lose it because we have no use for that particular perception. Individuals who have reason to link the sound with the name "A flat," for example, tend to retain the ability into adulthood. However, absolute pitch by itself is not a marker of musicianship or success as a musical performer.

IELmoderator
Professor Harwood, here's another question.

rockinrobin
Do you have any resources on finding songs in different languages? For example, if I wanted to teach my children the Itsy Bitsy Spider, could I get the words in Spanish?

Eve Harwood
rockinrobin: Yes, the best source I know for songs in other languages comes from West Music at http://www.westmusic.com, particularly a book called Roots and Branches that comes with a CD.

IELmoderator
There are about 15 minutes left in tonight's Chat.

Participants in IEL Chats may also be interested in a new series of online Chats offered by the Center on the Social and Emotional Foundations for Early Learning (CSEFEL). For more information on CSEFEL's work, visit their Web site at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel.

The first Chat in the CSEFEL Chat series will be held next week, on Wednesday, September 29. The topic will be "What to Do When Children Say 'NO!'" In this Chat, guest Lise Fox from the University of South Florida will discuss why children may be noncompliant and strategies that educators and families may use to help the child with cooperation and engagement. For additional information on the Chat, visit the CSEFEL Chat page at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/csefel/chat.html.

jpm
Lots of park districts offer "kinder-music" classes and such—what should a parent or grandparent look for in a music program for young children?

Eve Harwood
jpm: Look for a balance of activities: some singing, some instruments, moving, listening, creating, and musical games. My own children enjoyed Kindermusik, which does provide a balance of those activities.

IELmoderator
Remember that this Chat session is being transcribed. The transcript of the session will be made available in both English and Spanish approximately 3 weeks from now. Please watch the Chat pages on the IEL Web site for the transcript. These are http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat.htm and http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chatres.htmEditor's note: This url has changed:http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat.

The corresponding pages in Spanish are http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat-sp.htm and http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chatres-sp.htm Editor's note: This url has changed: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat.

ang232425
Is it developmentally appropriate for an early childhood music teacher (kindergarten and 1st grade) to teach her students a new song each day they are in music and then to never revisit the songs?

Eve Harwood
ang232425: That would not be recommended practice. Young children need repetition and, in fact, enjoy it. Research shows that they are more likely to prefer songs where they have familiarity.

greenteach3
Is there any research proving that children retain material better when they learn it through music?

Eve Harwood
greenteach: This is a little outside my area, but yes, there is research for some children; in some cases of brain damage or severe disabilities, music allows some people to perform some tasks they can't without the music.

IELmoderator
Participants in tonight's Chat may be interested in a Tip Sheet prepared by the IEL staff. "Things to Do while You're Waiting: Music, Sound, and Movement" can be found at: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets/music.htm.

This Tip Sheet is also available in Spanish and Polish. The Spanish version, "Cosas que hacer mientras se está esperando: La música, el sonido y el movimiento," can be found at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets-sp/music-sp.htm.

The Polish version of this Tip Sheet, "Czym mozna zajac sie podczas czekania: muzyka dzwiek i ruch," is available at: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/tipsheets-pol/music-pol.pdf.

Mel
How can music improve or affect language development?

Eve Harwood
Mel: That one is beyond my scope of expertise.

whitechocolate
It is good to have several CDs that have another language (maybe the nationalities you have in your classroom). I had several children that were Native American and had a CD that had some nursery rhymes and songs on it in their native language.

Eve Harwood
whitechocolate: Great idea.

Nicole
When playing music at nap time, do children's brains rest or should they have quiet time for their brains to rest?

Eve Harwood
Nicole: We don't have research telling us what children's brains are doing at rest, but observation suggests that music helps quiet the body and the brain.

IELmoderator
Chat participants may be familiar with the Early Learning Standards prepared by the Illinois State Board of Education. The Early Learning Standards are organized under a series of 32 State Goals. For each Early Learning Standard, there are a number of associated benchmarks. The Early Learning Standards with their benchmarks can be found on the IEL Web site at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/standards/index.htm.

Two of the benchmarks relate to music and children. Under the Early Learning Standard titled "Understand the sensory elements, organizational principles and expressive qualities of the arts," is the benchmark "Music: Investigate the elements of music." The IEL staff has compiled a list of Web resources related to this benchmark. The list is available at 25-A-ECc.

Another benchmark related to music is under the Early Learning Standard "Understand processes, traditional tools and modern technologies used in the arts." This benchmark is "Music: Participate in music activities." Again, the list of Web resources compiled by the IEL staff is available at 26-A-ECc.

Several other benchmarks, and the related resources, in the Fine Arts section of the Early Learning Standards may also be of use, even though they're not directly related to music. The Fine Arts section is available at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/standards/finearts.htm.

lmfap
I have my students "buddy draw" to music. They listen for awhile, then they "create" a picture with their "buddy" while they listen to the music. I let volunteers talk about their picture if they want to. Is this constructive learning or just free play?

Eve Harwood
Imfap: It depends on what you are having the children draw. If they are drawing what they hear in sound ("how the music goes"), it can be very educational. If they are using the music as background to draw something unrelated, then it sounds like art play.

Nicole
What are your thoughts about Baby Einstein videos and the music?

Eve Harwood
Nicole: This is another word for what is called hot-housing in early childhood literature. It is not developmentally appropriate to have young children trying to imitate adult geniuses.

IELmoderator
You can also find some resources on music in the IEL "Early Learning Web Links" database. This database of Web resources was compiled by the IEL staff (not limited to the benchmark resources described a little while ago). You can search these Web Links at
http://ecap.crc.uiuc.edu/cgi-bin/iel/searchiel.cgi. Simply type "music" in the box under Title Search and hit the "Go Search" button.

claire
Do you think that using software that "builds" music, programs that give users options of beats and instruments to use, would be helpful or practical in an early childhood classroom?

Eve Harwood
claire: Yes, there are several software programs available for younger children that allow them to compose by assembling sounds. Subotnick is one, and I list some more in the transcript of this Chat.

IELmoderator
NOTE: Here is additional clarification provided by Eve Harwood and her colleague Dr. Sam Reese.
Not much more has happened with software for early childhood. A couple of titles have come and gone. Making Music is still by far the best. There is a complementary web site for it at: http://www.creatingmusic.com. It provides a free, online, scaled-down version of Making Music - a good way to get to know it.

Another possibliity is MIDIsaurus - Focus Set (a smaller subset of the complete program). It is really for elementary but has parts that could be useful for early childhood, if you think of early childhood as extending up to grade 2. More info is at:
http://www.doubleclick.com.sg/company_info/licensing/music.htm. Editor's Note: this url is no longer active.

frankli
What does research say about the effects of free exploration of musical instruments or movement to music as opposed to directed activities with instruments and music?

Eve Harwood
frankli: Choose your researcher. There are studies that support both of these approaches as leading to musical development. My own bias for young children is toward free play and exploration with limited directed instruction.

IELmoderator
Chat participants, we have a number of questions still in the queue. Professor Harwood will extend tonight's Chat for about 15 minutes. We'll try to get through as many of these as we can. Please do not send additional questions now, as we're full! If your question isn't answered during the Chat, it will appear—along with a response—in the Chat transcript. Chat participants—thanks for your questions.

The transcript will be available on the IEL Web site approximately 3 weeks after the Chat.

IELmoderator
Professor Harwood, here's a question/comment from whitechocolate.

whitechocolate
I wish I knew more about music. My oldest son is very talented, and I don't know anything about music notes or how to help him except get him as much experience and training from someone who does. I love to listen to him practice.

Eve Harwood
Understanding musical notation is highly overrated, except for those pursuing serious endeavors. That is, you do not need to be able to read music to provide a musically rich environment. If you listen to music, enjoy singing along and tap your feet, you ARE engaged in musical activity.

Mel
What musical selections do you recommend to parents and teachers to stimulate brain development in infants and toddlers?

Eve Harwood
Mel, research shows that the parent/caregiver voice gets a different reaction from very young infants. The more you can sing live music, at whatever level you can make it, the better for brain development.

IELmoderator
Professor Harwood, here's a follow-up from Mel.

Mel
Can you refer me to the research on music and brain development?

Eve Harwood
I can refer you to research on music and brain development. It will be in the transcript.

IEL Editor
Here's the additional information from Professor Harwood:
The reference is Musical Beginnings: Origins and Development of Musical Competence, edited by Irene Deliege and John Sloboda. See especially Chapter 3 , "Infant's auditory sensitivity toward acoustic parameters of speech and music" by Christoph Fassbender, and Chapter 4, "Intuitive parenting: A hidden source of musical stimulation in infancy" by Mechthild Papousek.

lmfap
Has anyone read any research on whether music helps in "detention" for third-graders? Does the music calm them down and redirect inappropriate behavior?

Eve Harwood
Imfap: If there is research to that effect, I am not familiar with it.

IELmoderator
Professor Harwood, here's another follow-up question from Mel.

Mel
Can you refer me to any research that demonstrates a relationship between music and language development?

Eve Harwood
Mel: Language development is out of my scope.

whitechocolate
Should teenagers listen to music while doing their homework?

Eve Harwood
whitechocolate: uh...that's not really an early childhood question. There are mixed opinions on that. In general, music educators don't want to encourage the habit of students tuning music out.

jpm
Thanks for your responses to my previous questions. Have there been any research findings on whether there's any kind of music that would not be good for infants, toddlers, or preschoolers to listen to barring inappropriate lyrics, of course?

Eve Harwood
jpm: There is research on in utero babies that shows that they get very active in response to rock music, so the kind of music played does seem to have an effect on infant response. There is nothing documenting that the effects are harmful as such.

ang232425
Do you know any sites that use music while learning/teaching math skills?

Eve Harwood
ang: Sorry, that is beyond my expertise.

babyruth
Do you know of any research about adolescents or teens listening to music while sleeping?

Eve Harwood
babyruth: Again, I am an early childhood person.

Singing One
Since music seems to have so many benefits—as discussed in this Chat—how can we encourage our elementary schools to keep music and band? That always seems to be one of the first activities to go in a budget crunch!

Eve Harwood
Singing One: Thank you for the question! Contact your school board member and lobby with your PTA! Even if you can't provide regular music, you may be able to fund artist-in-residence programs and build from there.

IELmoderator
Remember, if your question wasn't answered during the Chat, it will appear in the transcript along with a response. And you may send a question at any time to the IEL staff. Just email your question to iel@uiuc.edu or call us at our new toll-free number, 877-275-3227, between 8-12 and 1-5 on business days.

IELmoderator
Professor Harwood, here's another question. This will be our last question for this evening's Chat.

darci
Is there any amount of music in a young child's life that is TOO MUCH?

Eve Harwood
darci: Good question! Not that we know of! One of the signs of early musical talent is the desire to be involved in music ALL OF THE TIME.

IELmoderator
Thank you, Chat participants, for sending us your questions and for being so patient in waiting for responses. Please join us for our next IEL Chat on Tuesday, October 19, when Professor Elizabeth Hearne discusses "From Chewing to Choosing: Bonding Books and Children." See the Chat page at http://illinoisearlylearning.org/chat.htm for more information Editor's note: This url has changed: http://illinoisearlylearning.org/askanexpert.htm#pastchat.

Eve Harwood
I am happy to have had so many questions about music. Because of time, not all answers were a full as I could make them. I will be adding more details in the transcript.

jpm
Thanks, Dr. Harwood!

Singing One
Great Chat!

Guest
Thank you for your time and advice.

IELmoderator
Thank, you, Professor Eve Harwood, for sharing your knowledge and insights with us tonight. Thanks again, Chat Participants. Have a good evening.

---

Additional Questions

Question
Why should we put emphasis on music development in the preschool years if children will go on to elementary schools that have curtailed (or entirely cut) music instruction, as is happening in many schools in Illinois?

Eve Harwood
As cited above, research does support the notion that early involvement with active music making develops parts of the brain that don’t develop otherwise. As well, it is in preschool that music with the other arts can be considered a “basic.” This is the time when children are eager to participate and as part of their informal play routinely combine dance, song, chant, and aspects of dramatic play.

The stimulation and inspiration provided by contact with musicians and by making music together is part of complete child development. Ideally, it would continue into later life as well. But even for those who don’t find music in school, the early experiences can lead them to undertake private study, informal musical participation in garage bands, community and church choirs, etc., later in life.

Question
I really can't carry a tune. Should I sing lullabies to my baby anyway?

Eve Harwood
Absolutely. There is research showing that infants respond differently to the mother’s voice than to other voices. That is, they can differentiate vocal timbres at even a few weeks after birth. Whether you sing well in your own estimation is less important than the bonding that vocalizations provide. Fetuses in utero can hear, long before they emerge into daylight to see, so the sound of the human voice is important to infants. Singing may provide soothing, or stimulation. It is the sound, not its vocal quality, that makes the difference to your children. Playing a recording does not have the same effect on infant responses.

Question
Is it a good idea to buy toy instruments for a child, like a toy piano, or is it better to purchase an inexpensive “real” instrument, like a small keyboard?

Eve Harwood
Given the research on brain development and keyboards, I would recommend a small keyboard. Also useful is a small drum with a good sound. These would be preferable to “toys” since the sounds are much more satisfying and therefore more likely to evoke a musical gesture from the children.

One researcher who studied children in preschool for a year, videotaping children at a music center, found that the piano (a real one) and the drum attracted and kept those with exceptional interest returning to the center. The most extended solo improvisations and compositions came on those two real instruments.

Question
What’s a good source for nursery rhymes and songs to share with my preschooler?

Eve Harwood
John Feierabend has a series of books for finger plays, chants, nursery rhymes, and songs for parents, caregivers, and children to share. First Steps in Music for Infants and Toddlers provides a curriculum for birth to age 36 months. There are also paperbacks such as The Book of Finger Plays and Actions Songs: Let’s Pretend. They are available from GIA publications at http://www.giamusic.com. I recommend this series because it meets the criteria for choosing repertoire based on folk and traditional songs. There is also repertoire in the listing of resources provided as part of the Chat.

Question
My friend’s 3-year-old is taking Suzuki violin lessons. What is “Suzuki” and is it good for children?

Eve Harwood
Suzuki was a Japanese educator who was asked, “Can you teach my 3-year-old to play violin?” This was the task he set himself in a journey he describes in his book Nurtured by Love. His premise was that if children could learn Japanese, a difficult language, by listening to and imitating their parents, then they could learn violin the same way. Thus, in his method, a parent and child attend lessons together, and the parent guides the home practice daily. It requires considerable commitment from the parent to attend every lesson, learn the repertoire, play accompaniment tapes, check posture, and so on.

Children learn "by rote" initially, listening and then imitating the teacher, developing a larger repertoire of tunes they know by heart each year. Reading music notation comes considerably later in this method than in traditional instrumental instruction. For this method, Suzuki also worked to develop small-size instruments, down to 1/16 normal size, which are typically offered for rental. As the child grows, the family rents the next size instrument.

Note that Suzuki was asked whether he could teach violin to a 3-year-old, not what was the best music instruction for a 3-year-old. There is debate on whether this method is “good” for children. As with most instrumental lessons, there is considerable attrition. That is, only a few of those who start at 3 are still playing at 12.

For children with fine motor control and a real desire to play an instrument, Suzuki can provide enrichment. However, it should be an addition to, not a replacement for, a more balanced musical curriculum that includes singing, playing, improvising, moving, and listening to diverse music. For children with short attention spans, or not yet developed fine motor control, Suzuki violin (or piano) will be a frustrating experience.

Question
Will a young child who hears classical music at home prefer it to popular music when she grows up?

Eve Harwood
There is no evidence to suggest that the answer is yes. What we do know is that all people tend to like best the music they are most familiar with. Studies of preference in listening indicate that younger children enjoy a much wider variety of music than do older ones. That is, they are much less likely to reject unfamiliar music, or to indicate preferences for one genre over another. By middle school, children will express definite likes and dislikes for genres of music.

So the advantage of playing a varied repertoire, including classical music, to young children is that they are likely to enjoy it all. Once familiar with that music, they are much more likely to go on preferring it. But the classical/popular choice doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive. Many college students in music enjoy both kinds of music and derive satisfaction from listening to and performing both.

Question
What are the advantages to the study of music beyond simple enjoyment?

Eve Harwood
This is a question for the ages. Philosophers and psychologists offer theories to account for the appeal of music across cultures. All human societies make music and use it in various ways. It seems to be one of the characteristics that define us as human.

Certainly for young children, it is one of their principal forms of self-expression. The child who is avidly drumming while another spins in time, or the child singing to a doll in solitary play, or the group who are dancing together while some play instruments and some sing are expressing parts of themselves that are beyond language.

Music provides a means of venting emotion, but also of comforting and of communicating, that has no verbal equivalent. To be denied the opportunity to express oneself musically is to be denied the chance to be fully oneself, in my view. Instruction helps children learn to use musical materials in ways that are expressive and artistic and ultimately more sophisticated than they might come to on their own.

Some children discover through music instruction that they are gifted musically. The study of music with peers helps them identify themselves as musically strong. For others, participation in music study leads to later appreciation of many kinds of music. Without instruction, children are left to become passive consumers of commercial music, music that is designed to sell products or the performer’s CDs but not music that lifts the soul or that has spoken to generations of children and parents.

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