Hallam suggested that “children who studied an instrument higher than 4th grade had higher scores in mathematics.” Before today’s session, I studied the various elements that Hallam had studied and the relevant relationship between music and other aspects of a child’s development. In terms of physical development and health and wellbeing, “research shows that using rhythmic accompaniment to support physical education programmes improves performance.” (Hallam, 2010)
Alongside both of these areas, Hallam discussed the effect music had on creativity.Research shows that “secondary and university music students scored higher on tests of creativity than non-music majors.” It seems that children benefit from playing an instrument to a great extent as even “30 minutes of daily music increase creativity levels and perceptual motor skills.”(Hallam, 2010)Throughout the article, Hallam also discussed the positive effect music has in regards to social/personal development, perceptual and language skills, literacy, intellectual development, and general attainment. I strongly believe that engaging with all curricular areas of learning whilst incorporating music.
During the practical workshop, we were introduced to a crucial music tool that will benefit us when teaching in schools. The application is called Garageband and is used to create various different rhythms and beats. This provides the children with an opportunity to explore different sounds and beats. On the application, there is the option to voice record aswell which can be inserted into the child’s rhythm of sounds, instruments and beats to create a piece of music.
I found this beneficial as it is a modern way of teaching music instead of the basic song book and copy style which personally I received at primary school. This will engage the children and make music an enjoyable subject to teach. It also lowers the risk of a child becoming embarrassed through their musical ability as they do not physically have to play an instrument to create a piece of music.
Below is an image of Garageband and a short clip of the types of music you can create with this application.
References
- Hallam, S. (2010) ‘The power of music: Its impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people’, International Journal of Music Education, 28(3), pp. 269–289. doi: 10.1177/0255761410370658.
