This week in integrated arts I have experienced first hand that the arts can be for everyone. No matter what level of ability you have, there are many ways in which everyone can join in and participate.
Today we covered music and drama, we looked at various ways in which the arts can be approached.
Firstly we were introduced to ‘Figurenotes’ this concept was devised in Finland by a music teacher and a music therapist, Kaarlo Uusitalo and Markku Kaikkonen. The idea of playing what you see will conquer any barrier that you may face when reading notational or conventional pieces of music, initially designed for those with learning disabilities, figure notes can be used by anyone who wants to learn to play an instrument (Figurenotes, N.D).
Secondly in drama, we looked at five conventions;
- Thought tunnel
- Freeze frame
- Teacher in role
- Vox pop
- Hot seating
All of the above conventions give you the opportunity to take part in drama, to a level that is to be desired. Some children are happy to play solo parts however, in some cases group participation is a better option as this will included children who face fear of performing solo.
While studying the arts today it has given me a real sense of empathy toward children and young people who are learning a new skill or who simply can not grasp the learning and fear getting left behind.
For example, in music today I was nervous about playing the glockenspiel to the ‘Figurenotes’ sheet of music. It looked complicated at first however, once I tried it a few times I really got the hang of it and I really enjoyed it. I was so pleased with myself , I started to think of my potential in the future as I’d made progress so quickly.
That didn’t last long though as we moved onto conventional sheet music for rhythm patterns and I was completely lost. I felt useless and demotivated, as I couldn’t keep up, this helps me understand how a child may feel in class.
Experiences like these make us curious therefore we develop, we begin to use our inatiatives, not only in the arts but in our day to day lives. This type of mind set with children can help them to develop multiple view points, they are excellent at problem solving because they ask good questions, thus building resilience (Education Scotland, 2013).
It is important in the arts for lessons plans to be flexible and adaptable, this eliminates any possibilities of barriers or anxieties occurring in the class.
As a future teacher I must understand that flexibility and adaptability encourages opportunity for creativity and self-esteem, which is what I experienced while playing ‘figurenotes’ music on the glockenspiel.
‘As well as fulfilling the very human need to explore and make new, creativity skills can support increased empowerment, resilience, self-discipline and increased involvement in society. In other words, being creative can have an impact on individual self-esteem, wellbeing and a sense of control.’ (Education Scotland, 2013, p.7)
Reference:
Drake Music Scotland, (N.D) [Online] Available: https://drakemusicscotland.org [Accessed: 28 October 2018].
Education Scotland. (2013) Creativity across learning 3-18. [Online] Available: https://education.gov.scot/improvement/Documents/cre39-impact-report.pdf [Accessed: 28 October 2018].
Figurenotes, ND. [Online] Available: https://www.figurenotes.org [Accessed: 28 October 2018].
