5. Sound Experience and Imagination at Early School Age

Abstract

This study describes a novel approach to facilitating children’s musical development, creativity, and imagination by introducing unconventional vibrational, percussive instruments (gongs, Himalayan singing bowls, and Koshi Chimes) in early music education. One of the advantages of these instruments is that children can very quickly become involved in music-making regardless of their previous knowledge and musical affinity. We traced children’s sound experiences during twelve workshops for 6–7-year-olds. Results showed that listening and improvisation with these instruments enhanced rich fantasy and careful listening. We argue for encouraging children to express their experiences, fostering their ability to focus attention and reflect on sound qualities. This research illustrates the strength of introducing listening and playing with simple but rich sounds in early music education.