Beginnings and Endings in the Musical Improvisations of Children Aged 7 to 10 Years

Abstract

Many factors influence the activation and maturation of the compositional process in children. Although there are numerous studies on children's processes, production and behaviour, little has been done concerning the influence of the didactic strategies used by the teacher: which may actually encourage or suppress such processes.Children are generally asked to create a composition that has a beginning, a middle and end, but we wondered whether it was really necessaryto request this structure or if children of a certain age already adopt it spontaneously, so teachers can use such skills as bUilding blocks for further learning.We investigated if children, without any specific music education, possess a certain ability to use specific types of beginnings and/or endings and how they improve.We asked 132 primary school children, aged 7-10, to perform six improvisations, five with a soprano glockenspiel, and one with tambourine. A total of 792 pieces were recorded and analysed using a specific classification system.After referring to studies on musical theory and semiotics to clarify the concept of beginning and ending in a piece of music, we are presenting the results which show that a certain percentage of children aged 7 already possess the mentioned skills, and that there is a gradual spontaneous acquisition of the beginning/ending conventions. Children improve year by year, with greater progress between 8 and 9 years. THE EDUCATIONAL PROBLEMThe field of creativity can undoubtedly be considered one of the most important in music education, in Europe as in other countries (Hargreaves and North, 2001). Guilford's "structure of intellect" model (Guilford, 1967) and, even before, his concept of creativity presented to the American Psychological Association in 1950, can be considered a clear landmark for the subsequent studies and research that were to generate many theories based on different approaches (behaviourisric, 157

Improvisation in Elementary General Music: A Review of the Literature

“…In the 2009 study, however, main effects were found for treatment but not for grade level. Tafuri et al (2003) found that a certain percentage of Italian children aged 7 years could already improvise a musical beginning and ending, even without instruction, and that this skill improved as age increased. They recommended that teachers first verify the extent to which their students could already improvise beginnings and endings and to use that as a starting point for teaching this skill.…”

“…Several researchers have examined the specific developmental abilities of elementary children's improvisation skills (Brophy, 2002(Brophy, , 2005Guilbault, 2004Guilbault, , 2009Kratus, 1989;Paananen, 2006Paananen, , 2007Tafuri, Baldi, & Caterina, 2003). Melodic, rhythmic, and structural content were all variables of interest along with tonality, accompaniment type, and motivic repetition.…”

5. Sound Experience and Imagination at Early School Age

“…Children can learn musical conventions and structures through environmental exposure to music (Tafuri et al, 2003). Children spontaneously differentiate sound qualities during free imaginative play, where there are no strict rules and they are not foreseeing what they still 'do not know'.…”

Psychological Perspectives on Musical Experiences and Skills

“…Children can learn musical conventions and structures through environmental exposure to music (Tafuri et al, 2003). Children spontaneously differentiate sound qualities during free imaginative play, where there are no strict rules and they are not foreseeing what they still 'do not know'.…”