Musical communication in scaffolding young learners’ expressive agency

Abstract

In a qualitative study of the nature of musical communication during scaffolding music learning, the most important themes to emerge reflected the role of musical communication in blossoming young learners’ expressive agency. The study focused on two different groups of young piano learners (aged 4–9) during collaborative (listening, creating, and performing) problem-solving experiences. Working as a teacher-researcher in the context of my own studio piano classes, I documented verbal and nonverbal interactions that occurred during the lessons. Data were collected primarily through video observation, field notes and a reflective journal. Analysis included the construction of narrative vignettes from these data. Analysis revealed that the children’s music learning was a creative process of transformation, as they negotiated and renegotiated their own meaning and that of others through musical communication. Possessing their own communicative musicality, learners exhibited ability to share a range of musical understanding and sensitivities through both sound and physical motion. Findings suggest that children’s music learning is not only located in individual minds but is anchored in a communicative landscape and when learners are engaged in musical scaffolding their expressive agency is enabled.

Creativity Research Overlooks the Study of Resilience among Young Children: A Bibliometric Network Review

“…First, it appears that creative activities that are monitored by a professional artist can contribute to the development of intrapersonal skills among 4-to 5-year-olds, such as autonomy, and initiative-taking (Aubrey & Dahl, 2013). 1 Kondo (2020) for instance, reported the benefit of a 13-week piano lessons program on young children's autonomy, and feeling of self-efficacy. Likewise, other domains of creativity, such as visual arts, music, dance, seem to provide both a sense of enjoyment and autonomy among 2 year-old children (Fernandez-Santin & Feliu-Torruella, 2020).…”

“…Furthermore, research has highlighted how creative activities can aid individuals in managing and regulating challenging emotions (Brown, 2007; Loizou & Loizou, 2019). Likewise, the impacts of art‐based programs on the autonomy, self‐efficacy, and positive emotions of 4‐ and 5‐year‐old children have been identified—these factors stand as promotive elements of resilience and are integral outcomes of resilience itself (Aubrey & Dahl, 2013; Deci et al., 2001; Fernandez‐Santin & Feliu‐Torruella, 2020; Kondo, 2020; Masten & Barnes, 2018; Montgomery, Miller, Foss, Tallakson, & Howard, 2017). Yet, despite these insights, the existing literature has lacked a comprehensive synthesis that substantiates our understanding of whether, and potentially which, creative activities contribute to the factors that enhance the resilience of young children.…”

Song - Based Materials and Filipino Kindergartens’ Social and Emotional Development

“…According to Desyandri (2017), values are internalized in the form of self-expression through singing. Moreover, it has been concluded that when children are engaged in 'musical scaffolding,' their capacity to express is also supported (Kondo, 2019).…”

‘Just notes’: Young musicians’ perspectives on learning expressive performance

“…Some small-scale studies have used lesson observation to investigate how tutors worked with their pupils 1 on expressive performance. Kondo (2019) observed some of her own piano pupils (5-6-year-olds) during their small group lessons in a year-long study. Based on her observations, she proposed that 'improvisational musical communication can engender and develop children's inherent communicative potential and expressive power' (Kondo, 2019, p. 12).…”