Further Research on the Musical Development Sequence

Abstract

Following the publication in 1986 by Swanwick and Til1man ot a musical development model, further research in Cyprus gives parallel results, showing strong agreement between judges on the use of criteria for assessing children's compositions and articulating the same sequential order of development predicted by the spiral categories. This replication stronglx supports the original claim of an invariant sequence of musical developmenlt and demonstrates the predictive power of the model. A random selection ot children's compositions drawn from over 600 items collected in a different cultural setting, along with the use of seven independent assessors attracts exceptionally significant levels of correspondence between assigned criteria and the actual age of the children. Tests for variance and significhLnt difference suggest that the older two groups of UK children,Ire more advanced than their Cyprus peers. There are consequential implications fr music curriculum development, for assessment procedures, for further work on musical development, and on the relationship of composing to perform- ing and audience listening.