PROFESSIONAL EARLY CHILDHOOD educators are often asked for advice about whether or when a young child should learn to play a music instrument. Many educators who do not have a background in music education may not be confident in providing such advice. A range of overseas research has supported learning a music instrument in the early childhood years, noting the importance of parental support. This research project investigated the effects, especially emotional, on children's lives of adding instrumental music lessons to their general education, using the strategy of surveying professional musicians about their childhood experiences. Of the 46 professionals surveyed, all but two reported that the addition of music lessons to their general education had improved their enjoyment of childhood. Implications for early childhood professionals and teacher educators are also considered.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArtanI., & BalatG. (2003). Recognition of musical instruments by children between 4 and 6 years of age and research concerning the natural sounds they associate with those instruments. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 4(3), 357–369.
2.
AustinJ., RenwickJ., & McPhersonG. (2006). Developing motivation. In McPhersonG. (Ed.), The child as musician (pp. 213–238). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
3.
BarrettM. (2005). Representation, cognition, and communication: Invented notation in children's musical communication. In MiellD. D., MacdonaldR., & HargreavesD. (Eds.), Musical communication. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
4.
BastienJ. (1977). How to teach piano successfully. San Diego: General Words and Music.
5.
BeegleJ. (1999). Music learning research and the Suzuki method. American Suzuki Journal, 28(1), 71–78.
Ben-TovimA., & BoydD. (1985). The right instrument for your child.London: Victor Gollancz.
8.
CalissendorffM. (2006). Understanding the learning style of pre-school children learning the violin. Music Education Research, 8(1), 83–96.
9.
CeciS. J., & LoftusE. F. (1994). ‘Memory work’: A royal road to false memories?Applied Cognitive Psychology, 8(4), 351–364.
10.
Costa-GiomiE., PriceH., RauscherF., SchmidtJ., ShackfordM., & SimsW. (1999). Straight talk about music and research. Teaching Music, 7(3), 29–34.
11.
CrawfordJ., KippaxS., OnyxJ., & BentonP. (1992). Emotion and gender: Constructing meaning from memory.London: Sage Publications.
12.
CreechA., & HallamS. (2003). Parent-teacher-pupil interactions in instrumental music tuition: A literature review. British Journal of Music Education, 20(1), 29–44.
13.
DavidsonJ., HoweM. J., & SlobodaJ. (1995). The role of parents and teachers in the success and failure of instrumental learners. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 127, 40–44.
ForraiK. (1988). Music in the preschool. J. Sinor (Trans.). Budapest: Corvin.
19.
JorgensenH. (2001). Instrumental learning: Is an early start a key to success?British Journal of Music Education, 18(3), 227–239.
20.
KenneyS. (2007). Every child a composer. General Music Today, 20(2), 31–33.
21.
McPhersonG. (2001). Commitment and practice: Key ingredients for achievement during the early stages of learning a music instrument. Council for Music Research in Education, 147, 122–127.
22.
McPhersonG. (2005). From child to musician: Skill development during the beginning stages of learning an instrument. Psychology of Music, 33(1), 5–35.
23.
McPhersonG., & DavidsonJ. (2002). Musical practice: Mother and child interactions during the first year of learning an instrument. Music Education Research, 4(1), 141–156.
24.
McPhersonG., & DavidsonJ. (2006). Playing an instrument. In McPhersonG. (Ed.), The child as musician (pp. 331–351). Oxford: Oxford University Press.
25.
McPhersonG., & RenwickJ. (2001). A longitudinal study of self-regulation in children's musical practice. Music Education Research, 3(2), 169–186.
PittS., & DavidsonJ. (2000). Developing effective practice strategies: Case studies of three young instrumentalists. Music Education Research, 2(1), 45–56.
31.
PonickF. (1999). What's happening in early childhood music education. Teaching Music, 7(2), 31.
WrightS. (1991). A child-centred approach to singing, movement and playing instruments in early childhood. In WrightS., The arts in early childhood. (pp. 141 – 173). Parramatta: Prentice Hall.
41.
Yun DaiD., & SchaderR. (2001). Parents' reasons and motivations for supporting their child's music training. Roeper Review, 24(1), 23.
