1 An Introduction to Elementary Music
Martina Vasil
You may have vague memories of elementary music or perhaps you never had music at the elementary level (some states, like California, do not mandate it). Typically called “general music”, the purpose of this sort of class is to provide a music foundation for all students, and is compulsory (required) in most states in the United States for grades K–5 in public schools. This first chapter provides you with a little bit of the history of general music in schools and review the purposes and aims of general music that most teachers and researchers would agree upon. Next, we dig deeper into who you are so that you can learn best how to know your students. As Aristotle said, Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.
A Brief History
What is known today as “general music” began at the turn of the 20th century (early 1900s) in one-room school houses, where the teacher would often play at the piano and lead songs for a portion of the day. The 1930–50s saw an increase in popularity of the “rhythm bands”, where the teacher would put on a record and students would march and play the beat on simple hand-held percussion instruments, such as triangles and hand drums. Children would sometimes conduct the class playing instruments on the beat. Square dancing soon became a fad and the 1960s–70s saw the introduction of “contemporary” approaches to teaching music to children, which included the Dalcroze, Kodaly, and Orff approaches that centered music, movement, literacy, and creativity (more on those later in the book). The 1990s saw an influx of interest in multi-cultural music, and world music drumming programs became popular. In the past 20 years, ukuleles and the integration of popular music has risen, particularly with a type of class, “modern band”, which centers student-preferred music and uses instruments such as guitar, electric bass and guitar, drumkits, vocals, and computer. In other words, general music has evolved from singing only, to a multi-faceted experience of singing, moving, playing, and creating.
Aims and Purposes of General Music
Over the years, the aims and purposes of general music have shifted, depending on the political and socio-cultural climate. Here are a few examples of what teachers thought during different periods of times.
- To encourage lifelong musicianship of the individual
- To use music as a tool for promoting nationalism and bettering society
- To improve the overall musicianship of the individual
- To improve music literacy and preserve cultural tradition
- To help students explore their social and emotional skills
You may have your own ideas about what the aims and purposes of general music should be, but know that you may face pressures from your state, school, and community. Remember that you are the expert with the music education degree, and ultimately, it is up to you to see who you are teaching and meet their needs to help them learn. You should be ready to arti