Children s Music Journey: The Development of an Interactive Software Solution for Early Childhood Music Education

Transcription

1 Children s Music Journey: The Development of an Interactive Software Solution for Early Childhood Music Education IAN MCKINNON Adventus Interactive, Halifax, NS, Canada Music is recognized as a fundamental component in the education of the individual. Despite this fact, support and funding for music programs in public schools across North America continues to decline. This article discusses the benefits of music education on the development of the young mind and outlines the development of an interactive software program called Children s Music Journey to deliver affordable and pedagogically rigorous music education to children everywhere. Categories and Subject Descriptors: H.5.5 [Information Interfaces and Presentation]: Sound and Music Computing; J.5 [Computer Applications]: Arts and Humanities--performing arts (music); K.3.1 [Computers and Education]: Computer Uses in Education--Computer-managed instruction (CMI); D.m [Software]: Miscellaneous General Terms: Design, Human Factors, Documentation, Measurement, Performance, Reliability Additional Key Words and Phrases: Music, children, music education, learning, interactive music, interactive music learning, MIDI, piano, keyboard, music software, music programs, children's music, children's music journey, improvisation AN ARGUMENT FOR EARLY MUSIC EDUCATION The benefits of quality music education are immense. Beyond the sheer joy that children experience in making music, studies over the past decade have shown us some amazing things about music and the development of young minds. Study after study has demonstrated that the process of learning to read and play music actually stimulates important areas of the brain. This can lead to accelerated rates of learning in math, science, and reading which, in turn, result in improved attitudes towards learning and better behavior in school. The following is a sampling of the research that is currently available. ENHANCES HIGHER BRAIN FUNCTION Music lessons have been shown to improve a child's performance in school. A research team exploring the link between music and intelligence reports that music training - specifically piano instruction - is far superior to computer instruction in dramatically enhancing children's abstract reasoning skills that are necessary for learning math and science. This experiment included three groups of preschoolers: (1) one group received private piano/keyboard and singing lessons; (2) a second group received private computer lessons; and (3) a third group received no training. Permission to make digital/hard copy of part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that the copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage, the copyright notice, the title of the publication, and its date of appear, and notice is given that copying is by permission of the ACM, Inc. To copy otherwise, to republish, to post on servers, or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. Permission may be requested from the Publications Dept., ACM, Inc., 1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, USA, fax:+1(212) , permissions@acm.org 2005 ACM /05/1000-ART4A $5.00 ARTICLE 4A

2 2 I. McKinnon After six months, those children who received piano/keyboard training performed 34% higher on tests measuring spatial-temporal ability than the others. These findings indicate that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, science, and engineering. 1 Improves Reading & Math Performances A research team studying first graders from two Rhode Island, US elementary schools found that students who participated in an "enriched, sequential skill building music program" dramatically increased their math and reading performance. 2 Music study can help children understand advanced math concepts. A grasp of proportional math and fractions is a prerequisite to math at higher levels and children who do not master these areas cannot understand more advanced math critical to hightech fields. Music involves ratios, fractions, proportions and thinking in space and time. Second-grade students were given four months of piano keyboard training in addition to use of a newly designed math software program. The group scored over 27% higher on proportional math and fractions tests than children who used only the math software. 3 Provides Important Experiences Musical activities provide children with important experiences that can help them develop physical coordination, timing, memory, visual, aural and language skills. When they work to increase their command of music and exercise musical skills in the company of others, they gain important experience with self-paced learning, mental concentration and a heightened personal and social awareness. 4 Linked to Scholarly Success Data from the US showed that music participants received more academic honors and awards than non-music students and that the percentage of music participants receiving grades of A, A/B, and B was higher than the percentage of non-participants receiving those grades. 5 A ten-year study tracking more than 25,000 students shows that music-making improves test scores. Regardless of socioeconomic background, music-making students get higher marks in standardized tests than those who had no music involvement. The test scores studied were not only in standardized tests, such as the SAT (school admission test), but also in reading proficiency exams. 6 The world's top academic countries place a high value on music education. Hungary, Netherlands and Japan stand atop worldwide science achievement and share a strong commitment to music education. All three countries have required music training at the elementary and middle school levels, both instrumental and vocal, for several decades. The centrality of music education to learning in the top-ranked countries seems to contradict the United States' focus on math, science, vocabulary and technology. 7 1 Neurological Research, Feb. 1997; Shaw, Rauscher, et al. 2 Nature, May 23, 1996; Gardiner, Fox Jeffery and Knowles. 3 Neurological Research, March, "Music and Your Child," American Music Conference publication; Frank R. Wilson, M.D., Associate Clinical Professor of Neurology - University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco. 5 National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 First Follow-Up (1990), U.S. Department of Education. 6 Dr. James Catterall, UCLA, International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IAEEA) Test.

3 Children s Music Journey 3 The Realities of Music Education Despite the overwhelming evidence supporting the many benefits of early childhood music education, the unfortunate reality is that the vast majority of North American children do not experience anything close to a rigorous music program. Music education in many public school jurisdictions has been downgraded to insignificant or non-existent. A big reason for this is expense. Even programs with modest objectives are expensive to maintain. This leaves parents facing private lessons for their children, and these are out of reach financially for a large portion of the population. Another factor is the musical background of the parents themselves. Parents who did not benefit from quality music education are less likely to encourage their children in this direction. Establishing the Keys to Achievement Foundation Dissatisfied with the state of music education in US elementary schools, concert pianist and music educator David Arden established the Keys to Achievement Foundation in 2000 with the goal of providing in-school early-grade music keyboard instruction for all children in all communities. To reach this goal Keys to Achievement Foundation settled on the need for an advanced, interactive, self-paced software program. This software would be used in school computer labs with a MIDI piano keyboard and headset connected to each computer. Students would receive two 30 minute computer sessions per week moving through progressive lessons as built-in evaluation mechanisms provide immediate feedback and track progress. Prior to this initiative, however, no software had been developed which was appropriate for early-age beginners. The Keys to Achievement Foundation surveyed software companies around the world with experience in developing interactive music learning software. Eventually the Foundation chose to develop a partnership with Adventus Interactive based on its strong track record in that specialty and, in particular, its leading music learning software product, Piano Suite Premier. The Keys to Achievement Advisory Board includes: Pierre Boulez - Composer & Conductor James Catterall - Professor of Education, UCLA Chuck Monte - Inventor/Developer, Miracle Piano System Guerrino De Luca - CEO, Logitech Steve Reich - Composer Andre Watts - Concert Pianist Steven Burrill - CEO, Burrill & Company Kenneth Ford - Director, Institute for Human and Machine Cognition Peter Serkin - Concert pianist & Julliard School Faculty In Memorium, Earle Brown - Composer In Memorium, Isaac Stern - Concert Violinist Keys to Achievement Foundation website Partnering with Adventus Interactive Based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, Adventus Interactive is a world leader in the development of music learning software. Over the past decade the company has developed a series of innovative interactive music learning tools that use a music

4 4 I. McKinnon keyboard connected to a computer. The computer presents music concepts and provides immediate and meaningful feedback on student performance. This feedback, combined with a variety of music pieces and activities, ensure that lessons and practice sessions are enjoyable and effective. Adventus' flagship product is Piano Suite Premier - interactive music learning software aimed at piano students eight and up, for either home or classroom use. Piano Suite was voted "Best in Class" by the International Society for Technology in Education. The company recently released Piano Suite Online, an upgrade for Piano Suite Premier which allows students to receive lessons from qualified instructors via the Internet. Students use Piano Suite Premier interactive software to enjoy quality practices between lessons. Adventus is working in partnership with the leading music conservatory in its area, Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts along with the leading internet service provider, Aliant, in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada to refine Piano Suite Online s individual and group lessons process. The Development of Children's Music Journey Starting in 2001, Adventus Interactive worked very closely with David Arden and the Keys to Achievement Foundation to develop interactive music learning software for young children. The end product is Children's Music Journey, a three year animated interactive music learning program specifically designed for ages four to eight, or the first three years of school. By the time children reach grade two, they will have gained a broad understanding of music concepts, will be able to read music, play piano with both hands and compose their own music. They will be ready to learn to play other instruments, and they will be more eager and capable learners. The development team embraced established music education learning methodology in designing the software. Program Overview The main menu provides the choice of five options: 1. The Lesson Room 2. The Practice Room 3. The Games Room 4. The Improvisation Room 5. The Library

5 Children s Music Journey 5 The Lesson Room The Lesson Room is the starting point for each level of Children's Music Journey. Students begin each lesson receiving instruction from an animated Beethoven, Scott Joplin, Fanny Mendelssohn or other famous composer. Lessons are interactive and entertaining. In the lesson room, students are introduced to a wide range of important music concepts. Activities include reviewing previously learned material, the presentation of new music theory, learning to play new songs, composing new songs and practicing rhythm patterns. In normal mode (vs. free and strict modes), this stage must be completed before the student can continue to games, practice or improvisation. Lessons also incorporate a creative component and opportunities to play music games. The Practice Room The Practice Room teacher, Miss Melody, provides a thorough review of material introduced in the lesson room. In normal mode, students must complete the Practice Room before they can continue to the next level. Miss Melody reviews concepts from the previous lesson and practices each song learned in the lesson twice with the student. The first attempt allows the student to work their way through the piece note by note until they reach the end, providing corrections and feedback as necessary. Following this, the student is asked to play the song again

6 6 I. McKinnon with as few mistakes as possible. The student is asked to repeat sections of the song if they make too many errors in their performance. The Games Room Children's Music Journey includes mini-games like Catch the Note pictured here which are designed to reinforce the concepts learned in the Lesson Room. Prior to playing Catch the Note game, students would be introduced to the concepts of high bird notes, low whale notes and man in the boat middle C. Students catch the musical notes as they pass between the buoys on the screen by playing the correct note on the piano keyboard. Students catch 15 notes to proceed to the next level. In normal mode, only games and levels that are appropriate to the material covered in the current lesson can be played. The Improvisation Room The improvisation room allows students to create their own music to a variety of background musictracks. Students can record and save their work to play back at a later time in the library. It is important for each student to spend unstructured or "free" time in this area, experimenting in the creation of music in conjunction with the background

7 Children s Music Journey 7 tracks. Over time this will develop into an ability to improvise with different styles of music, a valuable ability for any musician. Students can change their instrument sound by selecting any of the buttons along the left of the screen. The software also allows the student to change instrument during an improvisation if they wish. The Library The library provides useful resources for review and further learning. There are four main functional areas inside the library, each explained in the sections below. The purpose of the library is to give each student an opportunity to develop a feeling of familiarity with specific music, and music concepts. 1. Learn to Play Piano Pieces allow students to gain skill at specific pieces in the Music Computer area. Students who complete the lesson ahead of other students can apply their skills to master a new piece. This can increase student interest and develop a confidence in reading and performing music. 2. The Improvisation Archive allows a student to listen to their saved improvised pieces, which gives them a chance to show their creation to others, and to improve on their work over time.

8 8 I. McKinnon 3. The World of Music symbolized by the globe allows a student to gain a listening repertoire, including some of the world s greatest pieces of all time. These recordings will expose students to several important genres of music. 4. The Lessons and Practice Book is useful for review by students who need a reminder of specific theory concepts. Review of these concepts is another means of developing confidence in the reading an understanding of music. CHILDREN S MUSIC JOURNEY COURSE OUTLINE The following is an outline of the full three year Children s Music Journey program. Year 1: 25 Units Year 2: 35 Units Year 3: 35 Units Pitch and Notation The musical staff and notation system evolves over the course of the first year to reflect the progression from relative pitch patterns to specific pitches. Children s Music Journey begins by introducing the concept of relative pitch. This is initially presented in a pictorial format, with bird symbols representing high notes, and whale symbols representing low notes. The only specific pitch that is introduced initially is middle C. In the first ten units, students are introduced to the concept of directional note sequences ascending and descending from and to middle C. The idea of double notes (playing two notes simultaneously with both hands) is also addressed at this stage. By the end of the fourth lesson, the pictorial notation gives way to un-stemmed note heads, and later in the year to regular stemmed notation. In lesson eleven, finger numbers are introduced, and over the course of the next few lessons, students are versed in middle C position, learning to play simple, recognizable tunes by finger number. Students are also introduced to the concept of musical steps, which is further reflected in the notation system. The simple one-line staff (marking middle C) that appears at the start of Children s Music Journey gains additional lines on either side as students learn to step further and further from middle C. By the end of the first year, students are working with a five line staff, where the central, bold line marks middle C. At the beginning of year two, the middle C line is peeled away and additional lines added to reach the grand staff. In the final ten lessons of year one, students are introduced to the musical alphabet, which is then related directly to the keys on the keyboard in middle C position. Once the grand staff has been introduced at the start of year two, students are gradually taught the notation of the notes in middle C position, working outwards from middle C. By the end of year two, students are learning songs for both hands simultaneously. Sharps, flats and naturals are first seen at the start of year three. Students move to notation of the standard C position, and at the same time, students practice reading and understanding intervals of 2nds through 5ths. Students then move on to the notation of G position, then finally to a moving hand position, after which key signatures are introduced. Rhythm Students are first introduced to the concepts of rhythm at the beginning of the first year in lesson three. This initially takes the form of repeating simple four count patterns of quarter and eighth notes, based at first on word patterns, and later by counting numbers (e.g. 1 2& 3 4&). Sustaining notes are introduced in lesson six. When introduced, holding

9 Children s Music Journey 9 notes appear as a note-head followed by numbers representing the counts that they should be held for. Towards the end of year one, the correct notation of half and whole notes are introduced. Year two further reinforces rhythmic understanding with rhythm tapping, where students repeat notated rhythmic patterns, which expand as further concepts are introduced. Dotted half notes are introduced at the start of year two, followed in lesson 34 by the introduction of bar lines and time signatures. While rhythmic assessment is designed to be reasonably flexible, it is at this point that continuity and consistency of tempo become more important in terms of assessment. Quarter, half and whole note rests follow by lesson 50. Notated eighth notes are introduced shortly after this point, along with ties. Dotted quarter/eighth note patterns appear in the third year. Summary By the end of the three years, the following concepts have been addressed in this order. Year 1 - High notes, low notes and middle C - Repeating short rhythmic patterns - Variety of great piano works presented with some history - Directional note sequences descending/ascending from/to middle C - Double notes - Holding notes - Finger numbers - Middle C position (either by stepwise movement, or finger number) - Stepping notes - Musical alphabet - Keyboard letter names - Half notes and whole notes Year 2 - Dotted half notes - Grand staff, treble and bass clef - Progressive history of music with notable compositions - Notation of middle C position notes - Time signatures and bar lines - Tempo, and Italian terms: andante, allegro, moderato - Dynamics f, mf, mp, p - Repeat sign - Rests - Playing hands together - Eighth notes - Ties Year 3 - Sharps, flats and naturals - Music history with examples continued - Notation of standard C position - Staccato, legato, Accents, Fermata

10 10 I. McKinnon - Increase range and diversity of repertoire - Dotted quarter/eighth note patterns - Intervals of 2 nd, 3 rd, 4 th and 5 th - Notation of G position - Introduction of orchestra instruments - Moving hand positions - Key signatures SCHOOL PILOT PROGRAMS In November 2004, Children s Music Journey pilot programs began in two inner city schools in Los Angeles and San Francisco under the guidance of the Keys to Achievement Foundation. The pilots have been attracting media attention (link to San Francisco Chronicle article) due to the promise they hold for advancing the cause of early music education. These pilots will form the center of a three year outcomes evaluation study, led by UCLA Professor of Education, Dr. James Catterall. The Nova Scotia Dept. of Education in Canada will also lead a five school pilot beginning in September The Keys to Achievement Foundation is currently fundraising to speed the adoption of this program in US public schools. Children's Music Journey software, bundled with a midi keyboard and cable, will be in the range of $200 per computer station. Total cost of implementation of this program in a 25 station school lab, including software, keyboards, cables, and support, would be in the $5000 range. Considering the benefits, this is a relatively small one-time cost. For more information on Children s Music Journey, contact Adventus at , or visit: For more information on Keys to Achievement Foundation visit: Children's Music Journey introductory video (click for link) Received June 2005; accepted August 2005.