September/October 2002
Feature Articles
Holistic Health Q & A
by John DeCosmo, D.O.
Of genes and gene testing and evaluation.
What is... the Organic Movement?
by Robert Roman
Part two of a three-part article detailing
the author's personal experiences and the growth of the organic movement.
UnCommon Sense!
by David Findlay
War - Iraq - Should we remove Saddam
Hussein?
Articles on the theme "The Learning Process"
A Basket Weaver
by Lou Galgano
An example of how one artist learns
and teaches what he knows.
Getting "It"
by Lewis Fishman
Using "it" as an inspiration
to learn.
Learning Without Harm
by Barbara Bedingfiled
How intellectualism has negatively
influenced our education of the young - and how to counter this.
Music and Movement, and Learning
by Bob and Claire Franki
How the combination of music with movement
from age zero not only facilitates musicianship but increases coordination
and learning.
September 12
by Janet Kato
A moment when the learning process
became the healing process
Learning From Everything
by Patrick Plaskett
Learning from life - from both the
"good" and the "bad."
Learning From Other Cultures
by Dr. Jean Houston
The birth of the Planetary Human
The Relationship Learning Process
by Bob Murray, Ph.D.
How our problems stem from failed relationships;
how to make good ones.
Music and Movement, and Learning
by Bob & Claire Franki
When our daughter Nicole was born, we read about all the benefits of music in terms of brain development and learning. We were both trained in classical music so we wanted to expose Nicole to classical music as soon as possible. We knew that the earlier she learned music the better her chances of becoming a good musician. Soon after her birth, we bought classical music CDs aimed to stimulate a baby's mind, and played them everyday. We didn't know what else to do with the music but to play it in the background of our daily lives. We hoped she was absorbing this wonderful music but we had difficulty determining how much of it she was learning. However, once we took her to classes that combined music and movement, we saw that she was indeed learning the songs through the physical and vocal interaction. We realized when Nicole was listening to the classical music "passively" it was not making a big impression. We needed to get her whole body involved in processing the music, not just her ears. We needed to add movement to the music.
One can find the roots of these music and movement programs in eurythmics which promotes a natural, instinctual, physical and vocal interaction between children and music.
Experts in learning and brain development agree that adding movement to music provides an ideal environment for learning. Music and movement come naturally to children. Even before they can walk, babies will clap hands or balance themselves while bouncing giddily to the rhythm of a song. Toddlers learn to sing as they learn to walk and talk. By observation and imitation, children instinctively acquire the basics of rhythm, melody, dynamics and verse through running, skipping, galloping, tiptoeing, dancing, clapping, singing and playing percussion instruments to complementary music accompaniments. When children learn a song, a musical instrument, or a dance step, they are experiencing an integration of body and mind. "Whole body learning" enhances sensory-motor integration which is important for skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics. When movement is added to music, both the internal and external stimuli for brain development work together to boost learning in a fun and natural way.
Using Nicole and her pre-school friends as our inspiration and test subjects, we began to develop movement activities that fit the mood of classical masterpieces. In the process we discovered something almost magical. Children instinctively comprehend the entire range of emotions projected by classical music. They glide with flowing silk scarves to the grace and beauty of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake. They straighten up and stomp to the marching beat of Bizet's Marche du Toreador. They ride on galloping horses to Rossini's William Tell Overture, and buzz busily as worker bee-children, to Rimsky-Korsakov's Flight of the Bumblebee. In addition, adding "Shake, shake, shake, I like to shake my egg" lyrics and an egg shaker to Mozart's Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, creates an instant whole body musical experience. The primary goal of our work is to get children to know classical music. Adding activities to classical pieces often promotes immediate recognition upon the next hearing. Many children remember the "Swan," "Marching," "Horsie," "Bee" and "Shake My Egg" songs from the first playing on. In fact, when we make occasional substitutions in the pieces we play, the children pick up on it immediately and remind us of what we skipped.
Music is fun and exciting when it is experienced through movement. As children learn to use their bodies to express the music they hear, their imagination soars to a new level. Too often when a young child starts to learn a musical instrument, he focuses on the fingering and other technical aspects but misses the musical elements of rhythm and phrasing. In order to sustain the long and rigorous process of mastering an instrument, children have to learn the joy of music. Without the fun, they will probably just go through the motions of playing at their lesson, not wanting to practice, and quit playing before they give themselves a chance. If they start with whole body learning, moving to music, developing their listening skills, and becoming inspired by music, they will naturally want to play.
As parents we want the best for our children, and our primary concerns are health, happiness and education. Yet our schools seem to be failing us. In an effort to increase standardized test scores our elementary school children are losing their art, music and physical education classes. Our preschools concentrate on rote learning instead of nurturing imagination and creativity through listening and self-expression. Are these widespread changes benefiting our children? We don't think so. There are tangible benefits to music and learning. Music helps the learning process by inspiring children to be imaginative and creative. Having an artistic outlet will inspire their desire to learn about history, art, culture, and peoples and the world. They will learn to be well-rounded individuals with their own tastes and aesthetics, making them less likely to be influenced by commercial media and advertising.
Bob and Claire Franki are the creators of "Classical Music Kids," a music and movement program for 0-to-7-year-olds, based in Clearwater FL. (727) 791-4925. info@cmkids.org
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