dr_pretentious: Methods of Musical Instruction

Sarah Avery (

dr_pretentious) wrote,
@ 2008-04-15 22:51:00

Methods of Musical Instruction
I've been bartering teaching time with the Pianist. Now that she's in the middle of her Master's thesis, she's been a grad student too long to be able to afford me, but now that I have a child, I'm happy to rack up credit for hours of one-on-one instruction for him with an expert in the Dalcroze method of early childhood music education. By the time the Pianist graduates, Gareth will be old enough for a first session to make sense.

My husband, who looks gift horses in the mouth so often he has a special set of equine dental mirrors, immediately started researching other methods of early childhood music ed. Okay, I really can't blame him. When he was an undergrad, one of his majors was classical guitar, so his opinion on the subject is bound to be more informed than mine.

One evening, while he was doing web searches, we had this conversation:

DAN:
According to the Kodaly method, we're already doing it all wrong.

ME:
Doing what? We're playing music we like and dancing around with him. What could possibly be wrong with that?

DAN:
Kodaly would say a lot of the music we like is too complex for a child his age to be exposed to. He says a very young child should only be exposed to the folk music of the region he lives in.

ME:
So, in our case, the folk music of New Jersey. Right.

DAN:
I'm drawing a blank here.

ME:
Springsteen and Bon Jovi.

DAN:
Do we have to?

ME:
Which do you think Kodaly would approve of more? "Born to Run" or "Dead or Alive?"

DAN:
I don't know. Which do you think would sound better performed by a full children's choir?

(Post a new comment)

	dragonsong 2008-04-16 03:45 am UTC (link)
	That's awesomely ridiculous. :P And your "breakthrough" with The Pianist sounds disturbingly like some of my sessions with other forestry students, except with fewer alcohol analogies. (Reply to this)

	way too funny for words! doverider 2008-04-16 04:10 am UTC (link)
	You know, some day, I hope to see these stories in a novel by you!! :) Precious!! total giggle fits!!! (Reply to this)

	vgnwtch 2008-04-16 06:45 am UTC (link)
	My husband, who looks gift horses in the mouth so often he has a special set of equine dental mirrors My morning tea was in serious danger of being shot all over the screen, there. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	citabria 2008-04-16 04:36 pm UTC (link)
	My coffee nearly suffered the same fate. So, on another topic entirely, is it okay if I friend you? When I see you reply to something I wonder how things are going back in the UK but rarely follow up by actually asking! I suspect that following your LJ would be more efficient. ;) (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	skyefyr 2008-04-16 04:47 pm UTC (link)
	My tea hit the monitor.... And then there was the ensuing coughing fit.... Good grief Dr.P. What are you trying to do to us? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	vgnwtch 2008-04-17 08:50 am UTC (link)
	She's torturing us with humour and baby-cuteness. Lethal combination. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

And I Would Have Gotten Away With It, Too, If It Weren't For You Meddling Kids

dr_pretentious
2008-04-18 01:35 am UTC (link)

When we eventually do introduce Gareth to tv, we'll probably start with The Backyardigans, which my niece Kate introduced me to. In the Bond movie parody episode, the requisite torture interrogation scene involves a Rube Goldberg tickling device. The penguin character--Bond, of course, because of his natural tuxedo--strains at the straps and says, "Do you think this will make me sing?"

"No," says the villain,"I expect you to laugh. BWAHAHAHAHA!"

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: And I Would Have Gotten Away With It, Too, If It Weren't For You Meddling Kids violet_moon25 2008-04-21 05:10 am UTC (link)
	This morning I got up and my spouse was watching the newest remake of King Kong with our 2 year old (he loves Curious George and apparently wanted to watch the big monkey). The channel was changed before the ape met his demise. So, don't use _us_ as role models. I am not even going to weigh in on the music debate. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	onyxtwilight 2008-04-16 08:23 am UTC (link)
	Oww! You broke my brain! :-) (Reply to this)

	jeneralist 2008-04-16 09:55 am UTC (link)
	Gotta be Springsteen. Well, Springsteen with age-appropriate lyrics, of course. May I suggest "Born to Add," as it appeared on Sesame Street? http://youtube.com/watch?v=dSpbvmmWvjw (Reply to this)(Thread)

	vgnwtch 2008-04-17 08:51 am UTC (link)
	Nonononono!! I swear, I'll never understand the NJ obsession with Springsteen. He's like Dylan: Wrote good songs, should never have been allowed to perform them. Seriously. He just manages to make every song sound the same. 'Dead Or Alive' for the win! (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	jeneralist 2008-04-17 10:44 am UTC (link)
	Ah, that's because -- in my heart of hearts, and to my closest friends, I must admit this -- "Springsteen" isn't about Mr Bruce Springsteen. Springsteen is about Clarence Clemons, The Big Man, who plays some of the best damn sax... (Reply to this)(Parent)

	dr_pretentious 2008-04-18 01:41 am UTC (link)
	Fabulous parody! But I have to say, the quality of the puppetry on Sesame Street just isn't the same as it was in Henson's day. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	oaktavia 2008-04-18 04:13 am UTC (link)
	I totally concur! (Reply to this)(Parent)

	oldsma 2008-04-16 12:24 pm UTC (link)
	This is the kind of worldview I understand. Don't forget Ill Niño MAO (Reply to this)

	louiseroho 2008-04-16 02:55 pm UTC (link)
	AWESOME! Might I suggest The Ramones? I would think that tons of three-chord-punk would be perfectly simple for your widdle-iddum's brain. (Reply to this)(Thread)

	dr_pretentious 2008-04-18 01:53 am UTC (link)
	I think the Ramones would be completely appropriate. The Department of Youth and Family Services might get suspicious, though, if he showed up for kindergarten singing "I Wanna Be Sedated." Come to think of it, sedation would have improved many of my school experiences. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	citabria 2008-04-16 04:37 pm UTC (link)
	Hmm. The Roches are also from NJ -- could be a nice complement to the Springsteen. ;) (Reply to this)(Thread)

	dr_pretentious 2008-04-18 01:55 am UTC (link)
	I love the Roches! More complex than what Kodaly means by the term folk music, but it's wonderful stuff. (Reply to this)(Parent)

reynaud
2008-04-17 04:38 pm UTC (link)

DAN:
Kodaly would say a lot of the music we like is too complex for a child his age to be exposed to. He says a very young child should only be exposed to the folk music of the region he lives in.

Ok, I've some wacko stuff, but this is really out there. Because does this mean that if you were from Vienna, Mozart isn't too complex for him? Does this Kodaly have a clue as to the complexity of certain folk music?

ME:
Springsteen and Bon Jovi.

He's doomed.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

dr_pretentious
2008-04-18 02:00 am UTC (link)

He's doomed, yes, but it's a different doom that's upon him. Not even the awesome pop culture powers of Springsteen and Bon Jovi can save Gareth from geekdom.

We're not attempting the Kodaly method, or any specific method, actually. Having poked around online at the big websites for Kodaly, Dalcroze, Orff, and Suzuki teachers, we went back to...playing stuff we like and dancing around with the kid. His favorite toy is a little four-key piano/xylophone/thingy, which he bangs on with his fists. The closest thing we have to a method is to clap our hands and cheer.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	reynaud 2008-04-18 03:03 am UTC (link)
	He's doomed, yes, but it's a different doom that's upon him. Not even the awesome pop culture powers of Springsteen and Bon Jovi can save Gareth from geekdom. Well, with you for a mother, duh! As for the "methods" of musical training, I think yours in the best. Just show him how to enjoy music! Everything after that is gravy. (Reply to this)(Parent)

	Folk music of New Jersey... oaktavia 2008-04-17 04:40 pm UTC (link)
	Wait! Southside Johnny and the Jukes - they're from Asbury Park area... I love em!! (Reply to this)(Thread)

	Re: Folk music of New Jersey... dr_pretentious 2008-04-18 02:01 am UTC (link)
	They're pretty wonderful. You know my freakish attention span--I could listen to "Walk Away Renee" all day. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	Re: Folk music of New Jersey... oaktavia 2008-04-18 04:12 am UTC (link)
	LOL, yeah... I'm kinda the same way (Scott & Tabitha will go nuts when I play a CD over & over! LOL) I adore their "Trash It Up" album, and would LOVE to have it on CD - but I've only found it on vinyl, and I have no way of playing that. :-( (Reply to this)(Parent)

Folk music emergency

monotreme
2008-04-18 02:25 am UTC (link)

When we lived in DC, we had a folk music hotline, so if you had a folk music emergency at 2 am in the morning, you could just pick up the phone ... "Hello, is this John Gorka? We need you to come and play for my 6 month old really badly."

Seriously though, there's plenty of folk music. There was a great place called Cafe Indigo in Matawan. The New Jersey Folk Festival is next weekend on the Rutgers campus, same time as Ag. Field day.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

	Re: Folk music emergency monotreme 2008-04-18 02:28 am UTC (link)
	Also, I don't remember being as clever as the dialog Sarah writes there, but she certainly cleans me up nicely ;) (Reply to this)(Parent)

	oneberdache 2008-04-22 04:26 pm UTC (link)
	I don't know where the Violent Femmes are from, but Matthew used to bounce the babies on his knee and sing them "Blister In The Sun" at the day care center he worked at, while they were still young enough to not repeat the lyrics, and apparently they all loved it. (Reply to this)

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