Finger Painting With Music
When introducing children to visual art, teachers tend to let them run wild: wacky self-portraits in charcoal, imaginary monster collages, and the most wonderfully chaotic medium of all―finger paint.
But when it comes to music, we tend to take a different approach. We want children to perfect their technique and learn hundreds of songs before they create anything on their own. You could even say that the way we teach children music is more like athletic training than expressive art.
But when it comes to music, we tend to take a different approach. We want children to perfect their technique and learn hundreds of songs before they create anything on their own. You could even say that the way we teach children music is more like athletic training than expressive art.
But what can we do? Kids have to learn to play their instrument, and they have to learn the fundamentals of music before they can do anything expressive on their instrument, right? Otherwise, you would be left with chaos—and a very loud chaos at that.
The fact is that we can let kids unleash their creativity with music without all the noise if we put a few simple guidelines in place.
The fact is that we can let kids unleash their creativity with music without all the noise if we put a few simple guidelines in place.
Materials of Music
Any good art project begins with two very clear parameters: materials (paint, crayons, pencil, etc) and space (usually a piece of paper). Music teachers can do the same.
Good art teachers limit the colors available to students, so that they don’t end up using every color available to them and getting a giant sheet of brownish-purple scribbles. In music, we can limit the materials available to students by only giving them a few notes to work with. Limiting the number of pitches to choose from prevents compositions from turning into an a-melodic mess. And you can make great music using as few as three pitches!
Art teachers have a real advantage over music teachers when it comes to limiting space. Even if they use butcher-block paper, at some point kids physical space is limited. But since music unfolds over time, it is easy for young people (and jam bands) to meander on endlessly with no sense of beginning or end.
Good art teachers limit the colors available to students, so that they don’t end up using every color available to them and getting a giant sheet of brownish-purple scribbles. In music, we can limit the materials available to students by only giving them a few notes to work with. Limiting the number of pitches to choose from prevents compositions from turning into an a-melodic mess. And you can make great music using as few as three pitches!
Art teachers have a real advantage over music teachers when it comes to limiting space. Even if they use butcher-block paper, at some point kids physical space is limited. But since music unfolds over time, it is easy for young people (and jam bands) to meander on endlessly with no sense of beginning or end.
Constrained Space is More Managable
Limiting the space of a musical composition means limiting time. But unnatural time restrictions, say play for thirty seconds, are fairly unmusical in nature. A more effective way to limit musical space while preserving a natural sense of phrasing is to use language. Come up with a short spoken phrase, “I like mac’n’cheese,” for example. Then build your melody only using that phrase.
This will give a natural ebb and flow to the song.
This will give a natural ebb and flow to the song.
One-Sentence Songs
Members of AG4K Kids Club will recognize this technique in the One-Sentence Song and the Power of Five exercises.
Let us know what One-Sentence Songs you're little comes up with.
You'll be surprised by how nice a short song can be. And how often it will get stuck in your head!
Let us know what One-Sentence Songs you're little comes up with.
You'll be surprised by how nice a short song can be. And how often it will get stuck in your head!
