Music Education as part of cognitive and developmental experience
Music Education is an important part of creating well-rounded, educated adults. It touches all learning domains including the psychomotor domain (development of skills), the cognitive domain (the acquisition of knowledge), and the affective domain (the ability to receive, internalize and share what is learned). Music education is considered a fundamental component of human culture and behavior.
Music Education as part of a cultural experience
Music, like language, distinguishes the human species. Sociologists use music as one of the characteristics to determine a culture.
Children will experience music from many different cultures and varying time periods including folk songs from our own cultural heritage.
Music education as part of a life-long process of learning
It is the job of music education in the elementary school to lay the foundation for further music exploration by providing a firm base of knowledge. From reading musical notation in the Treble Clef to a basic knowledge of terms and functions that students will be able to utilize the rest of their life.
Children will have had experience “hitting”, “blowing” and “strumming” an instrument. This allows the children a rudimentary knowledge of any instrument they might like to play in the future. “Hitting” an instrument lays the foundation for the percussion family. “Blowing” an instrument for the woodwind or brass family and “strumming” an instrument for the string family.
Standards in the Music Classroom
- Singing
- Performing on instruments
- Improvising
- Composing
- Reading and notating music
- Listening to and analyzing music
- Evaluating music
- Understanding the relationship between music and the other fine arts
- Understanding the relationship between music and history and culture.
Williamson County incorporates the national standards into a Scope and Sequence that is followed in the music classroom. To view a copy of the WCS standards please log onto the WCS homepage and look under the Teaching and Learning Tab and then Scope and Sequence.