Report on research findings for SNAP (Scottish Network for Able Pupils) project

 

Pete Stollery - Northern College, Aberdeen

 

 

ABLE LEARNERS IN THE MUSIC CLASSROOM

 

What is musical ability?

A musically able child is one who is said to exhibit ability in one or more aspects of music over and above that which is normally expected from a child of that age. Musical ability itself can be viewed as a continuum. As we move along this continuum we encounter children with increasing abilities in many aspects of music, but because it is a continuum, teachers are in a position to be able to cater for all of these abilities in the classroom. Don Skinner suggests:

It is time to stop thinking of gifted persons as some special category of being detectable by tests of creativity, IQ or giftedness checklists. Instead we should adopt an optimistic view of the learner and assume...that 95 percent of our children rather than just 5 percent can become gifted.

The lack of challenge for more able pupils was a major concern during the establishment of the 5-14 initiative, with the 5-14 National Guidelines exhorting development and progress for all pupils and issues of differentiation, now more than ever, being integral to planning in schools. What is certain is that the musically able should not have to "look after themselves" and that equality of opportunity for all pupils should be available.

 

Can musical excellence be taught?

History provides us with many examples of musical excellence. Much has been written about the performing and composing exploits of the young Mozart and it is easy to assume that he must have been inherently different from the rest of us. However, referring to the intense musical training which Mozart received from his father, Michael Howe states that:

..the mature Mozart would have benefited from a musical education extending to at least twenty or thirty thousand hours.

Howe's conclusions are that:

...when young children are given better-than-average opportunities to learn, they make better-than-average progress.

John Sloboda suggests that musical growth and the factors which encourage or inhibit this growth can be illustrated using what he refers to as four "myths" grouped as two opposing pairs:

 

what a musician must do

 

the myth of precocity

to become excellent, one has to be excellent to start off with.

the myth of diligence

hard work and determination will eventually lead to excellence

 

what a musician must have

 

the myth of intelligence

musical excellence is achievable only by those with innate ability

the myth of education

musical excellence can be arrived at by formal training from experienced musicians

 

Sloboda's view is that none of these myths is fully supported by evidence and that by allying oneself to only one particular myth could be detrimental to musical growth.

 

How can we identify musically able pupils and how can we provide for them?

A commonly held assumption is that teachers should first of all identify musically gifted pupils by auditioning and/or testing and only then set about providing for them. This enables teachers to recognise only those who already exhibit some higher level of ability in music.

But what about those pupils who don't yet overtly exhibit ability? The DES report Gifted Children in Middle and Comprehensive Schools (DES, 1977) states that:

...in some subjects there must be provision before identification can take place.

This is certainly true for music. Teachers need to provide an environment where musical expression, in all its forms, can take place for all pupils, thus allowing teachers to be able to identify those with potential ability as well as those who already possess ability. Janet Mills states:

...the "best" environment is probably the one that most of us are striving to achieve for the general good of all our pupils anyway; with all pupils enjoying school music and motivated to develop their musical awareness, experience and enjoyment.

There is also a tendency to restrict the identification of musical ability to performing activities alone. Ability in performing is easier to identify than in other aspects of music and often talent in these other aspects goes unrecognised.

Provision to allow for identification in all aspects of music might include the following:

 

PERFORMING

• widening pupils' knowledge of instruments through more active listening.

• giving more pupils more opportunities to try out different instruments for themselves.

• encouraging pupils who already play instruments to use them in class music activities as a matter of course rather than merely on special occasions.

CREATING

• setting projects which allow pupils to exploit more fully their imagination and experience.

• setting projects which allow pupils to respond to a greater extent at their own level of ability.

LISTENING

• giving more emphasis to activities such as singing, which develops aural skills.

• allowing exposure to the widest possible variety of musical forms.

COMMUNICATING

• giving pupils opportunities to express themselves coherently about music and to demonstrate powers of insight.

 

Identification is an ongoing process, but once pupils have been identified as musically able, further provision can be given to them through enrichment. Pupils completing tasks more quickly than other members of the class would be expected to undertake another activity. It is important, however, that further tasks are not merely "more of the same". Enrichment should be seen as extension work which allows for pupils to delve deeper into a topic.

 

What can be done to encourage all pupils and, at the same time, to provide for the most able?

In order to provide opportunities for pupils to learn more about musical instruments, one Aberdeen secondary school now requires that all S2 pupils learn to play two different instruments. For some these could be instruments which they already learn outside school and for others they could be instruments which they have been made aware of at school (drum kit, keyboard, tuned percussion, etc.). The classroom is an arena where all musical influences and activities from outside the school can come together to the mutual benefit of all pupils.

Research at the school has shown that pupils entering the first year of Standard Grade are not only better prepared in solo performing, but also exhibit a more advanced aural ability. Less able pupils have also thrived from exposure to members of their peer group performing on a wide variety of instruments to a high standard. Because instruments learned outside school hours and through other agencies are a regular feature in music lessons, more able pupils enrich not only themselves but also their peers, through regular involvement in multi-level ensemble work, with pupils taking responsibility for rehearsing and leading ensembles in performance.

Work done in the area of inventing needs to be carefully planned. Projects set need to be delivered in a flexible manner and be relevant to all pupils, taking into account skills acquired in prior learning both in and outside the school music curriculum. Whatever the nature of the project, pupils must be given the opportunity to express themselves according to their own ability and experience. A composition assignment as part of a project on Blues should yield differing results from a pupil with six years experience of playing guitar in a rock band and one with no such experience.

Inventing assignments need not always be tied to specific themes or units of work. There should be freedom of choice to allow pupils to use their imaginations more fully and not always be restricted through the laying down of unnecessary rules. All levels of ability are catered for when an approach to the teaching of composition consists not only of pupils acquiring skills through composing in styles dictated by the teacher, but particularly with teachers being able to give advice on creative ideas emanating from the pupils themselves.

Aural ability is significantly developed when pupils are allowed to compose and arrange for the different instruments and instrumental combinations available in their class. This is further enhanced when pupils are exposed to a broader range of musical styles and where teachers show empathy with the styles and musical genres which appeal to the pupils themselves. Pupils should be encouraged at all times to express themselves coherently about all types of music. They should be encouraged to bring music into the class which they listen to at home and demonstrate powers of insight, leading to an ability to discuss less familiar styles of music with increasing confidence.

 

Conclusions

Some might argue that assessment systems currently in place do not cater for able pupils. What is important, however, is for teachers to provide their pupils with an enriching and rewarding experience in music, with more emphasis on the experience and less on resulting assessment requirements; this approach would then allow for all pupils, regardless of where they lie on the ability continuum, to perform to their highest expectations.

has produced a list of conditions, the more of which are fulfilled, the more opportunity, he believes, there is for musical growth to take place:

• frequent exposure to a variety of musical forms from an early age.

• the opportunity to freely explore a musical medium over an extended time-span.

• the early opportunity to experience intense positive emotional or aesthetic states in response to music.

• the absence of threat or anxiety arising from the context of the music.

• resources for extended engagement with music (including time, economic support, social support, etc.).

• motivation for musical activity.

To allow for this does not demand great change from music teachers, merely the realisation that provision can be made for able learners in music using current teaching methodologies.

We shall not separate out the "gifted" for enrichment classes. Instead we shall ensure that the whole curriculum is rich enough for all to pursue giftedness. This will, of course, require teachers with a deep subject knowledge, an ability to handle differentiation and a clear grasp of the role of education

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BRIDGES, S. (1973). IQ-150. London: Priory Press.

[back]DES (1977) Gifted Children in Middle and Comprehensive Schools. London: HMSO.

GEORGE, D. (1992) The Challenge of the Able Child. London: David Fulton.

[back]HOWE, M.J.A. (1990) Sense and Nonsense about Hothouse Children. London: BPS Books

MILLS, J. (1985). Gifted instrumentalists: How can we recognise them? British Journal of Music Education, 2, 39-49

MORRICE, P (1993) Can Giftedness be Defined? Unpublished MEd thesis. University of Edinburgh.

PICKARD, P. M. (1976) If You Think Your Child is Gifted. London: Allen and Unwin.

[back]SKINNER, D. (1991) Mozarts in our Midst? Times Educational Supplement (06/xii/91)

[back]SLOBODA, J.A. (1990) Musical Excellence - How Does it Develop? In M.J.A. Howe (Ed.) Encouraging the Development of Exceptional Skills and Talents. London: BPS Books.

SOED. (1993) The Education of Able Pupils P6-S2. Edinburgh: SOED.

VERNON, P.E., Adamson, G., Vernon, D.F. (1977) The Psychology and Education of Gifted Children. London: Methuen & Co.