Music and Movement in the Regular Classroom, by the Regular Teacher By Marilene Arndt Barreto do Nascimento International School of Curitiba

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1 Music and Movement in the Regular Classroom, by the Regular Teacher By Marilene Arndt Barreto do Nascimento International School of Curitiba With my hands [...], with my feet [...], with my entire body I want to express what is inside of me (author s translation) 1 Movement is a fundamental aspect of Music Education. The German composer Carl Orff claimed for the integration of music and movement, and for the rhythmic connection of these two elements as the basis of a modern Music Education. Orff considered the rhythmic unity of movement, language, and music inherent of the human being, and it was the foundation for his ideals of an Elemental Music Education. According to him, there is a primitive kind of music inside each human being, which ends up disappearing along the years, after being submitted to the impositions of a stereotyped western culture. Music making does not leave out the body, rather uses it to feel and to participate of the music making with all its strength. If on the side of Music Education rhythm is the bond that connects music and movement, professionals in the area of Psychomotricity use musical activities to develop a sense for physical rhythm. Acoustic rhythm is connected to motor rhythm. Rhythm is externalized when the body is able to transform it into movement. 2 According to the Danish Association of Psychomotricity, the field of psychomotricity is the integration of body, mind, awareness, and action. Starting from training the sense for rhythm, further objectives of musical activities include the development of motor coordination, posture, personal expression, communication, and interaction. 1 JUNGMAIR, 1992, p.100. Ich will mit meinen Händen [...], meinen Füssen [...], meinem ganzem Körper all das ausdrücken, was in mir ist. 2 GODALL; HOSPITAL, 2004, p. 353 (author s translation)

2 Leiser 3 points out that we usually think of eyes, ears, mouth, and nose when the sense organs are mentioned. And when we think about the sense of touch, we usually think about our hands, forgetting the skin, which is the organ that covers the entire body and draws it s limit from the world around it. Even less than the skin, we consider organs such as muscles, nerves, tendons, and joints, and finally the inner ear. And exactly these organs, named selfceptive, are the ones that inform the brain about changes that occur within the body, may it be a change in muscular tension or the position of the body in general space. These organs form the kinesthetic sense, as valuable to the smallest locomotor actions as it is to dance. Music in connection with movement takes place in two dimensions: time and space. While performing, a person develops the consciousness of physical space and time span, which is the kinesthetic sense itself, and learns how to regulate movement intensity and speed according to it. Rhythm affects the autonomous nervous system. Even without noticing it, it s actually the tempo that determines if if the music we hear is stimulating or soothing. While an adult has an average heartbeat rate of 72 bpm, the most effective relaxing effect of 60 bpm is found in slow movements of Baroque music, and 72 bpm music increases the suggestability, a state where unconciouss potentials can be strengthened. The somatic effect can be reached using the ticking of a metronome or a clock, but it is best if wrapped in music to reach the vegetative system directly. These effects range from slowing down the heartbeat ( + 5 bpm slower), lowering the blood pressure, and others, while keeping an alert (lucid) state of mind. While many cientists have tried (without success) to prove that learning or even listening to Music increases the intelligence, there are evidences that the study of art develops: reading and language; critical thinking; mathematic skills; 3 ZARIUS, (org.) 1985, p. 84

3 social competences (inter-personal relationships, conflict resolution, cooperation and self-confidence); motivates learning and creates a positive school environment In addition to that, the psychomotor skills stimulated by the association of music and movement are multiple, and they all interfere in the learning process: Body scheme Laterality Spatial organization and structuring Temporal organization and structuring Balance, tonus, and posture Rhythm Attention span Auditive and motor perception Visuomotor coordination Auditory and kinesthetic memory According to Marianne Frostig, "without perception a human being can not receive any message from the environment or respond to it adequately" (Fonseca, 2008, p. 281). Despite Frostig s clear focus in visual perception, what can be understood is that the observation above is adequate to the different perceptual systems, including the auditory system, the tactilekinesthetic and vestibular. Interestingly, Frostig relied on theories of dance (Laban) and music education (Orff, and Dalcroze) when she recommended movement education, and often resorts to European authors, reinforcing the theory of Piaget, that the sensorimotor functions are the early foundation for the development of intelligence. In her opinion, "... education can only be justified if it takes into account the ontological dimension of the human being, why it is impossible to separate movement from thought and motor function from the psyche." (Fonseca, 2008 p. 293)

4 Music & Movement activities are based on active listening, which involves: Observation/perception Body Expression Writing/drawing/gestalting Speaking/singing/playing instruments/manipulating objects It is important to find musical pieces that adapt to this kind of activities. Pieces with welldefined structure, often dances and rondos from the baroque and classical periods are usually easy to apply in the classroom. Still, there is an immense diversity of repertoire that can be explored, and very often the best ideas come from the students, not from the teacher. There are different kinds of possible activities: 1. Pre-choreographed movements, usually focusing on the beat 2. Accompaniment, or orchestration of recorded music, using instruments or body percussion 3. Expressive movement to observe musical contrasts or parameters 4. Free interpretation of musical pieces through stories 5. Circle dances Music & Movement activities stimulate concentration capacity and memory. Practicing these coordinated movement sequences influences body and mind positively. Quoting Marianne Frostig: Movement for growth, growth for learning, learning for life. References: FONSECA, Vitor da. Desenvolvimento Psicomotor e Aprendizagem. Artmed, Porto Alegre; GODAL, Teresa; HOSPITAL, Anna. 150 Propostas de Atividades Motoras para a Educação Infantil. Artmed, Porto Alegre; JUNGMAIR, Ulrike. Das Elementare. Zur Musik- und Bewegungserziehung im Sinne Carl Orffs. Schott, Mainz; 1992.

5 SCHICKE, Christiane. Tanzen in der Schule. Hashual. ZARIUS, Karl-Heinz. (Org.) Musikalische Früherziehung. Grundfragen und Grundlagen. Schott, Mainz; 1985

Grade 3 General Music

Grade 3 General Music Description Music integrates cognitive learning with the affective and psychomotor development of every child. This program is designed to include an active musicmaking approach to