Play first, write (and read) later! The Power of Children’s Invented Music Notations

Wouldn’t we think it odd to require children to learn to read Shakespeare before allowing them to speak? And wouldn’t it be strange if we failed to rejoice in their early efforts at spoken language … “Allgone milk”... and writing (a.k.a. scribbling and invented spellings)?

Then why do we ask them to read Beethoven before they are encouraged to improvise, to simply play? Why do we fail to recognize early musical utterances? And to cultivate invented music notations?

What if we approached the teaching of music in the same ways that language develops naturally and is supported by schooling?

Opportunities to play with the elements of music … Games with names Body orchestra Building music machines Playing clothes Making instruments Singing! Singing! Singing! Improvising with voice and other instruments Accompanying Listening Miss U, don’t take this wrong, or anything, but you are a weird music teacher. Everyone else just teaches music, but you make us invent music. You could probably take two rocks and make music. Have you ever taught music before? In a classroom?

Conversation with a classroom visitor Do you like music? This year we love it. It’s wacko. What do you do in music? Play games, mostly. And we sing songs, and compose. Do you think you learn anything from the games? No, they’re just fun. Well, let’s take the Body Orchestra as an example. Do you learn anything from that? No, it’s just funny. Well… maybe you do learn something about polyphony and texture and beats and how to watch for your part to come in and listening for your part with the other parts and getting louder and softer and stuff. And it helps when you’re singing rounds. But mostly it’s just fun.

Notation Activities Rhythm dictation – “write something down so that you could show a friend what you heard me clap for you.” Working in pairs, with an instrument each, and writing down the composition for another pair of children to play. Notating a familiar melody. Group soundscapes. Mathematical transformations of patterns. Individual compositions – developing standard notation as required. Miss U! I’ve discovered your secret. I know how you compose. You just put together patterns of notes.

And then, maybe you can clap it next week for me or for a friend! Rhythm Dictation I’m going to clap a rhythm for you. I’ll clap it as many times as you’d like to hear it. Your job is to write something down so that you can remember the pattern. And then, maybe you can clap it next week for me or for a friend! I just liked the things we did, you know, like we made our own instruments. Instead of just watching someone else do all the work, you know what I mean?

12 123 12 123 X X X X

Composing and Sharing in Pairs Pick an instrument and find a friend. The two of you are going to compose a piece of music, and write it down. Then, when you’re done, find another pair of students who have finished their composition, too. Trade notations and instruments, and see what happens! “I think we put in too many rests.” “Yeah, and that last note should have been longer.” “Well, let’s edit it.”

Notating a Familiar Melody Do you think you learned anything about composing this year? Not really. Just about the notes. Like when we were doing the machines, everybody made a different noise and it usually sounded pretty good. I think before they volunteered, they planned what sound they were going to make.

Picture a landscape... a forest, a beach, a storm in the winter … Group Soundscapes In the spirit of R. Murray Schafer, and other medieval and contemporary composers… Picture a landscape... a forest, a beach, a storm in the winter … What would that landscape sound like? How can you represent the landscape with a notation? I learned about the basic stuff, like the notes and stuff. It’s a different way of learning here. You learn things here that you don’t learn when you’re sitting with your hands folded.

Iannis Xenakis did it too! Pithoprakta, mm. 52-59.

And Ligeti…

Mathematical Transformations of Patterns This activity is an extension of “playing clothes,” one of the improvisational ways of playing with sound. Children are invited to develop a 5 or 6 note motif, and then to transform it using the transformations common to both mathematics and music (think: Bach fugue). The example is Veronica’s pink sweater, which had the colours: pink pink blue pink pink beige pink pink pink … and became A A’ B A A’ C A A’ A”, accompanied by the skirt, stockings, and shoes (trust me, it will all make sense in a moment…) It’s hard. Like, it’s not like you just learn music in a day and then go on to the next thing. But you gotta practise and keep on going. I learned that from the musical, too. It gave us kids a chance to prove to ourselves that we can do something.

Individual Compositions and the Development of Standard Notation Once students have had a chance to play with sound, with instruments, with notations, and they’ve worked with others, many will naturally gravitate towards writing music on their own. Here are some examples… The need to develop – and standardize – a notational system almost always emerges when children compose their own music.

Standardizing Symbols

Combining Notational Systems

Audience How can you tell they’re different from your music? Well, it isn’t different, but I just showed you. What would happen if you weren’t here? You mean what happened if you weren’t here and you wanted that thingie [meaning the two notes together]? And I was with them? Audience

No, you weren’t with the person either No, you weren’t with the person either. All the person had was your music. You mean you and me were away and I was outside playing baseball? Yes. You mean how would they know not to do this? [plays 2 C sharps in a row]? You see, someone is obviously in the house. What if there was no one in the house? Well, I always come in for a drink, and I’d notice them. I’d come out of the kitchen with my cup full of juice and, um, come in here with my glass, I mean my cup full of juice, and all I’ll do it sort of like, and you know, watch and stuff and sit around and turn around and SHOW them. Audience

Depicting Mood

Power of Notation

Complex Shared Notations

Instrument Dependent Notations

Beatrice’s Compositions Age 5 through 11 years