you can throw the vocabulary and assessments in here and there- but it’ s the experience of what music has to offer. And it’ s playing games with your friends that you think are just games, but really I’ m assessing your ability to match pitch, I can assess and help you build all these skills. And it stays with them. Everyone sings. Everyone takes a turn. So, with First Steps, I like the purposeful play, I like the framework, the ability to take the recipe and make it your own--- that allows you to integrate it and make it into whatever is going on in the school. It gives the students, teachers, and parents consistent, friendly language to describe what it means to be a musical person. The parents understand that these are the skills and components that help you build your musical ability. You know, anyone can sing. Here’ s the recipe to help you get there. And so that helps parents to see and understand...
C: They’ re able to see it more from a growth mindset, instead of...
K: Being fixed and saying“ I can or I can not.” It’ s no longer that music is something you can or can not do. Or“ I’ m talented or I’ m not.” It’ s an“ I’ m not there yet. Here are the things I need to do to get there.” And they’ re playing while they’ re doing it. So they don’ t necessarily realize it’ s work until you share with them. When you give them feedback, and you say“ Could you try using more of a singing voice?” It’ s not“ You’ re terrible.” It’ s that“ I noticed that you’ re singing with your speaking voice.”( Which is what many people do, which leads them to think they cannot sing.)“ Oh, when we did Pitch Exploration, I loved that you made your voice go into that head voice place. Could we try it again on our owl / whale voice? Or try it as an echo?”( We have been known to make strange sounds in the music room.) So you’ re giving them the skills that they need, and the feedback they need, and they’ re playing and it just becomes natural. Solo singing is natural. Everyone takes a turn. Isn’ t that great?
C: I loved how you got them excited for that by asking them if they were“ up for a challenge”. And you could see every kid just sitting up a little bit straighter-- just getting ready for that challenge. They wanted it. It was really obvious.
K: And that’ s the growth mindset piece. It’ s really celebrating that this might be out of our comfort zone but we’ re going to try it with a good attitude and if we can’ t do it yet that’ s OK. And I think as adults we forget that their mindset is still developing, and hopefully we can model that experience so that music becomes something that is truly for everyone.
Catherine is MMEA’ s VP of General Music Pre-K-5. You can contact her at mainemmeagmpk5vp @ gmail. com. Look for“ Part Two” of Catherine’ s conversation with Kaitlin in a future edition of the Motif.