instructor

Jerry Kerlin, PhD

office: Music Building, Room 28

office telephone: (914) 323-5256

email: kerlinj@mville.edu

office hours:

• Tuesday 12:30–2:00p

• Thursday 7:00–8:30p

course location
 and time

Music Building, Room 7

Thursday 4:20–6:50p

prerequisites

Limited to music education majors or by special permission.

course description

Manhattanville College Catalogue 2005–2007, page 87:

“MUE 3054.01/5054.01: Methods for Early Childhood/Childhood Music* (3 cr.)

Philosophy and praxis of the transmission (teaching and learning) of music by students preschool through fourth grade. Emphasis on the work of Émile Jaques-Dalcroze, Zoltán Kodály, and Carl Orff. Training of the body (thinking, feeling, moving) through musicing—from traditional (folk) musics and dance leading to musics and dance of the world (including Western art music and other composed musics). Pedagogy and performance on the soprano (descant) and alto (treble) recorders in preparation for experience on the chest of recorders. Use of the Orff instrumentarium and traditional instruments in the classroom. Music oracy to literacy for children by design of curricular sequencing of music elements and domains using the tools of rhythm syllables and movable tonic solfege. Curriculum projects using five curriculum parts—beginning point, song list, yearly flow chart, daily lesson plan, and activity plan (strategy). Choral literature and its pedagogy for young voices. In-class teaching with critique. Ten hours of observation of preschool and elementary musician-educators required. Additional assignments for graduate students (MUE 5054): Readings of monographs and articles about current debates in music education; reaction papers to these readings assigned. Prerequisite: Open to music education majors or others by permission of the Department. Should be completed as a preparation for EDU 3387 and EDU 5406/8: Student Teaching and Seminar: Music. (Fall)”

(*not liberal arts)

required texts 

• Bolkovac, Edward, and Judith Johnson, eds. 1996. 150 Rounds: For Singing and Teaching. New York: Boosey and Hawkes. ISMN: M051808601. 

• Choksy, Lois. 1974/1999. The Kodály Method I: Comprehensive Music Education. 3^rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0-13-949165-1. 

• Forrai, Katalin. 1998. Music in Preschool. 2^nd expanded ed. Translated and adapted by Jean Sinor. Judith Johnson, Director, Clayfield School of Music, 46 Emma Street, Wooloowin, Brisbane 4030, Australia. Telephone/facsimile: 617 3857 27955. Email: judith.johnson@mailbox.uq.edu.au

required texts and
instruments for
recorder study 

• Orr, Hugh. 1961. Basic Recorder Technique: Alto, Volume 1. Toronto: Berandol Music  

Limited. ASIN: B7HVMDU. Text for the alto (treble) recorder. 

• Rosenberg, Steve. 1976. Recorder Playing, Volume I. New York: Boosey and Hawkes. 

ISMN: M060022814 Text for the soprano (descant) recorder. 

Soprano (descant) and alto (treble) recorders:

Students may use recorders they own. Students may also purchase soprano (descant) and alto (treble) recorders. Baroque or English fingering system required. Experienced players should bring their recorders to the first class. Recorders may be ordered from:

• Courtly Music Unlimited; The Pillars; 3785 Main Street; Warrensburg, New York 12885-1623;

(800) 274-2443; fax: (518) 623-2869 (price quotations below).

• Sweet Pipes; 23 Scholar Lane; Levittown, New York 11756;  (516) 796-4140.

• West Music Company; Post Office Box 5521; Coralville, Iowa 52241; (800) 397-9378;

fax: (319) 351-9318.

• RECOMMENDED PERFORMANCE INSTRUMENTS IN PLASTIC:

SOPRANO (DESCANT) • C soprano • Baroque/English fingering system • three piece design •

simulated rosewood finish • bag, cleaning rod, cream • Yamaha YRS312B • Courtly Music

Unlimited price: $19.95.

ALTO (TREBLE) • F alto • Baroque/English fingering system • three piece design • simulated

rosewood finish • bag, cleaning rod, cream • Yamaha YRA312B • Courtly Music Unlimited price:

$30.95

SOPRANO AND ALTO PAIR FROM COURTLY MUSIC: $49.95

• RECOMMENDED SCHOOL INSTRUMENTS IN PLASTIC:

SOPRANO (DESCANT) • C soprano • Baroque/English fingering system • three piece design •

clear plastic case with snap closure • translucent green • Yamaha YRS322BG • Courtly Music

Unlimited price: $3.99.

ALTO (TREBLE) • F alto • Baroque/English fingering system • three piece design • white plastic •

bag, cleaning rod, joint grease • Yamaha YRA28B • Courtly Music Unlimited price: $15.50.

course content

1. History of the Kodály method and six key points of the philosophy. The child’s singing voice and voice pedagogy for preschool, kindergarten, and lower elementary. Introduction to curriculum writing: The Beginning Point and the 11 domains of music learning for preschool and kindergarten. Preschool, kindergarten, and the older beginner: rhymes and singing games to reinforce macrobeat competency for young children and older beginners. Recorders: ordering, preparatory exercises for playing. 

2. Voice pedagogy for young children: posture, respiration, phonation, and the four ways to use the voice. The Kodály process. The Kodály rhythm classes and syllables. The Kodály pitch domains. The five parts of curriculum writing; The Beginning Point, The Song List, The Yearly Flow Chart, The Daily Lesson Plan, The Activity Plan (Strategy). First understanding of “heartbeat” (macrobeat): macrobeat movements and macrobeat pictures as teaching devices and as first experiences in the symbolization of sound: counting songs and other songs; subdivision experienced as “jogging songs” and “skipping songs”; inner hearing using macrobeat movements and macrobeat pictures. Early listening using a narrative traditional song: the story song with verse pictures. Recorder: history, Renaissance and Baroque design, the chest of recorders [Garklein Flötlein, sopranino, soprano (descant), alto (treble), bass, great bass, contra bass], first pitches.

3. Voice pedagogy for young children: posture, respiration, phonation, and the four ways to use the voice (continued). First understanding of the comparatives of music: timbre or tone color or tone quality, dynamics, tempo, duration, pitch, texture, articulation. Pitch competency for the young child. Early work with simultaneity, form, instruments, listening, movement, improvisation, composition. Teaching of a singing game. Curriculum writing: The Preschool, Kindergarten, and Older Beginner Beginning Point and Song List. Recorder: right hand pitches and articulation.

4. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 1. First grade form learning: introduction to phrase and microform (phrase form) analysis—“same”, “different”, and “similar” phrases. First grade beat and rhythm learning: differentiating “heartbeat” (macrobeat) and “the way the words go” (rhythm); making conscious rhythms: quarter note, two eighth notes, quarter rest. Recorder: right hand pitches and articulation (continued).

5. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 1 continued. First grade melody learning: making conscious so, mi, la and staff notation. Recorder: right hand pitches and articulation (continued).

6. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 1 continued. First grade development of the comparatives, simultaneity, instruments, listening, movement, improvisation, and composition. Teaching a first grade rhythm or melody make conscious lesson. Curriculum writing: The First Grade Beginning Point, Song List, Daily Lesson Plan, and Activity Plan (Strategy). Recorder: beginning use of the left hand with articulation.

7. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 2. Second grade beat, meter, and rhythm learning: strong and weak macrobeats; the half note and half rest; continuation of subdivision with notation. Recorder: full use of the left hand with articulation.

8. Singers’ Circle: Each student prepares a narrative traditional song to perform by memory for the class, which will be conducted as an Irish céilí. Song selections about animals are a good first time experience. Students may design and use original verse pictures. Each singer should attempt to locate a field recording to model from and to play for the class. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 2 continued. Second grade melody learning: completion of the pentaton (“pentatonic pillar”): re, do. Recorder: the left hand with the first “fork fingering”.

9. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 2 continued. Second grade development of the comparatives, simultaneity, form, instruments, listening, movement, improvisation, and composition. Teaching a second grade rhythm or melody make conscious lesson. Curriculum writing: The Second Grade Beginning Point, Song List, Daily Lesson Plan, and Activity Plan (Strategy). Recorder: first chromatic fingerings.

10. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 3. Third grade beat, meter, and rhythm learning: dotted quarter note, syncopation, whole note, whole rest; continuation of subdivision with notation. Melody ostinato and canon processes. Recorder: review of all fingerings in the lower octave; canon and duet playing.

11. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 3 continued. Third grade melody learning: the extended pentaton: low la, low so, high do. Teaching a canon. Recorder: review of all fingerings in the lower octave; canon and duet playing developed.

12. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 3 continued. Third grade development of the comparatives, simultaneity, form, instruments, listening, movement, improvisation, and composition. Teaching a third grade rhythm or melody make conscious lesson. Curriculum writing: The Third Grade Beginning Point, Song List, Daily Lesson Plan, and Activity Plan (Strategy). Recorder: review of all fingerings in the lower octave; canon and duet playing continued.

13. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 4. Fourth grade beat, meter, and rhythm learning: sixteen notes; absolute rhythm names. Recorder: review of all fingerings in the lower octave; canon and duet playing continued.

14. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 4 continued. Fourth grade melody learning: the diatonic system: fa, low ti, high ti; absolute pitch names; tonic major triad and tonic minor triad. Fourth grade development of the comparatives, simultaneity, form, instruments, listening, movement, improvisation, and composition. Teaching a fourth grade rhythm or melody make conscious lesson. Curriculum writing: The Fourth Grade Beginning Point, Song List, Daily Lesson Plan, and Activity Plan (Strategy). Recorder: examination of first semester skills.

15. Singers’ Circle and Holiday Party: Each student prepares a narrative traditional song to perform by memory for the class, which will be conducted as an Irish céilí. Song selections about animals are a good first time experience. Students may design and use original verse pictures. Each singer should attempt to locate a field recording to model from and to play for the class. Voice pedagogy: Kenneth Phillips Level 4 continued. Recorder: holiday literature for the beginning recorder player.

Ongoing discussions:

• introduction to the philosophies and methodologies of Émile Jaques Dalcroze, Zoltán Kodály, Carl Orff, Shinichi Suzuki, and the Manhattanville Music Curriculum Project with emphasis on the work of Zoltán Kodály

• classroom management

• creating a safe classroom environment

• sequencing music facts, skills, and concepts for eleven domains of music teaching and learning: voice pedagogy, comparatives (timbre/tone color/tone quality, dynamics, tempo, duration, pitch, texture, articulation), beat/meter/rhythm, melody/intervals/scales, simultaneity, form, listening, instruments, movement, improvising, composing

• introduction to writing curriculum: beginning point (domains of music experience and understanding), song list of supportive literature, yearly flow chart, daily lesson plan, activity plan (strategy)

• developing a chorus for young children (training chorus)

• identifying the stages of transmission for young children

• musics appropriate for pre-schoolers (ages 3–4), lower elementary children (kindergarten–grade 2), and upper elementary children (grades 3–5)

• introduction to and pedagogy for the soprano (descant) recorder and the alto (treble) recorder

course activities

and assignments

• reading and discussion of assignments in required texts and reserve texts and articles

• preparation and teaching of music activities and lessons

• observation and description of effective classroom music lessons

• exploration of supportive literature for the learning of music facts, concepts, and skills

• preparation and teaching of choral repertory for young children

• practice and performance on the soprano (descant) and the alto (treble) recorders

assessment

20%   • reports and discussion from observation

20%   • planning and teaching of music activities and lessons

20%   • bibliography/discography/videography of traditional song and dance collections,

             compilations, and teaching materials

20%   • performance of solo and ensemble recorder literature

20%   • final project: music curriculum project for a lower elementary school grade

No written examinations will be given.

supplementary texts
(not required)

and readings

• Choksy, Lois, and Davbid Brummitt. 1987. 120 Singing Games and Dances for Elementary Schools. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. ISBN: 0-13-635038-0.

• Erdei, Peter. 1974. 150 American Folk Songs to Sing, Read, and Play. New York: Boosey and

Hawkes. Txb 50. ISMN: M051805006.

• Feierabend, John. 1986. Music for Very Little People: 50 Playful Activities for Infants and Preschoolers. New York: Boosey and Hawkes. Interactive audiocassette included.

• Feierabend, John. 1989. Music for Little People: 50 Playful Activities for Early Childhood. Interactive audiocassette included. New York: Boosey and Hawkes.

• Locke, Eleanor, ed. 1981. Sail Away: 155 American Folk Songs to Sing, Read, and Play.

New York: Boosey and Hawkes. Txb 68. ISMN: M051806805.