| Music is not just important in its own right: it can | | | | technique is not a problem, given the simplicity of |
| make a unique contribution to playful learning. | | | | the instruments. Dissonance is not a problem, |
| Interactive music activities encourage infants to | | | | given the pentatonic scale. When one experiences |
| develop new skills in language, motor abilities and | | | | the simplicity of making pleasing melodies and |
| cognitive skills. | | | | harmonies on the pentatonic scale, suddenly |
| Approached in the right way, music encourages | | | | making music becomes achievable and exciting. |
| us to take risks and make mistakes, promotes | | | | Music in the early years supports children's all |
| self-confidence, spontaneity, creativity and | | | | round development and helps to shape their skills |
| originality. | | | | in concentration, memory and listening. To aid this |
| German composer Carl Orff developed a way of | | | | physical and cognitive development and lay a |
| tapping into children's natural sense of rhythm and | | | | strong foundation in aural and rhythmic skills, |
| melody. Orff, who died in 1982, co-founded the | | | | every child must be given the opportunity to |
| Guenther School for gymnastics, music and dance | | | | discover their musicality. With a little imagination, |
| in Munich, Germany and developed a simple way | | | | music can be incorporated into numerous settings |
| of teaching music to youngsters using percussion | | | | throughout the day. Creating areas for music and |
| instruments. His approach begins from the | | | | sound exploration inside and out will help integrate |
| premise that every child is innately musical and | | | | music into the everyday experience of the |
| naturally loves to play, sing and dance. | | | | children. |
| He tuned percussive instruments to the | | | | For example, the introduction of a musical garden |
| pentatonic scale, and encouraged children to play | | | | or outdoor 'soundscape' will excite and inspire |
| them ensemble. | | | | children musically while enjoying the obvious |
| Children learn through doing, exploring and | | | | benefits that arise from spending time in the |
| improvising. They have a natural instinct to create | | | | natural environment. Children will be able to |
| their own melodies and explore their imaginations. | | | | explore new sounds whilst enjoying the benefits |
| These instincts are directed into learning music by | | | | of the outdoor elements - fresh air and sunshine |
| hearing and making music first, then reading and | | | | (well, fresh air at least!) A musical playground will |
| writing it later, in the same way that we all | | | | provide young children with opportunities for early |
| learned our own language. The special Orff | | | | interaction and positive experiences with music. A |
| melody instruments include pentatonic wooden | | | | facility where children can explore, create and |
| xylophones and metal glockenspiels that offer | | | | develop their own musical ideas and sounds - |
| good sound immediately. | | | | maximising the musical potential of a child during |
| The pentatonic scale is excellent for improvised | | | | their most rapid developmental period while |
| ensembles; you can just play around and never | | | | discovering the joy and empowerment of music |
| hit anything inordinately dissonant. For those | | | | making. |
| unfamiliar with the word pentatonic, the prefix | | | | The traditional emphasis in education on getting |
| 'penta' is a Latin term for five:i.e. pentagram, | | | | music right has led generations of adults to claim |
| Pentagon, pentagonal. Tonic in this case is not | | | | they can't sing or play an instrument and lack |
| referring to the fizzy drink, but to the word 'tone', | | | | confidence in their musical abilities. I speak from |
| put them together and you get five tones or | | | | experience, I hated music lessons at school and |
| notes. So a pentatonic scale is a scale of the | | | | yet I love music. In a free-play environment, |
| fizziest five notes. This means that music played | | | | where there are no wrong notes, the experience |
| in pentatonic scale naturally sounds good as all the | | | | can lead to a life-long love of music and music |
| notes go very well together. | | | | making. Creativity, imagination and discovery |
| These scales are developed with five notes and | | | | should be strongly facilitated and encouraged in |
| exist as two common types: major and minor | | | | music education. Through active learning: hands-on, |
| pentatonic scales. The major pentatonic scale is | | | | participative and interactive, children's musical |
| commonly used and is denoted as the primary | | | | self-expression, self-confidence and self-esteem |
| pentatonic scale. | | | | will grow and grow. |
| With pentatonic tuned musical instruments, | | | | |