PHILOSOPHY OF ELEMENTARY MUSIC

Michelle L. Swanson
Malcolm Price Laboratory School

Music in the elementary school strives to develop in children the love of sound and the love of music-making.  Ultimately, children’s lives will be enriched through the development of their inherent musicality.

Students will learn musical behavior by actively participating in creating, performing, listening to, and analyzing music.  Opportunities for student creativity are provided by teaching students the skills and leading them to improvise, and compose.  From such learning will come independent musicianship.

This approach uses a wide variety of media to develop each child’s maximum musical potential -- speech, movement, song, instruments, and listening.  Music becomes meaningful to children through active participation in every aspect of musical behavior.
 

Updated Jan.  2000