The First Steps in Music curriculum, developed by Dr. John Feierabend, is designed to prepare children for
Conversational Solfege and to become musical in three ways:
Adults who are tuneful, beatful and artful are also better able to participate in a community and are able to enjoy opportunities to sing together with others, dance together with others and share listening to beautiful music together with others.
Children who learn to be tuneful, beatful and artful before they leave elementary school will grow to be adults who can benefit from what music can offer. Those that go on to sing in choirs or play an instrument will do so in a more musical manner. Those that do not choose to later sing in choirs or play an instrument will still be enriched by being able to share music in their daily lives.
The First Steps in Music curriculum is a musical workout that grows tuneful, beatful and artful individuals There are eight different activities in each workout. And, like aerobics, in the beginning some participants will likely be clumsy in some aspects of the workout, but if they give it their best, they are bound to improve! And, like an aerobics workout, the more one participates the better the effect. Balancing repetition and variety is key to each workout being effective and interesting.
Following are the 8 musical workout activities:
Conversational Solfege and to become musical in three ways:
- Tuneful – to have tunes in their heads and learn to coordinate their voices to sing those tunes.
- Beatful – to feel the pulse of music and how that pulse is grouped in either 2s or 3s.
- Artful – to be moved by music in the many ways music can elicit a feelingful response.
Adults who are tuneful, beatful and artful are also better able to participate in a community and are able to enjoy opportunities to sing together with others, dance together with others and share listening to beautiful music together with others.
Children who learn to be tuneful, beatful and artful before they leave elementary school will grow to be adults who can benefit from what music can offer. Those that go on to sing in choirs or play an instrument will do so in a more musical manner. Those that do not choose to later sing in choirs or play an instrument will still be enriched by being able to share music in their daily lives.
The First Steps in Music curriculum is a musical workout that grows tuneful, beatful and artful individuals There are eight different activities in each workout. And, like aerobics, in the beginning some participants will likely be clumsy in some aspects of the workout, but if they give it their best, they are bound to improve! And, like an aerobics workout, the more one participates the better the effect. Balancing repetition and variety is key to each workout being effective and interesting.
Following are the 8 musical workout activities:
1. Pitch Exploration (Vocal Warm-ups)
2. Fragment Singing
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4. Arioso (Child created tunes)
5. Songtales 6. Movement Exploration (Movement Warm-ups) 7. Movement for Form and Expression 8. Movement with the Beat |
There are aspects of tuneful, beatful and artful development in most of these activities but especially
tuneful are #1, #2, #3 and #4….especially beatful is #8 and especially artful are #5, #6 and #7.
Here is an excellent example of using these 8 musical workout activities: Lomax, The Hound of Music, at PBS!
tuneful are #1, #2, #3 and #4….especially beatful is #8 and especially artful are #5, #6 and #7.
Here is an excellent example of using these 8 musical workout activities: Lomax, The Hound of Music, at PBS!
Here are some examples of First Steps in Music classroom materials: