75. Music Literacy For All
Imagine what a normal music development could be for a person. It starts from early childhood and becomes a full-fledged part of life. An EK or a digital piano is a common fixture in each home and classroom, and places where people spend their leisure time. The keys have a “decoder,” a layout or stickers. Pressing a key even by accident, a person immediately knows what it’s called, and ties its name to its sound and position on the grand staff.
Music grammar for toddlers is represented by an interactive grand staff, which gives all of the information about the music system with colors and shapes. With the aid of the program, kids easily play various simple melodies from sheet music.
Music exercises that teach to “walk along the keys” are just as important in daily development as morning stretches, bathing, learning letters, and table manners. Playing every day, kids learn to control each little finger of both hands. Since we already teach kids to draw with pencils and paint with a brush, it is also our duty to teach them to interact with the keys.
The fundamentals of music literacy – the ability to “walk along the keys,” knowledge of the music alphabet, and primary skills of sight reading from a simplified music staff – are a crucial part of the education of young parents and all specialists that have a relationship with children. Each teacher that works with preschoolers can sing from notes and play simple songs from a children’s repertoire.
All preschoolers know the music alphabet as well as they know the Alphabet Song. They can recite it forwards and backwards from any note, across one note, and two. With the help of flashcards and drawings, studying the notes with building blocks, they assemble alphabetical sequences in class and quickly learn to do this on their own.
At schools and kindergartens, songs are sung by notes. Participation in sound orchestras, elements of dance, history, and theory of music are used to supplement the foundation – the ability to sight read music and write it down from memory.
Parents sing lullabies to their children, easily playing accompaniment on the piano. The text of a new and interesting piece is like a gift of a new toy: it isn’t hard to play, and can be arranged and performed for friends.
The education of all instrumentalists depends on a grasp of the piano and sight reading. Every trumpeter and violinist can accompany a colleague on the piano. Having developed this base, people learn to play other instruments without difficulty.
Often, neighbors and friends get together to play in ensembles or small orchestras. Once in a while, town and neighborhood festivals are held in tribute to certain composers or certain musical epochs.