W6 DESK RESEARCH

This week I did desk research mainly online in two parts. One is the instrument itself the other one is my user, the children.

• Musical instruments:

1. Classification

I used Hornbostel–Sachs, a system of musical instrument classification devised by Erich Moritz von Hornbostel and Curt Sachs to have a general understand of various musical instruments. It is the most widely used system for classifying musical instruments. It organized in five parts idiophones, membranophones, chordophones, aerophones, and electrophorus.

There is a blunter way to group musical instruments by how the instrument was played: String, keyboard, wind, percussion and electronic instruments.

2. Applicable

As my target users are children from the impoverishing area, I need to assume they won't get any financial help from their parents. Due to the cost, I'll rule out electronic instrument first.

I looked up how to play some conventional instruments. Personally, I learned classic guitar and keyboard for years when I was a kid. I tried to taught myself harmonica by watching video online. It's easy to start with single tone songs but hard to play any chord as the sound holes squeezed too close. I'm not familiar with wind and percussion instruments there are plenty of details I can't get from videos.

other instruments

I also found many niche instruments like kazoos, mbira, rainmaker, boom whackers, wobble board, hang drum, cajon and so on. By watching videos, I understand their sound and generally how they operate even how they made.

• User:

1.Cognitive development of children

I read the general of Piaget's theory of cognitive development by Jean Piaget, a clinical psychologist known for his pioneering work in child development. In his theory, there is a stage called formal operational, which describe the cognitive stage of children from eleven to sixteen. In this age children can think abstractly and utilize metacognition. Along with this, the children display more skills oriented towards problem-solving in multiple steps. As my target user won't get any help from their local musical teachers (The principle of the school I went three years age told me there is no adults know how to play any musical instruments so even they have some they are not able to teach anything), they have to learn themselves. I believe children in this age are capable of doing that.

2. Musical education

I read the brief concept of three most famous musical teaching systems for children. They are eurhythmics by Swiss musician Dalcroze, Kodály method of musical education by ethnomusicology Zoltan Kodaly and Orff Approach by German educationist Carl Orff.

Erich_Moritz_von_Hornbostel

Emile_Jaques_Dalcroze

Curt Sachs

"Eurhythmics often introduces a musical concept through movement before the students learn about its visual representation. This sequence translates to heightened body awareness and an association of rhythm with a physical experience for the student, reinforcing concepts kinesthetically. "－wikipedia

"Children are first introduced to musical concepts through experiences such as listening, singing, or movement (Wheeler 1985:12). It is only after the child becomes familiar with a concept that he or she learns how to notate it (Landis 1972:46), similar to methods like Suzuki and Simply Music. Concepts are always reviewed and reinforced through games, movement, songs, and exercises."-Wikipedia

It also provides hand signs to visualize notes for children recognize more efficiently.

Both of this methods stressed the importance of introducing abstract music notes to children by elements they have already familiar. Singing is the best starting point to precede music to children.

"The Orff Approach is a "child-centered way of learning" music education that treats music as a primary system like language and believes that just as every child can learn the language without formal instruction so can every child learn music by a gentle and friendly approach."-Wikipedia

It emphasizes that music is born with kids. Learning music should start with rhythm, melody before Concord, which is familiar with how I've been taught in public school when I was a kid.

To sum, I need expert views to help me understand how wind instruments and percussion instruments work. I've learned children age 11 to 16 should be capable of learning musical instruments by themselves and some teaching principles. I'll try to understand my target users more.