Teaching Young People to Be Musical

by Brent Hugh Assistant Professor of Piano Coordinator of Piano Pedagogy Missouri Western State College Department of Music Please take a moment to visit the Missouri Western State College Keyboard Studies Home Page, to learn more about our programs in piano and organ performance and pedagogy.

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My research into music preferences and learning over the lifespan has some fascinating and little-known ramifications about how music should be taught, to both younger and older students. The ideas can be applied by all school teachers (music teacher or not) and all music teachers. But for parents and teachers of young children--about age 10 and under--the ideas are particularly compelling.

It is possible to use music at home and school in a way that is easy, natural, and fun, takes little time (in fact, can save time), keeps children on task and working together, and at the same time teaches basic musical skills.

• Practical applications of the research in music learning and music preference:
  • Music as a Social and Functional Art: A Simple and Practical Way to Integrate Music into the Elementary and Pre-School Classroom (the basic idea can also be adapted for use at home, church, or day-care)

  • Music IQ Songs--songs I wrote for my own child to put into practice the ideas I found in my research (sheet music and recordings are available for free download on this page)

• Concise explanations of theory and practice:
  • How to help children reach their musical potential: Specific suggestions for parents (the essential points in concise form)

  • Musical development and development of musical preferences: Research summary for parents (essential points in concise form)

• More detailed explanations about musical development and the development of musical preferences:
  • What the Music Educator (and Parent!) Should Know About Students' Musical Preferences

  • Specific suggestions for teachers of older students (Junior high and older)

  • Specific suggestions for teachers of younger students (elementary and pre-school age)

• The research:
  • The abstract of my doctoral research project, "Can Musicians Alter the Music Preferences of Audiences? The Effect of Pre-Performance Informational Presentations on Music Preference"

  • Research references in music preference and music learning relating to the ideas found in these pages