Pupils at the elementary level often possess skills to use musical instruments. General musicianship supports these pupils through their performance by equipping them with many additional aspects (DiDomenico, 2017). Learners of music who are still at the primary stage have to know more, especially when it comes to comprehensive music knowledge since they can skillfully use language by the practice of sight-reading. Similarly, students become more familiar with the music structure because they possess cognitive skills. At the same time, they can understand the sound music even without playing it by developing aural skills (Sarrazin, 2016). Various music materials have proven effective in helping students to develop the musicianship level aspects such as aural, cognitive and sight-reading. The current essay argues around “AMEB Aural Texts Book,” “Improve your Sight-Reading,” and “Master your Theory Grade Two” as the general musicianship materials appropriate for pupils at the elementary levels.
“AMEB Aural Texts Book” is an appropriate material for pupils at the elementary level as it is designed commonly for listening tests. “AMEB Aural Texts Book” has sufficient and rich content with multiple test descriptions, several recordings and provides helpful hints that assist students in finding the solution to effective music listening problems (DiDomenico, 2017). Significantly, music learning in pupils at this level is improved by the aural ability that has proved critical in changing the perception of the music listeners. Similarly, it supports the understanding of the pieces’ structure deeper and helps understand the relationship between melody lines. Pupils achieve this because all melodies in “AMEB Aural Texts Book” are composed of different pitches, dynamics, and rhythms (Sarrazin, 2016). An excellent example is when students have to recognize the lower, higher, louder, or softer position of pitches because of the constant practicing and training.
“AMEB Aural Texts Book” offers audio recordings, which is more convenient for students lacking home musical instruments and therefore unable to practice (Brown, 2019). It makes it easier for the students to remember and feel by repeatedly listening to the audio records because of what they had heard before. Teachers should encourage pupils to write down what they have heard in the records, including their thoughts and feeling, to help them become impressed by listening to the contents more. Students can also remember their training and avoid mistakes because of the complicated and unique rhythms, pitches, dynamics, and tempo provided by “AMEB Aural Texts Book.”
“Master your Theory Grade Two” combines the practical exercise and theoretical knowledge used for instruction. In learning music, the musical theory plays an essential role by visual and logical expression of music to students (Sarrazin, 2016). The book is well-planned and comprehensive and is helpful to learners since they can gradually increase their content to complexities even if they begin with the purest knowledge. Students who use the “Master your Theory Grade Two” book can apply notations such as quaver, rest, treble, bass, and clef. Additionally, they get to learn about expressive marks and tempo marks, including piano, presto, and allegro.
The textbook also offers lessons that are appropriate because they first show what is considered key and provide exercises that are required by students for completion. Students use the key points to relate for practice for them to relate and comprehend what they learn in class more intensively (Brown, 2019). The specific instructions and exercises presented in the book allow students to independently work on their own even when the teacher is not around. As a result of this learning, students develop the ability to learn independently as they solve problems, even in situations where the time for the lesson is short (Feldman et al., 2020). The lessons offered by this material are crucial to the learning music by the students at the elementary level. Some lessons provide explanations to the structure and meaning of major tone, scales, and semitone. After such lessons, they are followed by corresponding exercises that require training and consolidating among students. Thus, the material is essentially critical in the learning and understanding of music theory.
Finally, an appropriately preferred musicianship material for students at the earlier learning stage is “Improve your Sight-Reading.” The material helps students to develop the ability to sight-read that is enhanced by practice tests and examination database that facilitates professionalism and all-round learning (Kuebel, 2017). The skill of sight-reading is crucial for students since it facilitates strong-reading ability to improve their efficiency in practice and performance level and saves time for class. This gives teachers humble time to work on other things, such as helping students cultivate their musicality. The book is appropriate for helping students work out on rhythm and finding out the suitable fingering as it provides accurate and specific sight-reading steps (DiDomenico, 2017). By going through these steps, students can find the correct hand position before playing to have the surety of the piece they are performing. The book has been considered best for these pupils because prime questions are listed for students in each lesson for them to consider before starting rhythmic and melodic training. For instance, these questions relate to the number of beats in each bar and spotting melodic patterns as one taps the rhythm to hear the rhythm silently in the head. The students prepare well before playing to avoid any mistakes in the completion of the piece of work in the sight-reading task. Thus, students develop the confidence and motivation they need which helps them to move to complete the next task.
Therefore, in conclusion, the three materials of general musicianship are considered appropriate in music learning among elementary-level students. “AMEB Aural Textbook” is used by students and teachers to promote the aural skills of pupils since they can accurately listen to the pitches, rhythms, and tempos when they read the book. The “Master your Theory Grade Two” book helps students to understand better the detailed musical theory, including notations, harmony, and structure for their expressive playing. The final material examined is “Improve your Sight-Reading” as it affects the students’ attitude and develops their music learning experience besides enhancing their coordination skills for them to read faster.
References
Brown, H. A. (2019). Children’s literature in the elementary general music classroom.
DiDomenico, J. (2017). Effective integration of music in the elementary school classroom. I.e., inquiry in education, 9(2), 4.
Feldman, E., Contzius, A., Lutch, M., Bugaj, K. K., & Battisti, F. L. (2020). Instrumental music education: Teaching with the musical and practical in harmony. Routledge.
Kuebel, C. (2017). Key elements of preparation and transition for an instrumental major teaching elementary general music. Visions of Research in Music Education, 30.
Sarrazin, N. R. (2016). Music and the child. Geneseo, NY: Open SUNY Textbooks,© 2016 1 online resource (300 pages): color illustrations, music; digital files (PDF or EPUB).