ABOUT THIS EPISODE
See Eric and Beau's contact information at the end of these Episode Notes.
NOTE of CLARITY: When Dr. Eric said no one but his students gets it, he is referring to HLS class participants, not the children, although they "get it" too.
Dr. Eric's HLS courses are coming up.
Worth repeating because some heavy hitters have said, "If you don't know Harmonic Learning Sequence, you don't know mlt!" Beau and Eric like to differentiated between standardized MLT with the ongoing development of mlt—the original preference Doc (Edwin E. Gordon) had for naming the body of work (almost 200 feet of space on the library shelf!) now most often referred to as Music Learning Theory or MLT.
Summary
Eric and Beau discussed Eric's Harmonic Learning Sequence course, which focuses on teaching children and adults to recognize harmonic functions through a "yes/no" game. [Yes, this is true, AI, but that’s among a whole gob of other things.] They explored how young children can naturally distinguish between tonic and dominant tones before being able to sing in tune, with Eric sharing his experience of teaching this concept to preschool-aged children. The conversation covered the importance of incorporating harmonic patterns into music education and how this skill can enhance improvisation abilities.
Next steps
Summary
Harmonic Learning Sequence Development
Eric and Beau discussed Eric's teaching experience and the development of his harmonic learning Sequence. Eric shared how he accidentally discovered the concept of harmonic progressions while teaching children about resting tones, leading to the creation of his harmonic learning Sequence. They also briefly touched on Eric's upcoming course and the positive response it has received so far.
Eric explained that infants as young as minutes old can distinguish their mother's voice, and by age two or three, children can understand concepts like "nice tones" and "yucky tones." Beau expressed confusion about why this natural ability to recognize harmonic functions wasn't explored more in music education, particularly given Gordon's work on learning sequences and tonal audiation.
Teaching Music to Children
Eric and Beau discussed teaching methods, particularly focusing on Eric's approach to teaching music to children. Eric explained his method of presenting wrong examples before correct ones, which he had developed independently and later realized was similar to principles in direct instruction theory. They discussed how children show when they are ready for more information by reacting to what makes sense or doesn't make sense. Eric emphasized the importance of listening to children and being willing to fail and iterate. He also mentioned his website teachmusictokids.com, where he has an audio example of a 1.5-year-old child learning and singing Yes and No functions.
Music Learning Theory Discussion
Eric and Beau discussed the relationship between harmonic and tonal audiation in music learning theory. They explored how understanding basic concepts like "yes" and "no" can make it easier to grasp root notes and tonal patterns. Eric shared his experience teaching children and his belief that natural progression in learning, such as crawling before walking, applies to music education as well. They also touched on Eric's challenges with academic politics and his preference for teaching younger students.
Infant Music Learning Patterns
Eric and Beau discussed early childhood music education, focusing on how young children can recognize tonal patterns and harmonic functions before they can speak. Eric explained that infants as young as minutes old can distinguish their mother's voice, and by age two or three, children can understand concepts like "nice tones" and "yucky tones." Beau expressed confusion about why this natural ability to recognize harmonic functions wasn't explored more in music education, particularly given Gordon's work on learning sequences and tonal audiation.
Harmonic Aptitude in Young Children
Beau and Eric discussed the development of harmonic aptitude in children, with Eric sharing his observations about young children's ability to recognize and respond to tonal and harmonic patterns. Eric noted that even very young children show reactions to unexpected musical endings, suggesting an innate ability to understand harmonic relationships. They debated whether harmonic aptitude might have a shorter developmental window compared to rhythmic or tonal aptitude, with Eric speculating that harmonic aptitude might be more fundamental than other musical aptitudes.
Harmonic Aptitude and Brain Activity
Eric and Beau discussed the nature of harmonic aptitude and its potential connection to innate abilities, noting that some individuals can excel in music without formal training. They explored the idea of measuring harmonic aptitude in people with limited exposure to music and considered the possibility of using functional MRI scans to understand brain activity during musical tasks. Eric emphasized the importance of aptitude testing and the limitations of inferring aptitude from performance alone, while Beau shared a personal anecdote about a student with remarkable harmonic abilities. Both agreed on the need for further research to better understand these concepts.
Harmonic Teaching Methods Discussion
Beau and Eric discussed teaching methods for musical aptitude tests and harmonic learning. They agreed that teaching harmony is crucial for children's musical development, contrary to Gordon's approach of focusing solely on melodies. Eric emphasized the importance of using chordal instruments and conversational dialogue while teaching. They also discussed the value of comparing harmonic patterns across different songs to help students make discriminations and understand musical concepts.
Harmonic Learning Series Discussion
Eric and Beau discussed Eric's upcoming harmonic learning sequence course, which consists of four 90-minute classes and an additional one-hour individual session. They explored how the course combines learning harmonic patterns and teaching methods for different musical contexts. Beau asked about the transfer of skills between tonalities, and Eric shared that while some students show cross-tonality recognition, many lack the necessary listening vocabulary. They also discussed the importance of audiation and harmonic context in improvisation. The conversation concluded with Eric mentioning his upcoming course dates in March and April, and Beau recommending the course to others.
Hosts:
Eric Rasmussen, PhD in Music Education, Temple University. Three-year student of Dr. Edwin Gordon.
Chair, Early Childhood Music, Peabody Preparatory, Johns Hopkins University
Author of Harmonic Learning Sequence curriculum:
Dr. Eric's Book of Songs and Chants including Harmonic Learning Sequence. See Dr. Eric's course schedule and register here.
Email Dr. Eric: Teachmusictokids@gmail.com
Beau Taillefer - Guitarist (jazz and classical), music educator, intellectual
https://www.youtube.com/@beautaillefermusic
https://www.beautaillefer.ca
Email Beau: info@beautaillefer.ca
