Tiny Voices

Tiny Voices

an Early Years Music Research Report

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Tiny Voices

an Early Years Music Research Report

Tiny Voices — a co-publication

by Common Ground and St Patrick’s College

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Tiny Voices in Context Acknowledgements Foreword 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Overview 1.3 International and National Perspectives

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Tiny Voices – A Description 2.1 Implementation and Timeline of the Programme 2.2 Methodologies and Evidence Sources 2.3 The Two Settings: Outlines, Processes and Systems 2.4 The Two Musicians: Profiles

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Tiny Voices from the Perspective of Children, Professionals, and Parents 3.1 Aims and Objectives 3.2 Children 3.3 Musicians 3.4 Childcare Practitioners 3.5 Parents

Tiny Voices – an Early Years Music Research Report

Contents

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Achievements So Far 4.1 Integration of Music into Childcare Settings 4.2 Integration of the Aistear Principles and Themes 4.3 Achievement of Research Aims

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Proposals for Future Development 5.1 Local Proposals 5.2 National Proposals

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Appendices 6.1 Bibliography 6.2 Appendix 1 – Tiny Voices: The Aims and Objectives 6.3 Appendix 2 – Early Years Music Advisory Committee Members 6.4 Appendix 3 – Early Years Music Research Group Members 6.5 Appendix 4 – Sample Consent Form

Acknowledgements Common Ground and our Tiny Voices partners send heartfelt thanks to the participating children and their families who contributed to the music research findings.

We also extend sincere thanks to the following; Researcher Mairead Berrill for her never-ending commitment and time.

The childcare practitioners Siobhán Gannon and Leon Mooney from Goldenbridge Day Nursery and The Base who journeyed with the children and musicians.

Our musicians Thomas Johnston and Eamon Sweeney for their never-ending creativity and artistry in making magic music happen.

Carmel Brennan from Early Childhood Ireland and Gudmund Krogsrud of The Base for saying ‘when’ rather than ‘no’.

Sincere appreciation is also extended to our Early Years Music Advisory Group whose guidance and expertise supported the formation of Tiny Voices and its research parameters.

Special thanks are also due to our sound and vision documenters Philip Cullen and Darren O’Reilly who captured the spirit and joy of Tiny Voices. As part of our image use and research guidelines each child’s identity has been protected by using substitute names. No child is identified in any images used.

We also acknowledge the support of our funders; The Arts Council, Early Childhood Ireland, The Base, St Patrick’s College, Ballyfermot Partnership, Canal Communities Partnership, Irish Youth Foundation, Katherine Howard Foundation, Dublin City Council Arts Office.

Finally we acknowledge our early childhood champions and former staff members Irma Grothuis and Jackie Maguire, always committed and truly inspiring.

Foreword Probable Futures & Possible Selves I will champion creative communities who are bringing about positive change at local level by giving recognition to their achievements on the national stage. I believe that when we encourage the seedbed of creativity in our communities and ensure that each child and adult has the opportunity for creative expression, we also lay the groundwork for sustainable employment in creative industries and enrich our social, cultural and economic development.

In promoting inclusion and creativity, I will be inviting all citizens, of all ages, to make their own imaginative and practical contribution to the shaping of our shared future. president michael d higgins inaugural speech

Common Ground is an arts development organisation established in 1999. Fourteen years on, the Common Ground has taken root in the Canal Communities and we have developed a wide range of positive and strong working relationships with local youth and community groups and other partner stakeholders.

We understand the difference that collaborating on an arts project can make to the development and confidence of an individual and we see the positive outcomes from well-supported working relationships between an artist and a community. As more communities look for quality creative experiences and more artists look to work in the civic arena, the knowledge we have gained in the Common Ground at this interface is a valuable resource. Although our work is based in a fixed geographical area, the experiences and outcomes from artists and communities collaborating together is of interest to others outside our borders. Our arts programmes have explored the relationship between art and community identity and how the arts is not only useful, but integral, to the development of individuals and their communities. We believe disseminating this knowledge is an important aspect of ensuring the future success and sustainability of participative arts, not just in our own community but also throughout Ireland and beyond.

Common Ground understands that the arts facilitate a child to make sense of the world; to question, to speculate and to find solutions; to deal with feelings and to respond to creative experiences that engage the brain, body and emotions all at once through a range of symbolic languages and forms.

We knew that if we really wanted to build a continuum of experience from the very young to the older person the next step was planning arts programmes that engaged the early years. During 2010 the opportunity to do that opened up with Early Childhood Ireland and The Base and after a period of thinking and research with an advisory group became an early year’s music pilot, Tiny Voices.

During Tiny Voices the young children, the musicians and childcare staff embraced the creativity and co–creation between the possibility and positivity of working together.

Through the research process we gain an insight into the freedom and formation of their ‘possible selves’ which at the very beginning the programme and research partners sought to make explicit. At the core of the research process of Tiny Voices was the direct link to Aistear; Irelands early years curriculum framework that at its heart hold the four principles of; Well-Being; Identity and Belonging; Communicating; Exploring and Thinking.

These four principles can seem abstract and conceptual: however fundamentally, they are the core components of any society’s ongoing development and commitment to ground young children’s futures and act as an explicit commitment to children’s entitlement to access multiple educational opportunities through early year’s services.

In 2010 when Early Childhood Ireland approached us to consider the joint development of a new early year’s arts programme and when we knew economies and public funding were stretched and resources severely limited we could have decided against developing a new programme. Thankfully we adopted the approach of ‘how and when?’ rather than ‘how much?’ Sincere thanks go to our partners Early Childhood Ireland and The Base, especially Carmel O’Sullivan, Marion Brennan and Gudmund Krogsrud for their generous support in the early stages of the pilot’s development and the members of the Early Years Advisory Group for their guidance and support.

We would like to thank all those who have contributed to Tiny Voices; particularly the participating children and their families, our musicians; Thomas Johnston and Eamon Sweeney and their never-ending musicianship and the commitment of Childcare practitioners, Paula Roantree and Siobhán Gannon (Goldenbridge) and Shayma Choudhury and Leon Mooney (The Base).

Sincere thanks also goes to our research partners in particular researcher Mairead Berrill who gave above and beyond of her time and Dr John O’ Flynn and Michelle Finnerty of St Patricks College, Drumcondra and UCC’s Department of Music both academic champions of music and the early years.

This research publication is a public record of how music became a valid and powerful form of communication for a number of children engaged in Tiny Voices during a finite moment in time. We believe it can provide a focus for thinking and action that can root early years arts initiatives to become active and integrated into early year’s education settings, describing a child’s immense capacity to imagine, communicate and to co–create their possible selves on their own terms with supportive adults though music and with each other.

As Christopher Small reminds us ‘Early Music Education is not only about music. It is a process wherein children explore life.’

Bronagh O’Neill Chairperson, Common Ground

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TINY VOICES – SETTING THE CONTEXT

1.1 Introduction The main objective of this report is to present comprehensive observations and recommendations based on the research analysis and reflections of the early years music programme, Tiny Voices.

This pilot scheme was implemented in two early childhood settings in Dublin’s south-west inner city for 16 weeks from March to July 2012. Led by Common Ground, the project involved two separate musical approaches, separately designed and put into practice by each musician in collaboration with resident childcare practitioners in pre-school services located in The Base, Ballyfermot and Goldenbridge Day Nursery, Inchicore. These pre-school services allocated two groups of three to five year-old children and each musician made a series of weekly or twice weekly visits.

This research report will: BB Contextualise Tiny Voices as an early years music project with references to early years related policies and initiatives at international and national levels over the past few decades BB Outline and describe the implementation of the programme BB Explore and present analysis of the impact of the music pilot and its sessions from a number of relevant viewpoints

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1.2 Overview of Information in Report Section One of the report is an introduction, presenting and shaping the context of Tiny Voices.

Section Four provides some evaluation of the impact of Tiny Voices from two viewpoints; first, the general integration of music into the participating childcare settings; and second, evidence of direct links between Tiny Voices and the principles of Aistear.

Section Two focuses on Tiny Voices in more detail, providing an outline of the project’s aims and objectives, describing the implementation of the programme, summarising the methodology employed In Section Five, proposals which have emerged from by the researcher and also introducing the two the findings are charted in suggestions for future musicians and the settings where they were based. developments at both local and national levels.

In Section Three, the central focus concerns the Section Six contains the bibliography and impact of the project from the following perspectives: appendices. the children, musicians, childcare practitioners and parents.

1.3 Early Years Arts Education: 1.3 International and National Perspectives 1.3.1 Introduction Since the last quarter of the 20th century, the body of evidence supporting the long-term benefits of high quality early years education has been growing. In the field of neuroscience, there are indications that confirm the significance of early stimulation on brain development, (Hallam 2010, Woodhead 2006). Additionally the increase in female participation in the workplace within many Western European economies has led to acknowledgement that investment in quality childcare is an essential strategy in facilitating access to work for both parents. Accordingly, provision for the education and care of young children has seen a steady increase, with many governments allocating funds, developing policies and encouraging the development of early years curricula.

1.3.2 International Contexts In England, a framework for the care and education of children from birth to 5 years old, English Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), has been established since 1996.

This programme contains clearly articulated learning goals, which include Learning and Development requirements in early literacy and numeracy. Achievements and performance are monitored and good practice is clearly outlined. While the importance of play and numerous and diverse cultural influences are also acknowledged, the curriculum is often prescriptive and the child is viewed as becoming the ‘autonomous, self-reliant, productive and responsible citizen of tomorrow’ (Papatheodorou, 2010).

The Greek Preschool curriculum in existence since 1989, initially offered no assessment or inspection schemes but following curriculum revision in the 2000’s, the system, now much influenced by the English EYFS system, currently includes specific learning outcomes in Creativity as well as ranging across a variety of other subject areas including Maths and ICT.

Writing in 2010, Papatheodorou encapsulates two of the main approaches that exist within the complexities and variances in this comparatively new field of education. On one hand, the young child is viewed as an individual in a state of becoming with educational provision being offered for his future prosperity and well-being in society. On the other hand, the child is perceived as existing in a state of being where he develops to become a ‘competent, autonomous, resilient and well-rounded human being.’ (Papatheodorou, 2010).

With regard to the Irish context, both these approaches have undoubtedly influenced developments within Early Childhood Framework for Learning and the consequent 2009 production of the Irish curricular framework, Aistear. Firstly however, a brief overview of some relevant worldwide and national systems serves to situate the Tiny Voices programme.

Early childhood care and education in Finland follows an essentially Nordic model where care, education and instruction are combined and play is a central tool for children’s learning. Infants and young children go to daycare before going to school and at six years they can choose to attend actual pre-school education for one year. Activities there consist of learning the basics of reading and writing and developing social skills.

Offering a different approach to early years care and arts education in particular, is the Italian Reggio Emilia system, a programme dating from post World War Two, which places the interest of the child at the centre of its educational philosophy.

This environment views the childcarers and the parents as educational partners in the facilitation of the child’s learning and focus is placed on the child’s ‘being’, on child-led learning and the development of ‘creativity, imagination and the human capacity for problem solving’. (Malaguzzi, 1998)

There is a similar flexible approach to curriculum design in the Te Wha- riki system from New Zealand. Established in the 1990’s, this programme is the first bi-cultural curriculum to embrace the culture of the Maori people and it strives to develop the sense of ‘being and belonging’ in the child who will have ‘wings to participate globally, and roots to sustain his or her sense of self’ (Duhn, 2006).

Systems of early childhood care and education have been in existence in United States of America for over 80 years and the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) is the largest association in this field. Dedicated to improving the well-being of young children, the NAEYC centres on the quality of educational and developmental services for children from birth up to 8 years.

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The NAEYC’s mission and three major goals are identified as: 1 Bettering well-qualified practitioners 2 Improving the conditions where these professionals work 3 Improving early childhood education by working to deliver a quality system of support for early childhood programmes The NAEYC also publishes books, professional development materials and the scholarly journals, Young Children and Early Childhood Research, to inform professionals and parents about the latest research on educating young children.

In Canada, there is a variety of care and education programmes in current operation but for most Canadian children, entry to kindergarten at the age of 5 years represents the first organised early education experience. Developments in these pre-schools, where children spend one or two years, are influenced by the ‘child-centred’ philosophy and practice of the English system. They also include focus on the special needs associated with second language learners (English or French). Current discussion centres on both the effectiveness of assessment measures and the attainment of general objectives within early childhood education.

1.3.3 National Contexts The emergence of the Irish system of early care and education can be traced from the late 1990s when it was first recognised as the subject of major policy development and provision. The first national forum on this topic resulted in the publication of the 1999 White Paper Ready to Learn. This paper recommended the development of a specimen curriculum that integrated early childhood care and education and defined the age bracket of the children concerned as 0 to 6 years. 2001 saw the development of a background paper entitled Early Childhood Framework for Learning which outlined a single curriculum for the 0 to 6 years stage and which also explored issues relating to both Irish and International childhood care.

In 2005 a document containing the vision, the aims and model for the developing curriculum, entitled Towards a Framework for Early Learning, was published. Contents of this paper which are relevant to this project, include: BB Emphasis on the educative nature of care and the caring nature of education BB The crucial role of play and the creative arts BB Support for parents as early educators BB Acknowledgment of the principles of cultural diversity BB The significance of the voices of young children

As on-going development continued, planning was informed through research by the voices of the children themselves and supported by other studies and background papers. At the same time the Centre for Early Childhood Development was establishing a quality assurance programme for the Department of Education and Science. Entitled Síolta, this framework was launched in 2006 to raise awareness in the sector and to define, assess and support the improvement of quality across all aspects of practice in early childhood care and education.

In 2009, the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) launched the Aistear framework, one of the most important milestones in the development for early childhood and care in Ireland. Four main themes embody the underlying approach in this curriculum.

BB Well-being BB Identity and Belonging BB Communicating BB Exploring and Thinking

The synthesis and integration of these Aistear principles within the musical experience of the child is one of the central aims of the Tiny Voices pilot (see section 4.2).

In general, while the Irish approach emulates the North American attempts to establish a nation-wide framework of early years care and education, it also espouses the development of creativity central to both the Reggio Emilia and the Te Wha- riki systems. It places value on the cultural, the sense of belonging, the awareness of the local environments and the use of Irish language and musical traditions.

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In particular, a number of arts development and early years practice models in Ireland have been piloted over the last five years (See opposite). These programmes highlight the desire by many organisations to develop artistic and creative potential at all age levels, but in particular to enhance these opportunities at the significant early years stage. Early Childhood Ireland, in its approach to Common Ground to partner an early years arts programme asked Common Ground to present its working methodologies; including long-term arts programming and artist’s residency models.

Two of Common Ground’s core programmes of arts development are studio 468 and Music For Me. Where they differ is studio 468 brings professional artists and community together in a 6 – 8 month residency through various art forms in a purpose-built artist’s studio located in a local community centre, whereas Music for Me took place and operated in partnership with community-based and managed after-school and homework clubs with professional musicians.

Reflecting the close links with Common Ground, the two physical locations of the Tiny Voices pilot are situated close to the site of Music for Me, in South West Dublin.

Music For Me Established in 2005, Music for Me was one of Common Ground’s core programmes of arts development. It was a partnership initiative between three local Homework Clubs in Dublin 8, a primary school in Dublin 12 and professional musicians. Music for Me facilitates the experience of exploring musical genres and offering whichever type of music that appealed to the children involved. The participating musicians collaborate with homework-club staff and children in an atmosphere of joyful participation.

Weekly and seasonal sessions involving elements of listening, performing and responding took place from 2005 – 2012. studio 468 studio 468 is an artist’s studio located in a community centre, St Andrew’s in Rialto, Dublin 8.

A high quality purpose-built space, it is managed and funded by Common Ground in partnership with the Rialto Development Association. Since 2003 over seventeen artists have been awarded residencies in studio 468. Artists awarded residencies have initiated and developed a wide range of arts projects with local community groups and individuals in the Rialto area. Some of the artists who have been resident have gone on to build national and international reputations in the fields of visual arts, music, dance and theatre.

The BEAG Project Located in Cork city and county, BEAG is a large-scale, practice-based research project which involved three artists working in the areas of Theatre, Visual Arts and Music respectively. It was implemented in various early childhood settings from January to May 2011. Each of the settings was visited five times by the working team of three artists and the children involved were as young as eight months old.

Kids’ Own – Virtually There ‘Virtually There’ is a long-term virtual artist-in-residence project, run by Kid’s Own and part-funded by the Arts Council of Northern Ireland. First established in Co Down in 2007, this project has extended throughout Northern Ireland and in its 2011/12 session, it has moved further afield, being piloted for the first time in partnership with South Dublin County Council Arts Office. Located in the Junior National School Tallaght, South Dublin, this scheme employs the use of video-conferencing technology to explore the potential for creative engagement between artists working from their own studios and children working in the primary classroom.

Early Learning Initiative at NCI Working from a different perspective, the Early Learning Initiative at the National College of Ireland undertook the training of early years practitioners to support children and their families experiencing social and economic disadvantage. From 2007 to 2010, in a group of 11 community centre facilities located adjacent to Dublin’s Docklands, these partnerships were developed with parents to support the child’s learning. Though not focusing specifically on arts development, this three-year project is significant in its approach to parental involvement and engagement with learning processes at this important early-years stage.

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TINY VOICES – A DESCRIPTION

2.1 Implementation and Timeline of the Programme 2006 – 2010

2011

Exploratory ideas for an Early Years Arts initiative in Common This led to Common Ground and Early Childhood Ireland Ground were first floated in 2006. However plans to deliver working together to design a locally based music programme such a programme were hindered by a combination of limited for the Early Years. Common Ground advanced the human resources and funding. development and implementation of the pilot by contracting During 2010, funding opportunities for early years an Early Years research role for 16 days in autumn 2011. With were advertised through various information sessions. support from the Director of Artistic Programme and the Arts Subsequently informal discussions emerged between Development Worker a feasible Early Years pilot proposal was Common Ground’s Director of Artistic Programme and Arts developed and the working alliance between Common Ground Development Worker, and the Head of Practice from Early and Early Childhood Ireland was expanded on and agreed.

Childhood Ireland (ECI). These discussions led to the proposal BB By the end of 2011, the partnership constituted Common to develop a joint creative early years arts programme. It was Ground (lead partner) with Early Childhood Ireland, and agreed to focus solely on music as the core art form of the Tiny The Base.

Voices pilot because of Common Ground’s well-established and BB The Early Years Advisory Group was formed, the successful arts programme Music For Me. framework of the pilot’s aims and objectives were developed and the broad parameters of its research planned. Common Ground proposed that the pilot’s duration would extend, with the two musicians working over a total of 16 weeks in the respective settings in order for research to take place.

BB

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In addition Common Ground secured the commitment of associate research partners, St Patrick’s College Drumcondra and the music department of University College Cork.

BB

In the late autumn of 2011, a public call was made to musicians and applicants were interviewed.

BB

In parallel, the location and examination of suitable and appropriate childcare settings was jointly undertaken by Common Ground and Early Childhood Ireland and The Base and Goldenbridge Day Nursery were selected as pilot sites

2012 The Early Years Advisory Group continued to meet and their deliberations and responses informed the development and framework of the pilot’s aims and objectives, as well as the parameters of the research and its proposed outcomes.

January

two musicians were awarded the pilot residency, subject to confirmation of funding.

February on-going funding applications were submitted by Common Ground to support the initial roll out of the pilot. Bodies providing this assistance included the Irish Youth Foundation, The Katherine Howard Foundation and the Ballyfermot Partnership.

March

the Tiny Voices pilot begins

At the outset, Common Ground held a series of meetings in both childcare settings. These included: BB

Meeting, consulting with and outlining the Tiny Voices pilot with the staff of both facilities

BB

Introductory meetings with the parents of the children participating in the pilot outlining the pilot and the purpose of the research and audio visual documentation process

BB

Introductions to the two musicians and the researcher to the childcare staff and parents

BB

Presentation of the image-use guidelines that was relevant to both the audio-visual documentation and research of the pilot.

Thereafter the musician’s visits continued on a weekly, sometimes twice weekly basis, and the researcher and the documenters were given access to a selection of between four and six sessions in each location. The culmination of the project was marked in both centres by an informal participatory celebration involving all interested parties, including the parents.

2.2 Methodologies and Evidence Sources The methods utilised to collect data in this research study followed the subsequent pathways: 1

Observation visits to the music sessions

2 Semi-structured group and one-to-one interviews 3 Informal discussions 4 Semi-structured telephone conversations 5 Semi-structured on-line communication 6 Focus group meetings 7 Audio-visual documentation

2.2.1 Observation Visits Since one of the main aims of this research was to uncover and voice the children’s experience, the field-note report of the observation visits to the two settings is of central importance.

Non-verbal communication and interaction between children, musicians and childcare workers, was captured in this manner.

In addition, all visits were recorded on audiotape with the researcher being allowed further access to the professional audio documentation of a selection of five musical sessions from each centre.

At Centre A the researcher made four visits, each lasting over one and a half hours while at Centre B, the six observation visits each lasted approximately one hour.

2.2.2 Meetings with Parents

2.2.5 Analysis of Data

In both settings there were meetings with parents. The first was introductory and informal in nature and involved attendance of the Director of Artistic Programme, Common Ground, the musicians, managerial staff and some childcare practitioners as well as the parents. This session outlined the purpose and nature of the research and audio visual documentation and how it would be used and shared in the future. It asked parents to consider consent for image and sound use.

The second meeting with parents occurred when the researcher was introduced and parental consent was sought for image and sound use was agreed. Parents were given a number of weeks to consider their agreement to consent.

Signed consent forms were submitted approximately four weeks after the pilot began and prior to the research / audio visual documentation process.

The third meeting with parents was held as part of the final music sessions in both settings. In this instance the parents joined in the musical activities and also remained afterwards to contribute through informal conversations and discussion with the researcher.

After each observation session, the researchers confidential audiotape documentation was transcribed and reflective memos were written. The emerging insights were collated for a mid-session report to the Early Years Music Advisory Group and subsequently shared with the musicians and the childcare practitioners in small group discussions and the one-to one informal interviews. The field notes were also expanded with information from the documenter’s audio recordings. In this instance the professional multi-track tapes proved an invaluable aid in the capturing of quieter musical and conversational data that may have been lost in the general volume of group musical activities.

Following transcription the data, which was mostly qualitative, was analysed utilising three-part coding methods as outlined by Richards (2005).

2.2.3 Meetings with Musicians Meetings between the researcher and the musicians were regular, occurring at each observation session and also often at the ensuing daily review sessions. This contact was augmented by semi-structured telephone conversation, online communication and semi-structured questionnaires, (for example, the questionnaire which assessed general progress halfway through the programme). In addition, the informal focus group discussions after the final session in both locations yielded rich data.

8 Descriptive Coding: Findings were organised using a quasi-narrative approach 9 Topic Coding: Material was then arranged according to various themes or topics 10 Analytical Coding: Categories were then coded into an evolving structure based on the researchers on-going interpretation of the findings.

Members of the Research Steering Committee supervised this work.

The settings with facilities that met the standards required by this partnership were The Childcare Unit in The Base Youth and Childcare Centre, Ballyfermot, Dublin 10 and the Goldenbridge Day Nursery, located near the primary and secondary schools in Inchicore, Dublin 8.

2.2.4 Meetings with Childcare Practitioners & Others All childcare practitioners were encouraged to give their impressions and views in one-to-one semi-structured discussions with the researcher. Further meetings of a similar nature were arranged with the Director of Artistic Programme, the centre manager of The Base and the facility managers in both locations.

The Director of Artistic Programme Common Ground, the Head of Practice Early Childhood Ireland, and the Chairperson of the Early Years Advisory Group provided information in a variety of ways, by informal discussion, telephone conversation and through on-line communication.

2.3 The Two Settings: Outlines, Processes and Systems 2.3.1 The Base

2.3.2 Goldenbridge Day Nursery

The Base Ballyfermot Youth Centre and Childcare Facility was established to support children and young people living in Ballyfermot and the surrounding areas. In the words of the Centre Manager ‘it is a unique facility that offers a number of programmes and services under one roof’. Operating in a newly constructed 12,000 square foot facility the Base provides a Youth Health Service, a Youth Work Programme, a Teen Support Programme as well as a Childcare Service for 32 full-time and 16 part-time places for children of young parents engaging in education, training employment and other Base activities.

In The Base the group of 14 children aged between 3 and 4 and half years used their ‘Jungle Room’ (an L-shaped room), and also sometimes accessed a larger theatre-type hall. Music sessions lasted between 40 minutes and one hour and took place every Thursday and also sometimes on Tuesdays or Fridays. The musician, Thomas, collaborated with childcare worker Leon, childcare trainee Catherine and childcare assistant Kemi. Resources included classroom furniture, cushions, a percussion box of instruments and many other musical instruments provided by the musician.

Sr. Cecily Magee of the Sisters of Mercy established Goldenbridge Early Childhood Development Service in September 1984. In January 2009, the management was transferred to The Daughters of Charity. At present the nursery maintains numerous links with the community especially with the Our Lady of Lourdes National School where most of the attending children progress for their primary education.

In this instance, 9 children participated in the music programme the group’s average age being just over 4 years. The musician Eamon collaborated with childcare worker Siobhán, and they were assisted at different times by CE staff Margaret and Happy both employed by St Michael’s Community Employment Scheme. The purpose-built activities room was divided into areas: for example, a music performing area, a quiet area and a hexagon table for ‘circle time.’ In this setting also, the facility resources of tuned and non-tuned percussion instruments were augmented by a variety of instruments brought to the sessions by the musician. Music sessions in this centre lasted between one and a half and two hours taking place on Thursday mornings and also sometimes on Tuesdays.

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2.4 The Two Artist Musicians: Profiles In discussion with the Chairperson of the Early Years Music Advisory Group, one of the principal topics was the sourcing of suitable musicians for the Tiny Voices project. The care with which artist musicians were located was a foremost concern with attributes such as ‘vision’, ‘personality’ and ‘suitable qualifications’ featuring largely in the relevant conversations.

For such a programme, impressive instrumental and organisational skills were deemed vital. But so also was the propensity to facilitate communication and interaction, and the ability to respond and change direction spontaneously with musical empathy and integrity.

A description of work with the children from one of the chosen musicians encapsulates this characteristic situation, Their concentration is quite amazing if you don’t tell them what to do. Once it’s coming from inside it’s quite phenomenal! If I was saying “it would be great if you just played the triangle like this” … then I’ve lost them!

2.4.1 Profiles The two musicians participating in Tiny Voices are highly qualified, with experience of supervising, lecturing and teaching that ranges from pre-school to third-level. Both enjoy considerable and varied recording and performing practice, they are versatile and they perform freely in styles apart from their own specialisation. In Centre B, for example, the Irish traditional piper/flautist can play excerpts from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite on keyboard while in Centre A, the Early Music lute / guitarist sings Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’ to his ukulele accompaniment or joins in a samba drumming activity.

Both musicians have a wealth of previous professional experience and have worked with young and preschool children in various arts programmes involving dance, drama, movement and literacy as well as community health. This involvement extends beyond Dublin, to other Irish city centres, universities and hospitals, and outspreads internationally to Wales, France and Italy as well as to China and United States of America. The artists continue to disseminate their own work, giving workshops and presentations and attending conferences and festivals.

“Their concentration is quite amazing if you don’t tell them what to do.

Once it’s coming from inside it’s quite phenomenal! If I was saying “it would be great if you just played the triangle like this” … then I’ve lost them!”

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In short, an inherent flexibility and versatility rests at the core of the professional approach utilised by both musicians in Tiny Voices. This fosters their ability to respond and create on the spot with integrity, to reflect and to continually mould the session material, ‘to the moment – when the moment arises – and allow the music the children generate to lift off too’ (Glover 2000).

ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS

3.1 The Aims and Objectives Tiny Voices from the perspective of the Children, the Professionals and the Parents The children’s involvement with music lies at the heart of this report but it is also incumbent to explore the three main aims set out by the research brief.

This section will begin with a brief summary of the aforementioned aims (see appendix 6.2 for the formal outline). It will then continue with an account of the experiences of the children which links specifically to the Aistear principles: Well-being; Identity and Belonging; Communicating; and Exploring and Thinking. The remaining segments will chart the impact of Tiny Voices on the musicians, the childcare practitioners and the parents.

In the facilitation and delivery of Tiny Voices it was anticipated that a ‘community of practice’ would emerge; with the children, the musicians, the childcare practitioners and the parents all participating in the exchange and sharing of knowledge.

A second aim was the promotion of enquiry and creative modes of expression and communication in children through the dominant art form of music.

This experience would link directly to the Aistear themes (Well-being, Identity & Belonging, Communicating, and Exploring & Thinking).

Thirdly, it was recommended that research information and documentation from Tiny Voices would be widely distributed regionally and nationally to the relevant early years and arts sectors, so that exemplars of ‘music in practice’ could be shared.

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2.4 The Two Artist Musicians: Profiles In discussion with the Chairperson of the Early Years Music Advisory Group, one of the principal topics was the sourcing of suitable musicians for the Tiny Voices project. The care with which artist musicians were located was a foremost concern with attributes such as ‘vision’, ‘personality’ and ‘suitable qualifications’ featuring largely in the relevant conversations.

For such a programme, impressive instrumental and organisational skills were deemed vital. But so also was the propensity to facilitate communication and interaction, and the ability to respond and change direction spontaneously with musical empathy and integrity.

A description of work with the children from one of the chosen musicians encapsulates this characteristic situation, Their concentration is quite amazing if you don’t tell them what to do. Once it’s coming from inside it’s quite phenomenal! If I was saying “it would be great if you just played the triangle like this” … then I’ve lost them!

2.4.1 Profiles The two musicians participating in Tiny Voices are highly qualified, with experience of supervising, lecturing and teaching that ranges from pre-school to third-level. Both enjoy considerable and varied recording and performing practice, they are versatile and they perform freely in styles apart from their own specialisation. In Centre B, for example, the Irish traditional piper/flautist can play excerpts from Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite on keyboard while in Centre A, the Early Music lute / guitarist sings Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’ to his ukulele accompaniment or joins in a samba drumming activity.

Both musicians have a wealth of previous professional experience and have worked with young and preschool children in various arts programmes involving dance, drama, movement and literacy as well as community health. This involvement extends beyond Dublin, to other Irish city centres, universities and hospitals, and outspreads internationally to Wales, France and Italy as well as to China and United States of America. The artists continue to disseminate their own work, giving workshops and presentations and attending conferences and festivals.

In short, an inherent flexibility and versatility rests at the core of the professional approach utilised by both musicians in Tiny Voices. This fosters their ability to respond and create on the spot with integrity, to reflect and to continually mould the session material, ‘to the moment – when the moment arises – and allow the music the children generate to lift off too’ (Glover 2000).

“He had the whole place going ... it was nearly a Samba rhythm not straight (complicated with LatinAmerican cross rhythms) and he just kept on doing “Their concentration is quite amazingit.ifThe whole building was you don’t tell them what to do. in on it ... Looking ... walking Once it’s coming from inside it’s quitepast us ... and he stayed phenomenal! If I was saying “it would be completely solid all the way great if you just played the triangle like through ...it (the rhythm) this” … then I’ve lost them!” didn’t wander at all.”

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ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS

3.1 The Aims and Objectives Tiny Voices from the perspective of the Children, the Professionals and the Parents The children’s involvement with music lies at the heart of this report but it is also incumbent to explore the three main aims set out by the research brief.

This section will begin with a brief summary of the aforementioned aims (see appendix 6.2 for the formal outline). It will then continue with an account of the experiences of the children which links specifically to the Aistear principles: Well-being; Identity and Belonging; Communicating; and Exploring and Thinking. The remaining segments will chart the impact of Tiny Voices on the musicians, the childcare practitioners and the parents.

In the facilitation and delivery of Tiny Voices it was anticipated that a ‘community of practice’ would emerge; with the children, the musicians, the childcare practitioners and the parents all participating in the exchange and sharing of knowledge.

A second aim was the promotion of enquiry and creative modes of expression and communication in children through the dominant art form of music.

This experience would link directly to the Aistear themes (Well-being, Identity & Belonging, Communicating, and Exploring & Thinking).

Thirdly, it was recommended that research information and documentation from Tiny Voices would be widely distributed regionally and nationally to the relevant early years and arts sectors, so that exemplars of ‘music in practice’ could be shared.

Tiny Voices – an Early Years Music Research Report

15

2.4 The Two Artist Musicians: Profiles In discussion with the Chairperson of the Early Years Music Advisory Group, one of the principal topics was the sourcing of suitable musicians for the Tiny Voices project. The care with which artist musicians were located was a foremost concern with attributes such as ‘vision’, ‘personality’ and ‘suitable qualifications’ featuring largely in the relevant conversations.

For such a programme, impressive instrumental and organisational skills were deemed vital. But so also was the propensity to facilitate communication and interaction, and the ability to respond and change direction spontaneously with musical empathy and integrity.

A description of work with the children from one of the chosen musicians encapsulates this characteristic situation, Their concentration is quite amazing if you don’t tell them what to do. Once it’s coming from inside it’s quite phenomenal! If I was saying “it would be great if you just played the triangle like this” … then I’ve lost them!

Tiny Voices — an Early Years Music Research Report

A co-publication by Common Ground and St Patrick’s College In short, an inherent flexibility and versatility rests at the 2.4.1 Profiles in collaboration with core of the professional approach utilised by both musicians The two musicians participating in Tiny Voices are highly Early Childhood Irelandin and TheVoices.

Base This fosters their ability to respond and create Tiny qualified, with experience of supervising, lecturing and in association with teaching that ranges from pre-school to third-level. Both enjoy on the spot with integrity, to reflect and to continually mould The School of Music andthe Theatre, UCC session material, ‘to the moment – when the moment considerable and varied recording and performing practice, arises – and allow the music the children generate to lift off they are versatile and they perform freely in styles apart from A research commission written by too’ (Glover 2000). their own specialisation. In Centre B, for example, the Irish Mairead Berrill and commissioned by traditional piper/flautist can play excerpts from Grieg’s Peer Common Ground, September 2012.

Gynt Suite on keyboard while in Centre A, the Early Music lute / guitarist sings Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’ to his © 2013 Common Ground, ukulele accompaniment or joins in a samba drumming St Patrick’s College, Early activity.

Childhood Ireland and The Base Both musicians have a wealth of previous professional experience and have worked with young and preschool Report Design: an Atelier Project, Dublin children in various arts programmes involving dance, drama, www.atelier.ie movement and literacy as well as community health. This Printing: Print Media Services, Dublin involvement extends beyond Dublin, to other Irish city centres, universities and hospitals, and outspreads ISBN: 978-0-9539024-4-6 internationally to Wales, France and Italy as well as to China and United States of America. The artists continue to disseminate their own work, giving workshops and Common Ground presentations and attending conferences and festivals.

15 Tyrconnell Road Inchicore Dublin 8, Ireland T +353 (0) 1 707 8766 F +353 (0) 1 454 8311 E info@commonground.ie

“Their concentration is quite amazing if you don’t tell them what to do.

Once it’s coming from inside it’s quite phenomenal! If I was saying “it would be great if you just played the triangle like this” … then I’ve lost them!”

www.commonground.ie

14

ANALYSIS OF FINDINGS

3.1 The Aims and Objectives Tiny Voices from the perspective of the Children, the Professionals and the Parents The children’s involvement with music lies at the heart of this report but it is also incumbent to explore the three main aims set out by the research brief.

This section will begin with a brief summary of the aforementioned aims (see appendix 6.2 for the formal outline). It will then continue with an account of the experiences of the children which links specifically to the Aistear principles: Well-being; Identity and Belonging; Communicating; and Exploring and Thinking. The remaining segments will chart the impact of Tiny Voices on the musicians, the childcare practitioners and the parents.

In the facilitation and delivery of Tiny Voices it was anticipated that a ‘community of practice’ would emerge; with the children, the musicians, the childcare practitioners and the parents all participating in the exchange and sharing of knowledge.

A second aim was the promotion of enquiry and creative modes of expression and communication in children through the dominant art form of music.

This experience would link directly to the Aistear themes (Well-being, Identity & Belonging, Communicating, and Exploring & Thinking).

Thirdly, it was recommended that research information and documentation from Tiny Voices would be widely distributed regionally and nationally to the relevant early years and arts sectors, so that exemplars of ‘music in practice’ could be shared.

Tiny Voices – an Early Years Music Research Report

15

3.2 The Children 3.2.1 Music for the Young Child: An Enriching Interface WELL-BEING: The propensity of the child to become engrossed in the process of making music, creating music or exploring the means by which the musical sound is produced, is a common feature of these sessions. According to Custodero (2005), the self-growth that results from this type of ‘being with’ the pursuit in a flowing, explorative journey can lead to higher levels of self-esteem. The children appear to remain absorbed ‘in the moment’ seeming to ‘become’ the music. Gluschankof (2003) suggests,

It is possible that children make use of filters that allow them to screen out all external stimuli not related to their playing, when such playing is generated by their own initiative and interest

For example, 3-year old Joseph, who is very interested in building, spends up to 10 minutes playing the drums. He has built a ‘drum-kit fort’ and he tests and re-positions the different drums frequently.

Oliver on another occasion has hit on a rhythm that he seems to enjoy: He had the whole place going … it was nearly a Samba rhythm not straight (complicated with LatinAmerican cross rhythms) and he just kept on doing it. The whole building was in on it … Looking … walking past us … and he stayed completely solid all the way through … it (the rhythm) didn’t wander at all. – Musician

In these instances, the young children are in a supervised environment, but they are also agents of their own learning controlling how and when the activities begin and end. The following conversation demonstrates how Enda in the midst of a plethora of other musical sounds, is controlling the design of his ‘composition’.

Musician: Will we make up a tune together? Let’s do space!

Enda: How bout we make it a song, you know the song we did yesterday about monkeys.

Musician: I wasn’t here yesterday. Will we make a song about monkeys then?

The episode continues with Enda working with chime bars and the musician playing a ukulele accompaniment to their monkey song.

An alternative approach occurs in the Centre B music session. Here the musician introduces a Listening Box from which he produces a variety of percussion instruments. The children select one each and then they all play rhythms in a creative circle performance. Each child is asked to play a solo while all the others listen, absorbing the timbre of exotic instruments such as the thumb piano or the ‘magic’ miniature chimes. A type of musical conversational round ensues with the children often commenting on each other’s creative improvisation.

That was a loud one!

He played too long!

In addition, their capacity to be strong socially is developing as they wait to take their turn or voluntarily relinquish the performing limelight within the music-making group.

‘The Magic Maraca’ game is a further instance of child-centred music-making. Here the maraca is a conducting tool and, in a microcosm of group dynamics, the child ‘conductor’ makes decisions as he leads his peers, learning to control the quality of the group performance: sometimes loud music or sometimes silence.

When his turn comes to an end, he must then change his approach and learn to obey the new ‘conductor’.

There is a striking amount of physical energy expended by all involved in the numerous action-songs.

Musicians, child care practitioners and children alike contort in a comic pose for ‘The Button Song’, they dance the boogie, play tag with a drum, travel ‘at speed’ in a magic train or beat the rhythms of ‘Skip to my Lou’.

At other times, in contrast, the children are encouraged to be aware of the quiet, the gentle and the spiritual. One musician elaborates, I get wrapped up in the momentum and I have to consciously relax and allow more time … to have a chat … to have space in the session. I love the idea of contrast, from the business to the quiet time.

An interesting picture of the children’s’ growing response to such quiet times is captured by the second musician, We tried it one week and they got a little bored, the second time it was a little better and the third time I played a complete piece of Bach! … They have no preconceptions … they are not going to think a piece of Bach is difficult!

3.2.2 The Self and the Musical Self In the Tiny Voices sessions, foundational development of self-identity can frequently be observed in the musical and social relationships between the young children and the adults that they trust and admire. With the musicians and the carers, the children sing, dance, and enjoy make-believe musical scenarios, these activities all the time providing evidence of the sense of ‘self’ and also developing the understanding of ‘self-other’. (Lamont, 2002, p. 41) In his discussion of the formation of identities in early childhood, Edmiston, (2008, p.88) has this to say: IDENTITY AND BELONGING:

Young children’s primary cultural identity is being a member of their family and at a later time, being a member of a childcare group or pre-school classroom.

He stresses the importance of the ‘countless shared activities’ in which children and adults engage and he explains how children’s identities become ‘figured’ as it becomes clear to them ‘how we do things’ or ‘why we do this’.

Here in the Tiny Voices sessions, young musical identities are emerging as the children learn to discriminate musically and co-ordinate their performing gestures.

I want to play the Crocodile xylophone!

He’s copying me. I want him to be quiet!

I want to play your flute.

Awareness of the ‘self’ and ‘self other’ seems built into call and response songs such as ‘Have you brought your speaking voice?’ or musical echo conversations and turntaking activities such as ‘Pass the Beanbag’ and numerous other musical circle-time activities. A centre manager might join in a musical game asking the child to, Open your ears … now listen for the sound. Tell me, which instrument is making that sound?

and continue, affirming the child’s musical identity, Yeah, you got it right there … Well done!

16

Children are frequently asked to help, to bring out the instruments or to sit in a song circle and they are then praised for good behaviour. Their opinions are sought regularly with simple questions such as, What type of song will we sing after snack time, a loud one or a soft one?

What (musical theme) will we do next week?

Will we go down the garden next week?

As well as affirming the children’s self-perception as learners, these queries scaffold the young child’s literary development.

In this instance, for example, the children explore and stretch their vocabulary as they relate to the musical features of a song or in discussion of the future musical sessions, they develop modes of language in the future tense.

One group is encouraged to set their experience of a primary school visit to music in a composition entitled, ‘The Big School Song’. As they discuss possible lyrics for verse two, a rich and meandering conversational journey emerges.

Musician: What are you going to do in Big School?

Joseph: Play!

Clive: and learn!

ChildCarer: What are you going to learn?

Children: Learn to play … to do homework … play outside!

Musician: What else are you going to do?

Children: Lunch! … But they don’t have a Brenda!

(The catering lady) ChildCarer: Who will make the lunch then?

Clive: I know … their mums … their mums and dads and aunties will make their lunch Carer: Yeah and put it in their school bags Carol: I like ham … and jam

Their priorities are obvious as they sing about playing outside and saying goodbye to the lady who served them daily lunch but moreover, a sense of belonging to a special group that is moving from pre-school to ‘Big School’ is also being affirmed.

A sense of the young ‘musical self’ or performer is encouraged in simple games such as 1,2 – Mary, a short melody which is bounced to Mary who responds 1,2 – Cathal passing it on to her friend, or in a simple gestural activity that exhorts the children to Touch your knees, touch your toes Breathe in deep, breathe out slow

Towards the closure of the programme, the parents are invited to join the final music sessions. Edminston’s statement that being a member of the family forms children’s primary cultural identity, is fully evidenced here with the children offering information such as, Mam and Dad are coming next week!

At the final Tiny Voices session the parents do participate.

Here the audio documenter records his reaction to the children’s proud portrayal of their own learning.

It felt like they wanted to say to their parents, ‘I’m involved here and I’m going to show you how I’m involved!’ – Audio documenter 20/07/12

With the parents in attendance, it is now the children’s turn to become observers and they watch out specifically for the reactions of Mum, Dad or Grandma. During the video of the group’s performance of Peter and the Wolf, the children regularly look around, glancing at or running to their parents as they shout ‘That’s me!’ or ‘There’s Mary!’ In a final energetic performance of the ‘Button Song’ Anne pulls out her mum to join in the dancing. It emerges later that she has taught the song to her mum after only two performances of the activity.

3.2.3 Music Connects COMMUNICATING: In itself, music is a powerful means of communicating, through which young children can share emotions, intentions and meanings in a non-verbal but nonetheless efficient manner.

In the Tiny Voices programme the children communicate through music and also respond as the music communicates to them. They react to purely musical stimuli as, for example, when a gentle session conveys peace and becomes a space where they can learn the colours of the moving scarves or when they can lie calmly and listen to a Bach Prelude played on guitar. They dance when an African melody is played on low whistle and the musician asks, ‘what do you feel like doing to this?’

On the other hand, when the music becomes lively and a boogie-woogie begins, it inspires a different sort of kinaesthetic communication, encouraging the children to ‘jive’ and laugh and sing ’Shake and shake and rock n roll’ with happy abandon or to giggle as they and their carers push limbs, noses and tongues into all sorts of comic contortions in the ‘Button Song’ (a variation on the ‘Hokey Pokey’).

Blacking states, ‘music is an outward sign of human communication’, (1969, p.31) and that it achieves it’s meaning through social uses. In Tiny Voices there are numerous instances where this socio-musical communication demonstrates a type of honest and reciprocal human interaction between the children, the musicians and their carers.

In one centre, a group performance of the ‘Big School Song’ elicits an enthusiastic response: all are participating and the documenter’s microphone, which is passed around, gives each child a chance to perform the chorus as a ‘pop solo’.

The children are working efficiently within the pitch and rhythmic parameters of the music; the ‘self’ and the ‘selfother’ are being transformed by the language of the song and dynamic musical communication is fully present already.

Additionally however, and by chance, the solo performances with the microphone also record by turn the children’s individual stages of speech and language development and it becomes obvious that, as Bruner suggests (1999), such exchanges in various pre-verbal stages are the models and supports from which the actual structures of speech and language can emerge.

The repetitions of the song lyrics, as well as supporting the developing musical identities of the children, have become a conduit to the development and practice of speech.

There is a different mood, around the hexagon table, as the group sing a simple call and response song ‘have you brought your singing voice, your clapping hands or your teeth and freckles?’ As well as encouraging a musically rhythmic and pitched answer, this musical activity is developing body language, co-ordination, facial expression and confidence. The childcare practitioner describes the development of one little boy, Some of the children are quite quiet … and the musician introduced a singing game … He would sing the question and they would sing the response … and Joseph, he was not answering back … then all of a sudden he didn’t care who heard him!– Childcare practitioner, Centre A

In dramatic mime, the role-play of the children often reenacts and communicates life experiences and in this project, music as a non-verbal medium helps them make sense of many situations: for example the menace of the shark appearing near the ‘little fishy’ under the sea, or the fear of the glowering wolf who chases the duck in Peter and the Wolf.

In these sessions, the children experience the risk, the fear and the chase in a secure and supported environment. As one child confidently states as he leads the facility manager into a ‘scary’ listening time, ‘It’s OK to be scared. We’ll mind you!’

3.2.4 Voyages and Adventures: Musical Possibilities EXPLORING AND THINKING: In these music sessions a circular blue cloth is much more than it seems, as it becomes ‘the prop’ for a variety of different journeys. At one time, to the accompaniment of soft music, it is a calm sea with the children quietly ‘swimming’ all around. Then as the childcarers lift and flap it and the music increases the energy, the storm develops and the ‘little fishys’ all swim to their underwater safety (underneath the cloth). At the next session this same prop becomes a gentle shower in the jungle and when the downpour increases the children rush under the cloth, this time diving for cover, excited and laughing.

Similarly, in the imagination of the children ‘The Magic Maraca’ is also much more than percussion instrumenting.

It possesses magic powers in the hands of the various young ‘conductors’, rendering the room completely silent or whipping up a storm of energetic music where all are busy performing.

These musical activities can be construed as simple enjoyable games, which encourage participation, but on another level, they become more complex strategies for exploring various moods and emotions. For example, the young conductor needs to learn how to control his team (which includes all others in the room) and then decide on a follow-on and suitable musical strategy. In the calm sea, the young fishes may be enjoying life but they have to prepare for the unexpected arrival of the storm.

In another session, while a musical ‘magic train’ works as a useful tool for developing rhythmic accuracy, it also becomes the vehicle, which travels on many different levels, to other places, with a variety of passengers and altered musical accompaniment. In the hands of the musician and the carers, it journeys to wherever the child can pick up information; the zoo, the beach or the jungle, the children moving along and all the time exploring and making sense of their chosen destination.

At the close of one session, seated around a hexagon table with the contents of ‘The Treasure Bag’ spread before them, the children learn about small miniature objects by singing about them. As they describe blue dolphins, pink hearts and green jewels, repeating the musical lines, both their singing and their speech improve. In simple hide and seek hand games they become entranced by the small, miniature objects hidden in their hands and the accompanying soft and gentle accompanying sounds. True to his theory about repetition, the musician keeps this activity very regular but always includes something new thus encouraging continual new exploration and ever-widening vocabulary.

During the Tiny Voices pilot an atmosphere of musical and creative well-being permeates as the young children enjoy a variety of interactive experiences. They are participating in the songs and dance with ‘key others’ and through music they are communicating expressively and efficiently while at the same time developing elements of speech, literacy and numeracy. Their activities demonstrate how emotions can be communicated, how the ‘self’ and the ‘self-other’ can be transformed and enriched without words by the language of music. With musical imagination they can explore and journey to countless learning stations. At this stage, it is not necessary to be in possession of very proficient performing skills. It is only necessary that the children communicate and create with confidence, making sense through their making of music. (Hargreaves 1996 p.146).

Summary Table One: Tiny Voices and the Children Learning Outcomes for the Children

Aistear Principles

BB

Total absorption: ‘being in’ the process of making music and exploring sound; Development of social and psychological skills in musical group activities; Creative and spiritual experience of the energetic and the quiet times through music.

BB

Well-being

Development of sense of ‘self’ and ‘self-other’ in both individual performance and group music-making; Enhancement of the sense of ‘belonging’ in group musical activities; Awareness of self as a ‘young learner’.

BB

Identity and Belonging

Sharing of emotions, intentions and meanings in a creative and safe learning environment; Communicating through music and because of music.

BB

Communicating

Advancement of exploring, thinking, understanding, creative and imaginative problem-solving through the conduit of music

BB

Exploring and Thinking

BB BB

BB BB BB BB BB BB

Tiny Voices – an Early Years Music Research Report

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3.3. The Musicians As discussed in section 2.4, the musicians bring to this project a very defined and admirable set of teaching and performing skills. In addition, as outlined in this section and by their own admission, the nature of the activities in the Tiny Voices sessions leads them in new and different directions.

3.3.1 The Autonomy of the Child’s Learning Path Despite their diverse artistic practices, both musicians employ a great capacity to read the creative response needs of the exploring child. They both adjust the session material, taking leadership from the children and mixing art forms with ease in reply to the children’s spontaneous and intuitive response. Musician A speaking at the final session states, I have learnt that you can’t be prescriptive. You have to have some idea … basically we’re going in this direction.

Then it’s improvising really, to be able to let it happen.

Music education scholar and composer Murray Schaffer discussing the young child’s approach to the arts (1975), writes: For the child (of five) art is life and life is art. Experience for him is a kaleidoscopic and synesthetic fluid. Look at children playing and try to delimit their activities by the categories of the known art forms. Impossible!

Schaffer scorns the idea of the ‘little bag called music’ and another ‘little bag called painting’ and he outlines ‘the total sensorium’ inherent in the child’s learning experience at this stage.

These sentiments are echoed in the Tiny Voice sessions, At the stage they’re at, they can see the instruments as toys. They’re not afraid to experiment with them … build a tower with them … I’ve seen it again and again … lo and behold in one minute they’ve self-corrected or they’ve found a way to get a sound … and they’ve done that without anybody telling them!– Musician

According to Papatheodorou (2009), learning at this stage is a co-creative process, with the young child and the adult embarking on a journey together. The adult remains the knowledgeable one but the knowledge is facilitative – there is no clearly pre-determined path.

During the pilot, both musicians felt that it was important to develop this reciprocal ‘always at the ready’ musical response, changing the direction of the musical context as the needs of the children emerged. Shifting moods and atmospheres meet with reflex-type response, the musical communication coloured by the particular instrumental talent of each musician. As a result, the planned course or narrative of the music or the song is often altered in a seemingly spontaneous change that masks attentive listening and an on-the-spot adjustment. For example, in one Sea Song when the musician senses the level of interest and engagement is dropping he produces a small whistle and performs a piece representing the seagull’s swooping flight, thus re-capturing the attention of the children. In another instance, the game with a young boy running into the music corner is transformed into a ‘musical tag’ activity with drums and rhythmic echoes, all in a matter of seconds.

18

3.3.2 Movement and Sound Though working in different settings with varied professional skills, both musicians frequently take advantage of the innate link between movement and musical sounds.

The deep-rooted connection between moving and ‘sounding’ is of prime importance as a source of young children’s musical expression. These parallel modes of time-based activity seem to be intrinsically connected. – Glover 2000

In Centre A from as early as session three in March, young children are exploring the growth cycle of a tree through the seasons – lying crouched and sleeping as trees in winter to the sound of crackling ice (paper), then growing gradually and waving fruit-shaped maracas to a major scale played on chime-bars and finally dancing in the wind, to mouth music and the ‘growing’ song, ‘Oats and Beans and Barley’.

The larger group in Centre B have an equally enthusiastic and active response, sitting and singing softly to ‘The Beautiful Rain’ song then dancing excitedly under a blue canopy as the rain becomes a storm, increasing in intensity.

In the early sessions, some of the quieter children chose to sit and observe these activities but with increased exposure and repetition of the songs changing moods, they gradually begin to participate and eventually engage enthusiastically. Their consequent pride in the ‘owning of the musical activity’ is especially notable when the parents come to support them and participate in the final session.

3.3.3 Repetition and Familiar Material Both musicians acknowledge the value of including the same musical material regularly, so it becomes familiar.

Even in the early sessions, the children frequently ask for particular songs again and again, also noting their absence with statements such as ‘You didn’t do the Goodbye Song’ or ‘Where were the eggs (shakers) today?’

The ‘Seasons’ activity, for example is repeated four times with different role-play for each performance.

The associated song, ‘Oats and Beans and Barley’ is also repeated frequently with no loss of energy.

It is noted by both musicians and childcare practitioners that the children’s performing confidence and physical coordination increase with the repetition of the familiar, such as the ‘Good Morning’ song. They comment that the quieter children in particular benefit from such repetition, moving more and more from observation to musical participation.

The musicians also report that the children enjoy songs with predictable actions or predictable changes (for example the very loud ‘Pop’ in the ‘Pea Song’). Musician B outlines; Repetition is important. It anchors the sessions … but you must only repeat the right material’ … hit material.

There is no point in repeating material that doesn’t work.

In these sessions, he states, musicians must develop a sixth sense whereby they know as a leader when to stop repeating material,when to interrupt and when to scrap some material.

From his experience, musician A agrees and adds, Repetition is vital but there has to be a tiny amount of variation otherwise they get bored. ‘Ten Green Bottles’ is great … with the numbers there’s just enough change to keep them interested. They then get sucked in to something like a trance state.

3.3.4. Strong Contrasts, Fast Alterations and Gradual Changes Alternately the children in these musical sessions also enjoy change, particularly the strong contrasts inherent in dramatic musical alterations of volume and tempo. The musicians here demonstrate their ability to effect these almost instantaneous transformations in a variety of musical modes and in many songs. So, as the blue cloth is raised flapping, the ‘beautiful gentle rain’ becomes a dramatic rainstorm. At the move of an arm, the magic maraca changes the music from very loud to very quiet or to silent, and one beat from the triangle signals a sudden freeze; all in a matter of seconds.

One musician agrees that strong contrasts are effective; he comments that he has noticed how many subtleties in musical texture seem to also go unnoticed by the children.

They don’t individuate – it ’If you’re doing it I should be doing it too’. To ask one child to do something with triangle and another something else … No! But they do understand that boys and girls are different.

He describes how he capitalises on their gender difference to create successful arrangements incorporating strong contrasts where, for example, the girls sing one verse slowly then the boys sing the next one increasing the speed and volume.

Summary Table Two: Tiny Voices and the Musicians Learning Outcomes For Musicians

Positive Outcomes for Children

BB

Repetition of musical activities induces positive development and growth on different levels.

Music involving strong contrasts, and the element of surprise is also enjoyed by the children.

BB BB BB BB

Development of confidence, physical co-ordination, speech, literacy and numeracy; Social skills; Awareness of musical features such as tempo and dynamics.

BB

Programme planning should aim for adaptability and facilitation of children’s creative journey.

BB BB

Facilitation of intuitive, child-led learning and exploration; The enjoyment of learning through music.

BB BB

Musical activities develop sense of ‘self’.

They also encourage meaning-making in musical and non-musical areas

BB BB

Growth of ‘meaning-making’ from musical and social conversations.

Dramatic and musical role-play.

BB BB

Group musical activities anchor the session.

Material must be attractive to the children

BB BB BB BB

Importance of familiar musical material.

The security of the familiar.

The awareness of performing ‘self’.

Musical contributions to the performing team.

BB

3.3.5 The Element of Discovery In both settings the musicians have capitalised on the child’s joy of discovery and the opening of the present, the bag or the box to find the surprise.

In Centre B, the musician regularly brings with him ‘a Listening Box’ and for each session he produces a different instrument for examination. One morning he produces a Caxixi, (pronounced ka-she-she), which he has sourced on-line. The children demonstrate a clear recall in the ensuing sessions, remembering both performance details and pronunciation clearly. In another instance the magic chimes are introduced. The researcher observes; The children are sitting in a circle … The musician takes out the Listening Box. He opens it slowly and brings out a set of miniature chimes … ‘the magic chimes’ he calls them, hitting them gently … All the children are in rapt attention … he hits the pitches C, E and G of the C major chord … playing three Cs, three Es and three G. Then the children are asked to sing what he has played and to clap the simple three crotchet rhythm.

Next they all get a turn to perform a solo … in their own style. Matthew a very quiet boy really engages and plays an extra-long piece and Larry a more confident child says‘ ‘this performance is much too long!

The musician produces a brown box … Tom brings it over to the music area. All wonder what is in the parcel. Excited conversations: What is in it?

What shape is it? It’s in a bag. What colour is the bag? … Its orange. What’s in the orange bag?

It is a gift of a small ukulele to the group. Tom is very pleased and he is the first to play the new ukulele making up his own energetic strum pattern Ciara has moved back from the kitchen area, and is now also very interested. She wants to play too. More join in with toy guitars and bells … the performance is unstructured, the children making no differentiation between the real and the toy instruments but enjoying all variety of playing techniques.

As previously stated, despite the varied environments in each centre, the musical experiences as described by the childcare practitioners and the facility managers contain noteworthy resemblances.

Drawing from semi-structured interviews and the childcare practitioner’s reflections, the findings indicate that their experience within Tiny Voices has been overwhelmingly positive. Alongside declarations that the programme has been very enjoyable, the childcare practitioners make particular reference to the skill of the musicians.

I’ve enjoyed it. I’ve learned so much from Thomas … before we had instruments in the room and we really didn’t know what to be doing with them … but Thomas is great with the children! They absolutely love him. Like during the week, they’d be saying to me ‘Is Thomas coming today?’

It’s those little games that might only last a few minutes but what they get out of them, just changing things slightly … things that if you don’t have a musical background, you mightn’t think to do.

We’re delighted to have been part of it. We have musical instruments here but it’s very different having somebody who knows exactly what to do with them … the difference that Eamon can bring to it … just leading the children into the music!

In an earlier Centre A session, the musician has decided to focus on the ukulele as an instrument, that he has brought as a present to the group. This observation of his introduction of the ukulele has its own narrative:

Summary Table Three: Tiny Voices; New Directions for the Musicians The Musician as Artist

The Musician as Tiny Voices Facilitator

BB

Providing a rich musical environment using personal performing specialism

BB

Providing a rich environment for music-making with a variety of genres and instruments of different timbre and structure.

BB

Implementing planned scheme of performing and vocal activities.

BB

Facilitating opportunities for free musical play: Working as a performing partner following the children’s creative spontaneity: enabling and listening, as well as performing.

BB

Composing with pre-chosen musical ideas in pre-planned frameworks.

BB

Coping additionally with new ideas. small-scale musical pockets of learning, streams of ‘musical thinking aloud’ which blend performing, improvising and composing.

BB

Developing musical activities with the children.

BB

Linking the musical and the aural to the visual, the gestural, and to other areas in the pre-school curriculum: literacy and numeracy, speech and vocabulary development.

Tiny Voices – an Early Years Music Research Report

19

3.4 The Childcare Practitioners In the pre-school facility, the role of the childcare practitioner is central to the well-being and the overall development of the participating child. The impact of this work, which includes the capacity of the carer to monitor well-being, to offer support, to stimulate the young child’s thinking, to check interactions with peers and other adults as well as to encourage group participation at one instance and create space for the young individual at another, cannot be overestimated.

Papatheodorou writing on learning together in the early years, (2009) states that these sorts of interactions and communication are at the heart of a reflective and negotiative process that requires reciprocity, initiation and the sustaining of joint involvement episodes.

3.4.1 The Childcare Practitioners and the Musicians In the day-to-day running of the child care centre, it is most often the childcare practitioner who is the mainstay of the session, creating the occasions of learning, constructing new approaches and adapting existing opportunities. In the Tiny Voices pilot, the musician is an additional and very significant presence, so the nature of the working relationship between these two is of vital import to the pilot’s success.

Instances of easy and reciprocal collaboration between the children, the childcare practitioners and the musicians appear regularly in the practitioners accounts.

Eamon would come and ask me if we were doing numbers or shapes or whatever. So although we were concentrating on the music we were still able to get other stuff done.

Sometimes the collaboration is non-verbal, It’s great to notice the little things. Joseph sang a whole sentence and he sang out loud. And I’m trying to look at Eamon without saying anything!

The childcare practitioner are quick to recount experiences of their learning from the musicians. Their new approaches to creative methodologies and their plans for future music programmes all bear testament to the successfully implemented activities in the Tiny Voices music sessions.

Thomas has certain little routines that he’s doing … like he only introduces one new instrument a week. They love that! Before, I had a basket of instruments but this time I used one instrument. I hid behind Kema (the assistant) and they (the children) had to guess the instrument. That worked well. I’ve tried a few bits like that.

Eamon brought loads of instruments, little shakers and xylophones and what we are going to try to do now, is source some funds to increase our store. I was saying to Eamon, if we set up a designated area for music once or twice a week I think it would be of huge benefit. Eamon has promised to help me.

Both musicians have produced homemade recordings of their music and during the course of Tiny Voices the carers become familiar with this material. They then begin to implement it independently at times when the musicians are not present.

In the words of one facility manager, in online communication, weeks after the close of the project, The children continue to listen to and enjoy the train song put on CD for them. We are all really looking forward to the Complete CD Thomas is compiling for the children.

3.4.2 The Childcare Practitioners and the Children In the informal interviews, all three childcare practitioners speak with pride of the children’s achievements, sometimes recounting activities that are directly musical, sometimes describing the child’s development in other non-musical pursuits, where music has transferred into other day-to-day activities in the setting. Observations from both centres abound with statements from the practitioners such as,

Despite other commitments and a busy schedule, the childcare centre’s managers have also enjoyed personal contact with the children during the Tiny Voices programme. For example, the manager in Centre B proudly describes one little girl’s musical response, in particular the manner in which she could both identify and recognise the timbre of the tin-whistle in a new recording. In Centre A, the same sense of pride is evident. Here the manager speaks of joining a ‘quiet time’ listening session: Just yesterday when I went into the room and the tape (Peter and the Wolf) was on and Enda was there … he was just sitting there listening … he wanted to listen to it … and Carol, I was beside her and she was minding me … because they know the score and the scary music was happening and of course I was getting ‘scared’ … and a couple of other children just lay down there too and didn’t say anything at all.

In conversation with the musician at the final session in Centre B, the manager has this to say: You just played a beat and you gave it to Neil and he copied that exactly. I thought that was fascinating that he was able to listen to it and then copy it!

During the music session one child has put a number of bracelet type bells around his wrist, I ask him how many he has and he can count them for me … one after another!

Cathal would sometimes be very timid but without any prompting at all he just joined in!

For the first time he asked; ‘Can I borrow your book?’

Thomas took out the drum again last week and they were all literally clapping to the beat … we couldn’t believe how they got it straight away … you can really see it in them!

Eamon was singing with the boys and she (Ciara) was painting with her paintbrush in time to the music!

Children who were not vocal at all initially in some singing response games are now becoming more confident. One child in particular who wasn’t singing is now, albeit quietly.

Summary Table Four: The Childcare Practitioners, the Managers and Tiny Voices Learning Outcomes for Childcare Practitioners

Positive outcomes for Children

BB BB

Appreciation of the ‘good practice’ of the musicians; Adaption of these methods and ideas for independent future use.

BB

New creative methods and musical material, implemented across the curriculum, by the childcarers.

BB

Experience of a positive reciprocal working relationship in the creative arts field.

BB

Learning in a relaxed, creative, non-prescriptive and affirming musical environment.

BB

Understanding music as an efficient conduit to ‘learning’ in other areas; The importance of engagement in regular music-making sessions.

BB BB

Advancements in social skills; Physical co-ordination through musical activities.

Acknowledgement of music’s capacity to affect emotions, and to alter the atmosphere.

BB BB BB

Meaning-making; Role-play in a safe and supportive environment; Awareness of the sense of ‘musical self’ in group and solo musical activity

BB BB

20

3.5 The Parents With the experience and development of the young children as the central focus in Tiny Voices, it follows that the involvement of their parents is also of significant importance.

The relationship between the parents and the managers, the childcare practitioners and the musicians contributed considerably to the stress-free and relaxed implementation of the programme. Though as the Centre Manager of The Base explains, this type of involvement does not always happen.

I can see there was pretty good engagement of parents … because from experience, as I said, it could be hard enough … so they’ve obviously seen huge benefits for the kids … Parents can often be very, very wary about engaging with services … so it shows that we have a good relationship with them … they’re not afraid to engage.

As the sessions progressed, this easy manner of communication continued with short quotes of conversations colouring the statements of the childcare practitioners and the managers.

His Mam was actually saying to me on Monday, how much he enjoys it. She was saying she’d love to see it, (the session); because at home he’s actually making up songs … things he’s never done.

I remember one day … in passing comment one of the parents said to me ‘you have a new teacher in the room’ and I was going ‘ No we don’t!’ and she said Larry told me ’He’s called Thomas!’

Now he (Thomas) had only started and I was thinking that’s a great reflection on Thomas!

A significant selection of parents and grandparents who attended the introductory meetings voiced their support, and made relevant enquiries. They were also on hand to participate with the children in the final sessions. As well as singing and dancing and viewing a performance video, they stayed on to chat informally and to give their opinions. Their experience of the project is often viewed through the lens of their child’s experience.

Here they describe how from the start of the project, the Tiny Voices experience has impacted on their children.

They’re excited when they know it’s on … to go to school on that day

While in other cases parents voiced a sense of inadequacy relating to their lack of instrumental skills or knowledge of the musical activities.

He was singing and (the mum taps her knees and claps) and I wasn’t understanding him … Now I’ve seen them (the action songs) I know!

They’re asking, ‘Is Eamon/Thomas coming today?’

The musical experiences of the children have travelled home with the children, and the parents describe these musical responses with pride.

Cathal’s been singing an awful lot more the last few weeks really.

When Enda is listening to music, he can pick out the instruments … piano, guitar and stuff.

In some cases the musical activities within the session are re-enacted in the home, as one mum states,

Joe has a tin whistle but we don’t know how to play it. We just blow and make noises. We hope he’ll get it better.

When asked at the final session if they would like to be involved in another similar programme, a resounding ‘yeah’ was the response.

The musical activities are contributing in other areas also. Cathal’s Mum had this to say after participating in the final session, Cathal wouldn’t be good at sharing and waiting his turn, but now I can see … he did it today!

It’s really good for him to get that message!

She taught me ‘The Button Song’ two weeks ago!

And one grandmother announces, Every song we sang today, he did for us through the week at home. When he learns something new, he comes home and does it for you or tells you what instrument it is.

The parents also remarked on a noticeable increase in the children’s confidence.

It’s not just about the music. It brings them out of themselves … A very positive experience.

The father of a shy non-national boy pointed out, You know how he has to work on his speech.

Now he’s trying to sing and copy Thomas from time to time … on small instruments.

And at the final sessions, at the mention of the end of the programme, the parent’s statements attest to their appreciation of the Tiny Voices project.

I feel sad. An absolutely brilliant experience – It really is Thanks – it’s been cool. Enda has really enjoyed it!

Joseph’s a lot more confident at home.

Before, when there was music, he’d just sit there. Now he’s up dancing you know!

Some parents were in possession of a CD of the songs and pieces used in Tiny Voices and in some instances this resource had been well used.

One boy tells me he has a ‘DVD’ (a CD), with ‘Chick Chick Chicken,’ ‘Engine Number Nine’ and a song with flowers growing .The parents were given a CD with songs that were used and this little boy is obviously using it at home.

(Childcare Practitioner’s Diary, Centre A)

Summary Table Five: Tiny Voices and the Parents Parents Observations

Positive Outcomes for the Children

BB BB

Music as a means for communicating enjoyment; Music as a tool for the child’s development and learning.

BB BB BB

Development of self-esteem while performing music; Advance in musicality through regular performance; Creative and musical interaction in the home environment.

BB

Notable increase in child’s confidence.

BB BB

Maturing social skills; Developments in speech and language.

BB

Musical activities fostering improvements in other areas

BB BB

Social skills within group dynamics; Progress with linguistic skills.

Summary Table Six: The Parents, Further Developments and Tiny Voices Parents Observations

Suggestions for Future Developments

Aistear Principles (Parents and Children)

BB

Enthusiastic and positive response to Tiny Voices.

BB

A continuation of this model on a permanent basis.

BB BB BB BB

Well-being Exploring and Thinking; Communicating Identity and belonging

BB

Parent’s lack of familiarity with musical material, children’s songs and action songs.

BB

Workshops with parents on a regular basis throughout the programme.

BB BB BB BB

Well-being; Exploring and thinking; Communicating Identity and belonging.

BB

Parents lack of instrumental / vocal skills affecting interactive music-making in the home environment.

BB

Workshops including choreography of songs, rhythmic accompaniments, guitar / keyboard skills

BB BB BB

Well-being; Communicating Exploring and thinking.

Tiny Voices – an Early Years Music Research Report

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ACHIEVEMENTS SO FAR

4.1 Integration of Music into Childcare Settings Undoubtedly, the success of such an arts programme as Tiny Voices rests largely on its impact upon the children, the childcare practitioners, the musicians and the parents.

However the extent to which this programme integrates into the childcare settings and the nature of that assimilation is also important.

In this context, the comments of the facility managers attest to the very smooth integration of the project. The Operations and Childcare Manager of Centre B, in response to inquiries about the running of Tiny Voices, had this to say: I’ve had other programmes running here … and the integration of this programme to our service was very smooth in this case … the period of getting the musicians started … of them getting to know the kids … it all ran so smoothly I don’t know if that’s down to the people involved, the musicians or Common Ground who was driving it … but we never had any issues of anykind at all.

The ease with which the content of Tiny Voices (i.e. the musical activities) can be incorporated into other learning areas is also described.

Because it’s being integrated into the daily routine for the day, it’s there all the time. We don’t actually make a point of … ‘this is our music session’. It’s like when you’re trying to encourage language or develop social skills, you’re not going to sit down and say to them, ‘This is our language time’. It’s a whole integration, so it is amazing you know … if we could have him (the musician) all the time, it would be great!

It is also worthy of note that as well as integrating smoothly, the Tiny Voices musical material also spilled out into surrounding activities and other locations within the childcare settings. In this respect, an instance such as Oliver’s drumming is memorable but other incidents recounted by the childcare practitioners are also significant.

Within the musical material, certain popular songs or ‘hits’ have the capacity to attract and include other groups of children who are now learning the songs and actions.

The children continue to listen to and enjoy the train song Thomas copied onto CD for them. The staff in the next room, (where children are approximately two years old), also listen to the CD at circle time and make this into an activity with instruments, singing and the chairs as the train.

A suitable conclusion in this context comes from the hopes and wishes of a Childcare centre manager,

I was taking the children down for dinner when Eamon was here. He was leaving and I was saying ‘Bye Eamon’ and he sang ‘Bye children, see you next week’, and they all responded singing!

This is a very short-term project but … another couple of years and these children might be introduced to a couple of musical instruments and they might say, ’Oh, that sounds familiar … we did that!’ I think it’s developing a sort of knowledge base and, going forward, that bit of confidence to say ‘Yeah, we did that!’

One day Oliver and Clive and Tom were in the bathroom and they were having a conversation but they were singing it. It was like an opera!

Summary Table Seven: Integration of Music into Childcare Settings Integration of Musical Activities

Positive Outcomes for Children

BB

Smooth implementation and operation of the Tiny Voices programme with no issues of concern.

BB

Well-being

BB

Musical activities spreading into other classes and other locations within the settings.

BB BB BB BB

Well-being; Thinking and Exploring; Identity and Belonging; Communicating

BB

Musical activities transferred and assimilated seamlessly, illuminating young children’s learning and development in numerous other areas.

BB BB BB

Thinking and Exploring; Communicating; Well-being.

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4.2 The Integration of the Aistear Principles and Themes As outlined in Section One, the work of The Framework for Early Learning and the subsequent development of the Aistear curriculum is the result of up to ten years careful planning and consultation, from the first national forum in 1998, to the publication of the final curriculum document in 2009.

The content of this document, which can be distilled into four main principles: Well-being, Identity and Belonging, Communicating, and Exploring and Thinking, is of significant importance to all young children who are now entitled to one year’s pre-school care and education. These four themes also link clearly to the findings in this Tiny Voices report.

A summary of the relationships outlines and accounts that; Musical activities in the two childcare settings regularly describe the capacity of music and musical activities to affect emotion and mood. From the joy of some musical games and the security of the familiar ‘Hello’ and ‘Goodbye’ songs, to activities which can whip up the energy and encourage dancing and moving, to those which lower the intensity and induce the spiritual in a quiet space – all research observations and quoted dialogues in this context are imbued with a sense of well-being.

Music can illuminate the unique and the individual as well as strengthen the experience of the group. A child sings his name in a ‘Hello’ and the musician answers, I’m going to close my eyes and listen to your voice As the musical group huddles under the shelter of the blue cloth raincloud or parades majestically at the happy ending of Peter and the Wolf, this musical group becomes a social microcosm of life. In the words of the audio-documenter, The playschool here is their first social experience, for etiquette, that you’d need to learn. This teaches them that ... without teaching them. It’s just soaked in and then it’s something they can carry through their whole life.

Christopher Small states, Early music education is not only about music. It is a process wherein children explore life (1977).

The capacity of music to capture the imagination and illuminate the learning experience with fun, creativity and enjoyment has been enacted in many ways throughout Tiny Voices. Music as an art form is a dynamic ‘hands-on’ experience, and in the control of a qualified musical artist and with the support of the childcare practitioners, it can become a slipway into a sea of learning activities and new knowledge.

Also significant, is the capacity of musical activities to lock onto many other learning experiences and become the conduit through which the child as an individual or within a group, can explore new domains, can develop literacy or numeracy skills, can ‘travel’ to new situations and countries and can journey on a clearer and more meaningful pathway in his early experience of education.

4.3 Achievement of Research Aims Aim 1 – Practice and Exposure

Aim 2 – Integration of Music

Aim 3 – Policy Recommendations

The findings indicate clearly that Tiny Voices, an innovative and creative music programme was formed and delivered in the community childcare settings Dublin 8 and 10.

Knowledge was actively shared with all participating children and it was exchanged between the musicians and the childcare practitioners. In addition, emerging data leads to the conclusion that more workshops with the parents will lead to further dissemination of musical knowledge.

The two artist / musicians and all the children, (9 in group A and 14 in group B), were tracked individually both in the researchers observation field notes and in transcriptions of interview discussions with the relevant practitioners.

Music was found to be an art form that promotes enquiry and furthers creative modes of expression and communication. Furthermore, it was discovered that methodologies utilised in creative musical activities actively support the dissemination of knowledge and learning in many other areas across the Aistear curriculum.

Throughout the programme, the principles of Aistear: Well-being, Identity and Belonging, Communicating and Exploring and Thinking were linked clearly and consistently with the activities in the music sessions.

It is intended that the findings and evaluations of the research document be actively disseminated and shared to the wider arts sector.

Illustrated exemplars of ‘music in practice’ and learning in general emanating from Tiny Voices, will be available to the wider regional and national arts sectors for incorporation into further developments in this field.

“I’ve had other programmes running here... and the integration of this programme to our service was very smooth in this case ... the period of getting the musicians started ... of them getting to know the kids ... it all ran so smoothly I don’t know if that’s down to the people involved, the musicians or Common Ground who was driving it ... but we never had any issues of anykind at all.”

Tiny Voices – an Early Years Music Research Report

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PROPOSALS FOR FUTURE DEVELOPMENT

5.1

Local Proposals

The central proposal of the Tiny Voices report is the continuation of this successful model of creative and artistic support for pre-school children, as it has been developed under the aegis of the relevant stakeholders.

This report acknowledges the agency and auspices of the organisations involved regarding the development, the implementation and the supervision of Tiny Voices.

It recommends this model for on-going development of policy and strategy in the area of early childhood pre-school care and education.

The following propositions focus more specifically on issues emerging from the report findings and relate to developments both local and national.

5.2

1

A repeat of this programme for a longer period of time.

While both musicians acknowledge the value of this music programme lasting 16 weeks, it was felt that new ideas and sequential schemes, which were emerging organically (e.g. intermittent work with smaller groups of children, work combining music and colour), are now prematurely shelved.

2 Implementation of the programme in more than one setting.

This arrangement, worked in accordance with the musicians schedule, could lead to a more rounded experience for the musician and the children.

3 A series of local workshops for parents.

On-going interpretation of the findings advocates the following: a) A performance, (vocal and instrumental) workshop(s) b) A movement and musical co-ordination workshop(s) c) A series of ‘Enjoying musical participation with your child’ musical sessions 4 A follow-up study of the children involved in this pilot at specified intervals.

Both child care facility managers are very aware of the children’s impending move to primary school and speak of the possible impact of the Tiny Voices programme on their subsequent educational experiences.

If you can get them at that age, particularly in an area where there is disadvantage... if you can give them any stepping-stone, it’s going to help further their education when they get older. They need to get that. It’s just vital! – Centre Manager, Centre B

National Proposals

1. A professional course which qualifies musician/artists to 2. The nation-wide implementation of a model such as work with pre-school groups As discussed in the second Tiny Voices, where the creative arts integrate smoothly section, (2.4), the qualifications of the musician / artist and efficiently into cross-curricular pre-school care are of the utmost importance in this context. Work in and education. a pre-school arts project such as Tiny Voices requires a specified and versatile set of musical and teaching skills. Using this successful programme as a model and developing the examples of ‘music in practice’ contained therein, a training course could be established and implemented in order to enable musician / artists meet the requirements of creative and efficient work in this field.

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APPENDICES

6.1

Bibliography

Bruner, J. Acts of Meaning. Cambridge,Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1990.

Custodero, L. ““Being With”: The Resonant Legacy of Childhood’s Creative Aesthetic.” Journal of Aesthetic Education 39. no.2 (2005): 36 – 59.

Duhn, I. “The Making of the Global Citizen: Traces of Cosmopolitanism in the New Zealand Early Childhood Curriculum, TeWhatiki.” Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood 1. no.3 2006. 191 – 202.

Edmiston, B. Forming Ethical Identities in Early Childhood Play. London and New York: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2008.

Glover, J. Children’s Composing 4 – 14. London and New York: Routledge / Falmer, 2000.

Gluschankof, Claudia. “Diverse Aspects of 4 – 6 Year Old’s Self- Initiated Musical Play.” Cecede. Ed. Sharon O Brien and Thomas Walsh Heino Schonfeld. Dublin: The Centre for Early Childhood Development & Education, n.d.

6.2

Gruhn, Wilfried. “Children Need Music.” International Journal of Music Education 23.2 (2005): 98 – 01.

Hallam, S. “The power of music: It’s impact on the intellectual, social and personal development of children and young people.” The International Journal of Music Education 28.3 (2010): 269 – 289.

Papatheodorou, T. “Being, Belonging and Becoming: Some World Views of Early Childhood in Contemporary Curricula.”

Forum on Public Policy Spring vol 2010.

Papatheodorou, T. Moyles, J., ed. Learning Together in the Early Years Exploring Relational Pedagogy. London and New York: Routledge, 2009.

Piaget, J. The Child’s Conception of the World. New York : Harcourt, Brace and World., 1929.

Schafer, Murray. The Rhinoceros in the Classroom. Toronto: Universal Edition, 1975.

Hargreaves, D. “The development of artistic and musical competence.” Musical beginnings: origins and development of musical competence. Ed. Deliege, I. & Sloboda, J. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996.

Vygotsky, L.S. Mind in Society: The Development of Higher Psychological Processes. Ed. M. Cole. Trans. M., John-Steiner, V., Scribner, S. Souberman, E. Cole. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1978.

Lamont, A. “Musical identities and the school environment.”

Musical Identities. Ed. R.,Hargreaves, D.,and Meill, D. Mac Donald. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2002.

Wood, E. & Attfield J. Play, Learning and the early Childhood Curriculum. London: Paul Chapman Publishing, 2005.

Malaguzzi, L. The Hundred Languages of Children. The Regio Emelia Approach-Advanced Reflections. Ed. C. Gandini, L. Forman, G. Edwards. Greenwitch: Ablex Publishing Company, 1998.

Woodhead, P. “http://unesdoc.unesco.org/ images/0014/001474/14799e.pdf.” www.unesco.org.

15thSeptember2012

Tiny Voices – the pilot’s aims

Aim 1. PRACTICE AND EXPOSURE BB

Gluschankof, Claudia. “Music is also Children’s Play-On Creative Musical Ability in Early Childhood.” Windows to the World-Art Science as Tools to enrich the Learning Experince in Early Childhood. Ed. P. Klein and D. Givon. Tel-Aviv: TelAviv University, 2003. 35 – 59.

Aim 2. INTEGRATION OF MUSIC

Aim 3. POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS

Form and deliver an innovative music pilot to 23 children aged 3 to 5 years, in two community childcare settings in Dublin 8 and 10.

BB

Promote enquiry and creative modes of expression and communication in children through the dominant art form of music;

BB Construct and create a ‘community of practice’, whereby knowledge and skills are shared and exchanged i.e.

– The child learns alongside the artist and vice versa – The childcare practitioners learn alongside the artist and vice versa – The parents learn alongside the artist / childcare practitioner – Children learning / sharing alongside children

BB

Enrich Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum BB Develop the capacity of the early years sector by Framework, by evidencing examples of children disseminating the pilot’s learning to the wider regional encountering music that link directly to the Aistear themes and national early years and arts sectors so that e.g. Well-being, Identity & Belonging, Communicating, and exemplars of ‘music in practice’ can be shared.

Exploring & Thinking.

BB

BB

Rigorously research, evaluate and document the pilot and disseminate the learning to the wider arts sector so that exemplars of music in early years practice can be shared;

Facilitate and track individual artists and childcare practitioners, individual and joint practice development and programme delivery

Tiny Voices – an Early Years Music Research Report

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6.3 Early Years Music Advisory Committee Members Common Ground Siobhán Geoghegan Director of Artistic Programme Irma Grothuis Arts Development Worker (Chairperson) Jackie Maguire Early Years Arts Programme Researcher Early Childhood Ireland Carmel Brennan Head of Quality Marion Brennan Head of Training

Early Years Music / Arts Practitioners / Organisations Emelie FitzGibbon Graffiti Theatre Company, Artistic Director, Cork Nico Brown Early Years Music Specialist, Ireland Naheed Cruickshank Early Years Music Specialist, Colourstrings approach, Glasgow Wendy Stephens Kodaly Society of Ireland, Early Year’s Music practitioner, Ireland

3rd Level Research Institute Michelle Finnerty Lecturer in Music and Researcher School of Music and Theatre Department, University College Cork 2 × Childcare Pilot sites Shayma Choudury The Base, Deputy Childcare Manager Pat Flanagan The Base, Operations Manager Gudmund Krogsrud The Base, Arts Music and New Media Co-ordinator, Ballyfermot Paula Roantree Goldenbridge Day Nursery, Manager, Inchicore Local Area Partnership Barbara Coates Canal Communities Partnership, Childcare Co-ordinator

6.4 Early Years Music Research Group Members Common Ground Siobhán Geoghegan and Irma Grothius

Researcher Mairéad Berrill St Patrick’s College Drumcondra John O’Flynn and Dr Maura O’Connor

6.5 Sample Consent Form

Consent Form Early Years Music Pilot What is the Early Years Music Programme?

The Early Years Music Programme is a partnership initiative between The Base, Early Childhood Ireland and Common Ground. As part of the programme we will be researching and documenting how young children interact with and learn through music.

From March to June 2012, two musicians will work closely with a group of children, Thomas Johnston at The Base in Ballyfermot and Eamon Sweeney in Goldenbridge crèche.

As part of the research we will be recording through a researcher Mairéad Berrill and photographs and sound.

Why are we researching and recording the Early Years Music Programme?

The reason why we are researching The Early Years Music Pilot is to investigate and demonstrate the benefits of music to children at such an early stage in their development.

During some of the music pilot sessions, Mairead Berrill, a researcher from St. Patricks, Drumcondra, will be present and will be quietly observing the sessions. A photographer will attend up to five of the sessions along with a person to record the sound.

This research is being carried out in association with St. Patrick’s College Drumcondra and the music department of University College Cork.

Using the photographs and sound recording We will use some of the images and sound taken during the sessions in information leaflets, books, research documentation and for conference and training presentations by Common Ground, Early Childhood Ireland (ECI), The Base and Mairead Berrill.

They may also be published on the Common Ground website www.commonground.ie, on the Early Childhood Ireland (ECI) website www.earlychildhoodireland.ie and on the Base website www.thebase.ie.

We request that images of your child can be used. Your child’s first name or surname will not be used in any recordings or documentation.

If you feel at any stage that you wish to withdraw permission, please contact Common Ground on (01) 7078766 or on siobhan@commonground.ie or the Early Childhood Ireland on (01) 4630010 or info@eciireland.ie.

If you have any further questions, please contact Siobhán Geoghegan, Common Ground on (01) 7078766.

I understand the purpose of this work. I give consent to The Common Ground, Early Childhood Ireland and The Base to record (through photography and audio clips)

My Child (child’s name),

Child care centre The Base

and for the recordings to be used by Common Ground, Early Chidlhood Ireland, The Base, St.Patricks College Drumcondra and University College Cork Music Department.

Signed (Parent/Guardian only) Date Address

26

Goldenbridge crèche

Please complete this consent form and return it to: Shayma Choudhury in the Base or Paula Roantree in Goldenbridge.

Thank you for allowing your child to be involved in this important work. And a big thank you to your child for taking part.

UCC Music Department Michelle Finnerty Early Childhood Ireland Carmel Brennan

Tiny Voices – an Early Years Music Research Report

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ISBN: 978-0-9539024-4-6 Tiny Voices — a co-publication

by Common Ground and St Patrick’s College