BMC - basic music competence

Hi Hellene,

After reading a very interesting subject on BK forum and a very useful answer there, I decided to buy ' Testing for Kindergarten ' by Karen Quinn.

And chapter 9 is about playing an instrument.
What is your opinion about what she says in the fragment below?
Quinn, Karen (2010-06-18). Testing for Kindergarten (p. 94). Simon & Schuster, Inc.. Kindle Edition:

"9. Instruments to Strengthen All 7 Abilities

PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT: THE SECRET, ALMOST AUTOMATIC WAY TO A SMARTER CHILD

When I was 5, my mother signed me up for piano lessons with Mrs. Baskin. Once a week, I’d go to her house and suffer. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t learn to read or play music. Eventually, Mrs. Baskin told my mom to stop wasting her money. (I was thrilled!) Knowing what I know now, I realize that I lacked something calledbasic music competence (BMC),
the ability to sing in tune and move with accurate rhythm.
A child can’t learn to play an instrument without it. Sadly, I still don’t have it. Oh well. A child without BMC may not recognize if she’s playing the right melody or understand if she’s keeping a steady tempo. This is a skill children can pick up as early as age 3 if their parents give them experiences learning to sing in tune and move with accurate rhythm. "

I would love to hear your opinion. In a way I have a feeling that Karen Quinn can heal herself too with Soft Mozart. Is my feeling right?

Andrea

Well after reading that My first thought was " well thank goodness I enjoyed dancing with my babies in my arms!" my second was " well that explains why so many of my preschooler can't clap a rhythm in time" for the record after just three days of Little musician I can get most of the class in time. Phew, crisis averted!
I also have to question the piano teacher who didn't realize that she had no musical basis to build from. Surely she would have quickly realized that the kid couln't understand timing in the beginner music pieces she was playing! It would have been pretty obvious.
Soft mozart has these skills built in. The timing is adjusted by mr oops and the butterfly in gentle piano. The note duration game would help also.
It should be enough to correct the problem over time, but if my kids had NO basic musical competence I would be aiming for some added extras like singing, dancing, swaying, clapping and stomping too.
If she didn't learn to read music in the time she had then thats just poor teaching. You don't need BMC to read music notes. It's a simple case of what is in that space is a C, nothing musical about that bit! Of course you will learn much quicker if it makes sence to you!

In the same chapter she explains what to do to help kids in having BMC, and she mentions what you've just did - clapping, etc.

Hehe my intelligence surprises even me sometimes

Andrea, thank you very much for posting this in our forum!

andreasro wrote: Hi Hellene,

After reading a very interesting subject on BK forum and a very useful answer there, I decided to buy ' Testing for Kindergarten ' by Karen Quinn.

And chapter 9 is about playing an instrument.
What is your opinion about what she says in the fragment below?
Quinn, Karen (2010-06-18). Testing for Kindergarten (p. 94). Simon & Schuster, Inc.. Kindle Edition:

"9. Instruments to Strengthen All 7 Abilities

PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT: THE SECRET, ALMOST AUTOMATIC WAY TO A SMARTER CHILD

When I was 5, my mother signed me up for piano lessons with Mrs. Baskin. Once a week, I’d go to her house and suffer. Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t learn to read or play music. Eventually, Mrs. Baskin told my mom to stop wasting her money. (I was thrilled!) Knowing what I know now, I realize that I lacked something called basic music competence (BMC),
the ability to sing in tune and move with accurate rhythm.

The story is almost like mine, but I came back to music school. BMC? Singing in tune has nothing to do with skills to play piano. It is just underdeveloped ability to of our vocal chords to comply with sounds. I saw hundred students, who were 'ton deaf' and great piano players at very start. After that they develop their voice, if properly trained. As for accurate rhythm... We ALL have inborn feeling of accurate rhythm, because the first what we hear in our life is heartbeat. Therefore, most of us are having inborn BMC.

A child can’t learn to play an instrument without it.

Exactly!

Sadly, I still don’t have it. Oh well. A child without BMC may not recognize if she’s playing the right melody or understand if she’s keeping a steady tempo.

With current technology they can!

This is a skill children can pick up as early as age 3 if their parents give them experiences learning to sing in tune and move with accurate rhythm.[/i] "

In former USSR and other socialist countries in all of our child care center we had group music lessons 2 times a week with certified music teachers as a state requirement. And guess what? The amount of musically illiterate as everywhere. Therefore, there is something missing in the picture!

I would love to hear your opinion. In a way I have a feeling that Karen Quinn can heal herself too with Soft Mozart. Is my feeling right?

Andrea

I think, it would be wonderful for Karen to learn about Soft Mozart. The invention added essential part to music learning: VISION or ability to see piano keys and music notes in connection. Vision helps to open the door to music literacy. By following the written text beginners develop voice, coordination and fine motor skills with or without BMC training. At least I was witnessing such development many times!

Thank you for answering Hellene! I was very curious to find out about it from a musician who has experience with kids.

hellene wrote: I think, it would be wonderful for Karen to learn about Soft Mozart. The invention added essential part to music learning: VISION or ability to see piano keys and music notes in connection. Vision helps to open the door to music literacy. By following the written text beginners develop voice, coordination and fine motor skills with or without BMC training. At least I was witnessing such development many times!

I wrote her on Facebook and invited her to the discussion. Maybe she will join us. People with experience in teaching children, their own or others', will always be appreciated in communities like this one or Brillkids.

Andrea