Grandchild # 1, 5 years, 2 months, spent the night at Grammy’s house. The next morning Grammy invited him to the computer to see the new activity she had posted for music writing, this one in triple meter. He watched with focused attention, read triple meter aloud with Grammy and the computer, and then insisted on writing his own music. He took two pieces of staff paper, put D on the top of one and T on top of the other, claiming one to be for duple meter, the other for triple, obviously knowing there was a distinction between the two. He wrote on the D page and read his writing in duple meter, even though it was the triple meter activity that stimulated his music writing.
Grammy then showed him a tonal music reading activity online in Mixolydian tonality and duple meter. He was very taken by it, and when it ended, he volunteered on the resting tone, “do it again.” At this point, it was not common practice for Grammy to “speak” on the resting tone. It was simply his natural response to the power of the activity. Grammy then asked on the resting tone if he would like to read it with her, and she began reading the “tonal story.” With the tonality fully established for the rerun, she did not set up the tonality aurally or visually. He stopped her with “how about the tone?” So, she set up the tonality aurally and visually, locating the resting tone. He knew the resting tone should be located on the staff to guide tonal reading. After considerable focus on the tonal activity, he became distracted with a small tricycle that holds a basket for a planter. Assuming music activities were over, Grammy started checking her email. Meanwhile, Grandchild #1 continued to play on the floor with the little tricycle and began delivering a commentary on the tricycle all in the meter and tonality of the music reading activity. Moving the pedals of the upside down tricycle, he sounded like a little priest, chanting on the resting tone….“This bike is very cool. Somebody is riding it very fast. That’s why the wheel won’t work. It’s too fast.”
When he appeared to be losing interest in the tricycle, Grammy went downstairs, thinking she might entice him with the piano to come and sing with her. She began playing a piano accompaniment to a little art song in Dorian tonality and duple meter that he had experienced in the online classes, but no grandchild appeared. She went back upstairs only to find that he had figured out himself how to restart the online tonal reading activity on Grammy’s computer, which he is not allowed to use independently, and he was fully engrossed in the Mixolydian music reading activity all by himself. Sheepishly aware that he wasn’t supposed to be using Grammy’s computer without her, he suggested going downstairs to the piano.
He and Grammy had never sung a duet with a piano accompaniment. He sat next to her on the piano bench and curled up under her arm, shyly singing along with her while she played the piano accompaniment to the Dorian song in the beginning singing range. He sang very well in tune through several verses. He agreed to sing the song again for Grampy, but still had to be tucked under Grammy’s arm. Then, out of nowhere, he asked Grampy if they could look up some videos online about wild fires.
Before leaving for home, Grandchild # 1 was delighted to make a “staff paper notebook” for himself out of the many copies of staff paper the printer erroneously printed. In the car on the way home, Grammy started singing the little art song in Dorian tonality. A pretty little voice in the back seat joined her very tunefully for several verses. He then sang one verse after Grammy quit and proudly stated that he sang it all by himself.
Children are fascinated by meters, tonalities, art songs, music reading and writing, just as they are by wild fires, bicycles, and computers. They simply need a supportive environment that develops the readiness for each through appropriate experiences and materials to grow on.
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