In order to begin this task I first had to identify my area of practice. Although my desired area of professional practice lies in Children's television presenting my current practice is dance teaching and 'dance in education'.
My initial line of question was derived from something I briefly explored in the first module; the social and emotional aspects of learning within dance, the question arose 'what affect does the music we dance to have on the emotional wellbeing of the children we teach?'
It is not uncommon for one to leave a dance class singing the lyrics of the song that has been played on repeat for the past 40mins. Which then leads me to think 'what are we allowing to circulate round the young impressionable minds of children we teach?'.
I have discovered that there are certain 'feel good' songs which I often use to warm up to which sets the tone for the class. But if another type of music was chosen, containing swearing or violent or sexual themes, would the atmosphere during the class be the same and would it create an optimum environment for the children to learn in?
What are the lasting effects of listening to a particular piece of music repeatedly?
I began to explore who else has asked similar questions. Through simply googling ‘music influence on children’ quite a few articles and websites came up. Here are some of my findings;
‘The type of music your child listens to and how he engages with the music can enhance his learning and development or have negative consequences.’ eHow.com The Influence of Music on Children
The article goes onto say that when music is combined with training and education, it is an important tool in developing children's self-esteem. Singing or learning to play an instrument gives children a sense of accomplishment. Taking part in a musical performance can teach important life skills such as how to conquer nervousness. Could this be applicable to an environment where dance is being taught?
Another website ‘Media Influence on children’ states that: To date no studies have documented a cause and effect relationship between sexually explicit or violent lyrics and adverse behavioural effects, however there is an acknowledged overall effect that music has an effect on people. If it didn't have an effect on people in general there would be no point listening to it.I think social and emotional effects of the music listened to in a dance class is relevant, particularly if the effect is long lasting and ripples into one’s ability to learn and behavioural patterns.
Charles Reade puts it beautifully when he says ‘Sow an thought, reap an act; sow an act reap a habit; sow an habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny’
The young people of today are the leaders of tomorrow. I anticipate that this line of questioning would be relevant and important to a large proportion of society, from parents and careers to teachers and those in positions of influence.
