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Brophy, T. S. (1998). The melodic improvisations of children ages six through twelve: A developmental perspective (Doctoral dissertation, University of Kentucky, 1998). Dissertation Abstracts International, 09A 3386.
| Author(s): | Brophy, Timothy S |
| Title: | The melodic improvisations of children ages six through twelve: A developmental perspective |
| Source Type: | Dissertation |
| Source Name: | Dissertation Abstracts International |
| Year: | DAI |
| Year: | 1998 |
| Volume: | 59 |
| Catalog No.: | 09A 3386 |
| Country Code: | USA |
| Location: | Lexington, KY |
| Institution: | University of Kentucky |
| Language: | English |
| Orff Topic Category: | Creativity/Improvisation |
| Secondary Orff Topic Category: | Learning and development/Diverse learners |
| Research Methodology I: | Quantitative |
| Research Methodology II: | Experimental |
| Participants: | 280 children from one elementary school, ages 6-12, n= 40 in each age |
| Groups: | N=280, n=40 in each age 6-12; randomly selected from available pool of students |
| Purpose: | To examine children's melodic improvisation ability at different ages from 6-12 |
| Independent Variables: | Age (secondary IV: Years of Private Lessons, Weekly Musical Experience) |
| Dependent Variables: | Melodic Improvisation |
| Data Type: | Researcher-created Tests: Melody Score, Rhythm Score, Structure Score |
| Analysis: | Descriptive statistics, ANOVA, Regression |
| Abstract: | This study examined the development of melodic improvisation of children of age 6-12. Participants were 280 children, 40 in each age group, randomly selected from one school. Each child improvised the contrasting sections of a rondo (ABACADA) on an Orff alto xylophone with bars in C-pentatonic scale. The xylophone was interfaced electronically with a Yamaha synthesizer to translate the children's performance into musical notation via the Rhapsody software, quantized to sixteen notes. |
| Results/Conclusions: | Results of ANOVA indicates a significant Age (in years) effect on overall improvisation scores (p<.0001), as well as the melodic, rhythmic, and structure sub-scores. Regression analysis yields Age (in months) as a significant (p<.0001)predictor for Improvisation also. While the ability to improvise melody increases with age increase, a greater difference occurs between Age 8 and Age 9. |
| Implications for music education (continued research): | While the ability to improvise melody increases with age, a greater increase occurs between Age 8 and Age 9. This finding agrees with earlier research in musical development of children in general. This suggests that children of age 6-8 are developmentally different than children age 9-12, the younger group being more process-oriented and the old group product-oriented. The results may imply that the spontaneous music creation requires prior experiences in musical activities in earlier ages, and that improvisation requires a synthesizing of the musical knowledge for the higher age group. The author suggests more research in the development of improvisation, including longitudinal studies and participants beyond age 12. |
| Keywords: | melodic improvisation, music development |