USC School of Music - CMDC Preparatory Audiation

SCHOOL OF MUSIC

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USC's CHILDREN'S MUSIC
DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Children's Music Development:
Preparatory Audiation

By gaining a more complete understanding of the types of preparatory audiation, you will gain a more complete understanding of the nature of our music classes and the nature of your child's music development.

You may be wondering, "Where does all this music development lead?" Ultimately it leads to your child's increased music enjoyment! That enjoyment will continue to manifest itself in many ways as your child passes through the stages of music development.

This program is based on A Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children, by Edwin E. Gordon, Ph. D. Over the past 30 years, Gordon developed this theory from his research in the processes of audiation.

Audiation is, "the hearing and comprehending of sound that is not physically present."* According to Gordon, "audiation is to music as thinking is to language."* It is through the processes of audiation that your child is being guided at the Children's Music Development Center.

Just as children pass through preparatory types and stages of language development before they fluently speak and think in language, so do they pass through preparatory types and stages of music development before they fluently speak and think in music. In other words, children babble in music just as they do in language, and we are guiding your child through music babble. Following are the three types of music development you will observe in our classes and in your child .

Acculturation
Imitation
Assimilation
(click on each link for details)

The stages of each type are described in a short table following each description of a type of preparatory audiation.

Please notice the age ranges for each type of preparatory audiation. These are approximate, since every child is different.

A Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children

Please remember that optimum music learning in the early years is a gentle process with much informal, yet structured guidance. By structuring the music environment of our children in an informal setting, and encouraging their participation in music games, we are providing a wonderful basis for a lifetime of music involvement and enjoyment.

*Quotes from Learning Sequences in Music, G.I.A. Publications, 2003.

What is Music Play?
What is Preparatory Audiation?
Children's Music Responses

More About Class Participation
Influential Teacher
Music Guidance vs. Music Instruction
Guidelines for Participation

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