Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood: Creation, Communication and Multi-Modal Experiences through Music 303091691X, 9783030916916

Table of contents :
Ethics Statement
Acknowledgements
Contents
About the Authors
List of Figures
Chapter 1: Introduction
Introduction
The Yarra Songs Project
Intention and Significance of This Research
Contribution of This Research to Early Childhood Education
The Adult Protagonists in The Yarra Songs Project
The Program Leader and Architect of the ELC Curriculum
The ELC Music Specialist
The Visiting Composer
The Creative Mentor of the ELC
The Structure of the Book
Summary
Chapter 2: The Development of a Teaching and Learning Space at the ELC
Introduction
A Distinct Teaching and Learning Space
The Threads of Teaching and Learning
The Centrality of Arts-Based Teaching and Learning
The Arts Enabling the Expression of Children’s Voice
Socio Constructivist Perspectives
Perezhivanie
Making Connections with Community
Life Worthy Learning and Big Ideas: Learning in or from, About and for the Environment
Summary
Chapter 3: Theoretical and Pedagogical Underpinnings of The Yarra Songs Project
Introduction
Anatomy of a Project
Theoretical Considerations
Image of the Child
Significance of Learning by Doing: What Makes a Good Project?
Summary
Chapter 4: The Child Protagonists in the ELC Projects
Introduction
Cultural and Ecological Influences
Historical Overview of ELC Projects
River as an Inspiration
The Visual Languages of Children
The Pedagogical Choices of the Adults
The Many Voices of Children
Summary
Chapter 5: The Evolution of the Lyrics and Composing of The Yarra Songs
Introduction
Anatomy of the Project
The Songs
‘Muddy River’
‘Blue Tongue Lizards’
‘Ducks’
‘Rainbow Lorikeet’
Summary
Chapter 6: The Life Cycle of the ‘Black Swan’ Song
Introduction (Fig. 6.1)
The Life Cycle of a Compositon
The Life Cycle of the ‘Black Swan’ Song (Table 6.1)
Conception
Gestation
Birth
Infancy (Figs. 6.2 and 6.3)
Childhood: Aria’s Dance
Maturity
Summary
Chapter 7: The Arts in Early Childhood
Introduction
Creativity
Communication
Representative Media and Affordances
Music and Multi-Modal Experiences
Discussion and Concluding Comments
The Adults: Arts and Skills
The Rights of the Child to an Arts Education
The Role of the Arts in Supporting the Use of Different Media
The Importance of the Arts for Social and Civic Development
Glossary
References
Index

Citation preview

Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood Creation, Communication and Multi-Modal Experiences through Music Aleksandra Acker Berenice Nyland Jan Deans Kylie Payman Suzana Klarin

Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood

Aleksandra Acker • Berenice Nyland •  Jan Deans • Kylie Payman •  Suzana Klarin

Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood Creation, Communication and Multi-Modal Experiences through Music

Aleksandra Acker School of Education RMIT University Bundoora, VIC, Australia

Berenice Nyland School of Education RMIT University Bundoora, VIC, Australia

Jan Deans Early Learning Centre University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC, Australia

Kylie Payman Graduate School of Education University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC, Australia

Suzana Klarin Early Learning Centre University of Melbourne Parkville, VIC, Australia

ISBN 978-3-030-91691-6    ISBN 978-3-030-91692-3 (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91692-3 © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publisher, the authors and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the ­publisher nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, expressed or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publisher remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and ­institutional affiliations. This Palgrave Macmillan imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Switzerland AG. The registered company address is: Gewerbestrasse 11, 6330 Cham, Switzerland

Ethics Statement

This research was conducted with the approval of the RMIT Research Committee, Melbourne, Australia. All the materials and images of the children and adults have been taken from the Early Learning Centre (ELC, The University of Melbourne) with permission.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the community of learners that has grown up around this suburban early childhood learning centre (ELC). These include staff members, families, children and members of the community around the ELC. These involve the various enterprises that are conducted at the convent, the children’s farm and Mercy Place. Visiting artists have been an important aspect of many of the learning journeys over the years. In this case special thanks for the musician/composer Stephen Leek who was responsible for the five songs that are the central focus of this book. The ELC is part of a university and the attention of researchers has added to the success and documentation of projects. Last, but not least, the most mentioned entity in this volume is the Yarra river.

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Contents

1 Introduction  1 Introduction   2 The Yarra Songs Project   3 Intention and Significance of This Research   3 Contribution of This Research to Early Childhood Education   5 The Adult Protagonists in The Yarra Songs Project   6 The Program Leader and Architect of the ELC Curriculum   7 The ELC Music Specialist   8 The Visiting Composer   9 The Creative Mentor of the ELC  11 The Structure of the Book  13 Summary  14 2 The Development of a Teaching and Learning Space at the ELC 15 Introduction  16 A Distinct Teaching and Learning Space  16 The Threads of Teaching and Learning  16 The Centrality of Arts-Based Teaching and Learning  18 The Arts Enabling the Expression of Children’s Voice  22 Socio Constructivist Perspectives  24 Perezhivanie  25 Making Connections with Community  26

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Life Worthy Learning and Big Ideas: Learning in or from, About and for the Environment  28 Summary  29 3 Theoretical and Pedagogical Underpinnings of The Yarra Songs Project 31 Introduction  31 Anatomy of a Project  34 Theoretical Considerations  35 Image of the Child  35 Significance of Learning by Doing: What Makes a Good Project?  37 Summary  39 4 The Child Protagonists in the ELC Projects 41 Introduction  42 Cultural and Ecological Influences  42 Historical Overview of ELC Projects  44 River as an Inspiration  46 The Visual Languages of Children  49 The Pedagogical Choices of the Adults  51 The Many Voices of Children  56 Summary  57 5 The Evolution of the Lyrics and Composing of The Yarra Songs 59 Introduction  60 Anatomy of the Project  62 The Songs  70 ‘Muddy River’  71 ‘Blue Tongue Lizards’  72 ‘Ducks’  73 ‘Rainbow Lorikeet’  73 Summary  75

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6 The Life Cycle of the ‘Black Swan’ Song 77 Introduction (Fig. 6.1)  78 The Life Cycle of a Compositon  79 The Life Cycle of the ‘Black Swan’ Song (Table 6.1)  80 Conception  80 Gestation  81 Birth  84 Infancy (Figs. 6.2 and 6.3)  85 Childhood: Aria’s Dance  88 Maturity  91 Summary  93 7 The Arts in Early Childhood 95 Introduction  95 Creativity  97 Communication  98 Representative Media and Affordances  99 Music and Multi-Modal Experiences 100 Discussion and Concluding Comments 101 The Adults: Arts and Skills 102 The Rights of the Child to an Arts Education 103 The Role of the Arts in Supporting the Use of Different Media 104 The Importance of the Arts for Social and Civic Development 104 Glossary107 References109 Index117

About the Authors

Aleksandra Acker  is a practicing musician, lecturer and researcher, with an expertise in early childhood, music and traditional music of the Balkans. This latter interest she pursues in her role as artistic director and vocalist of musical ensemble ‘Anja & Zlatna’. She has conducted and published a number of local and international studies concerning music and young children. Aleksandra has been collaborating with Berenice Nyland, Jan Deans, Kylie Payman, Suzana Klarin and Dominic Belvedere and colleagues, children and families of the Early Learning Centre (The University of Melbourne) for more than a decade. Aleksandra is a member of the Music Council of Australia where she is a spokesperson for Early Childhood Music Education. She has co-authored research papers with Berenice Nyland and Jan Deans and she and Berenice have published two books on their research on young children and music. Berenice Nyland  is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Education at RMIT University. She has researched young children and music with Dr Aleksandra Acker and has been collaborating with Jan Deans, Kylie Payman, and Suzana Klarin for more than a decade. Interested in the arts in early childhood generally Berenice has just published a book on teacher/ artist, Marianne Seemann, who played an important role in the Child Art and progressive education movement in Australia in the 1940s and 1950s. Berenice and Aleksandra have also recently published a book focusing on adults and their role in children’s musical lives. Jan Deans  is the Associate Director of Early Childhood Education at the University of Melbourne. She is also the Director of the University’s Early xiii

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Learning Centre, which is the University of Melbourne’s research and demonstration preschool. She is a long-time advocate for teaching and learning through the arts and has worked both locally and internationally in early childhood, primary, tertiary, and special education settings. Her recent research interests include learning through dance, music education, social emotional competence and learning in the natural environment. In 1997 she established Boorai -The Children’s Art Gallery to present the voices of young children as expressed through their art and narratives. Kylie  Payman is the specialist music teacher at The University of Melbourne’s Early Learning Centre. She has a diverse background in music, both as a teacher and a performer. She sang with the Melbourne Opera Company and Victoria State Opera for a period of seven years and she is trained in both Kodaly and Orff-Schulwerk music education curricula. She is passionate about music education for young children; an interest that led her to undertake early childhood teacher qualifications. Suzana  Klarin  is a Lead teacher/Educational Leader with a Master of Teaching (by research). Her philosophy draws on arts-based education, Cultures of Thinking and the Reggio Emilia approach to education. Her passion for children’s poetry, metaphorical expression, environmental creativity and activism through art has taken her on many journeys across the fields of visual arts, literature, film and glass design. She has presented at numerous conferences, co-produced children’s books, educational resources and films and curated children’s exhibitions in Australia and internationally.

List of Figures

Fig. 1.1 Fig. 4.1 Fig. 4.2 Fig. 4.3 Fig. 4.4 Fig. 4.5 Fig. 5.1 Fig. 5.2 Fig. 5.3 Fig. 5.4 Fig. 5.5 Fig. 5.6 Fig. 6.1 Fig. 6.2 Fig. 6.3 Fig. 6.4 Fig. 6.5 Fig. 6.6 Fig. 6.7

Stephen Leek in Boorai gallery with a group of children, Kylie Payman and Suzana Klarin Display of children’s pictures of birds Examples of children’s use of musical notations in their drawings Part of a page of Suzana’s curriculum notebook from 2010 An inset from Fig. 4.3 Examples of children’s workspace within the centre Children’s thoughts about the Blue Tongue Lizards Children’s impressions Strategies to encourage creative thinking Exploring elements of music Musical notation The Yarra River The Black Swan by a five-year-old Kumi’s drawing Caia’s drawing Aria dances the ‘Black Swan’ Performance – children dancing the ‘Black Swan’- from ELC gala concert Aria’s depiction of her dance Children singing the ‘Black Swan’ at the end of year performance

10 49 52 53 54 55 62 63 66 67 67 75 78 86 87 88 89 90 91

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CHAPTER 1

Introduction

Abstract  This book tells the story of a music project conducted in an early learning centre (ELC) in Australia. This introductory chapter outlines the reasons for adopting the use of project-based learning as a method of inquiry. Project-based learning has been around for more than one hundred years and we argue that such an approach has value for the twenty-first century. There is still much to discover about the potential of a project-based approach to learning and relationships. Music as an expression of culture, as a shared human experience and an early childhood language has been part of the history of the ELC in this study for many years. The pedagogy that has developed over time makes the choice of a music project a significant exemplar. In this chapter we briefly describe the project, identify the contribution of the research and introduce the adult protagonists. We emphasise the adults as protagonists because often studies of young children’s project work celebrates the children’s learning but does not highlight the part played by the adult partners. The children’s work and responses to their social and physical environment are celebrated in successive chapters. Keywords  Early childhood music • Project approach • Adult protagonists

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 A. Acker et al., Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91692-3_1

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Introduction In this book, we present a profile of the centre and describe a project that is presented as an exemplar of progressive education in twenty-first century Australia. Prominent themes in the life and history of this ELC reflect changing theoretical approaches and ideas about children across time. Examples of how these historical influences have manifest themselves in the curriculum for this setting are provided in Chap. 2. An important theme that provides a connecting line through the explorations discussed here is the relationship the children have with the natural world, represented in their friendship with a nearby river. The life of the river has given meaning to the different practices adopted across the years as a variety of educational philosophies were studied by the adults of the centre. It is the river that connects the child of the child art movement, to the Piagetian or Vygotskian child and today, the child of the Anthropocene. With play as a central way of learning and investigating the world, the playful child has always been a theme. Pedagogical practice within the centre has consisted of developing the concept of the project as a way of learning and knowing. We argue that a project approach continues to have relevance and potential for early childhood education. Project work provides the capacity to promote a social image of the child where children are portrayed as powerful communicators and individuals with rights. Children actively engage with others to learn about their world, to internalise their experiences. Through collaboration with peers and adults who represent more senior members of the culture, children theorise these experiences to recreate the culture. A project approach was first articulated by Dewey’s student William Fitzpatrick (1918). The idea of ‘learning by doing’, the concept of play as a leading activity, of imagination and symbol use as part of performing purposeful acts (Fitzpatrick, 1918) has long been considered the basis of an educational pedagogy that has the ability to transform participants. Well-known examples of educational services that reflect these ideals are the municipal early childhood centres of Reggio Emilia. The international early childhood literature acknowledges these centres as important models that still provide vibrant lessons on educational relationships and the social positioning of adults in children’s lives (Balfour, 2020). We present an Australian example with unique contextual characteristics and focus on the adults’ role in children’s learning. The ELC that is the context for this study, and the ELC’s history of developing their theory and pedagogical practice are described in Chap. 2.

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The ELC’s practices are based on ideas from the past, experiences of the staff and children and more recent research. The products the children create during their in-depth investigations are described in Chaps. 4, 5 and 6. While these can be breathtaking in their beauty, the social and cultural setting encourages expressions of understanding and inquiry from both children and adults. Therefore, in keeping with past tradition the teachers, who are also practitioner-researchers and visiting artists/musicians, share their research, insights and skills with children as a means of advocating for children. Their practices are designed to generate educational settings that build connections through relationships with people, the environment, the past and the future.

The Yarra Songs Project The Yarra Songs project culminated in the composition of five songs with the Australian musician Stephen Leek. Stephen met with the children twice during the year of the project, listened to their ideas and sent songs for them to learn and express in different ways. The children took these songs and made them their own. The children wrote the words of the song and the children developed alternative ways of performing the song. The Yarra Songs project inspired adults but drew on the history of the children’s engagement with the nearby Yarra River. The familiarity of the river, its creatures and flora made it a rich site for investigations. The children walk along the river, sit on the banks and observe the life of the river. They have listened to stories about this river and other rivers, have sung about the birds and the river, have created musical narratives and danced to represent changes across the year. To acknowledge the value of this history with the river, and to build on the children’s interests, Stephen Leek, whose work was already known to the children of the ELC, was invited into the program to help develop a repertoire of songs. This book focuses on how these songs grew, the significance of the content and the respective roles of both adults and children as the project unfolded.

Intention and Significance of This Research The pedagogies employed in this research project share common characteristics. Identifying valuable education principles from the past, the present and most recent research assists theorists, policy makers and practitioners to develop high quality early childhood education that is

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relevant in a changing society. The value of children learning through project work helps to theorise how lessons from the past can assist in building the future. This study promotes the significance of building education practices on progressive theories that are still relevant today. This project advocates for the arts in early childhood education, explores the implications of the collaborative voice and supports children learning through social interaction and projects, as articulated in the early twentieth century. Principles adopted included affording children levels of freedom, the importance of interest as a motivating force to learn, the teacher as guide and collaborator and the importance of the home, family, and community as part of the learning context. As educators design practices for the present that encourage critical problem solving, creative ideas and the ability to engage with new technologies, pedagogies from the past and present research lend themselves to the task. The wide umbrella of progressive principles continues to be of relevance at a time when curriculum documents strive to be non-prescriptive and to emphasise the process of learning in the context of relationships, community and culture (DEEWR, 2009). An important lesson from the past is the significance of giving children a voice through the arts, a voice to assist children in the process of learning about and interpreting the world. This discussion and the relevance to the Australian early childhood policy environment are developed in Chap. 2. Two themes are present throughout this book. The first is the concept of learning by doing (Dewey, 1934) which includes the idea that culture and social communication is essential to create cultural changes within the learning environment. The second is the place of the arts in early childhood education. In this instance, music was at the core of the project with children’s and adults’ thinking being expressed through a number of the symbolic languages associated with the arts. Music as a core of the early childhood curriculum is a child’s right. This is not a new claim but one that needs to be reiterated in the present as higher education and tertiary training of teachers becomes increasing instrumental in a world driven by economic arguments that tend to equate children with human capital (Young, 2021). Without advocacy for the arts in early childhood education there is a danger that music might lose its privileged position in early childhood education. Music is a way of knowing in its own right. It is a culturally valued activity and children’s participation in musical experiences has been a core part of the early childhood education curriculum since the nineteenth century. In the arts-based program at the ELC in this

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book, music is explored as a language of childhood. Adults with musical expertise share their knowledge with children while encouraging children to develop their interpretations and insights into music as expression. In the case of the Yarra Songs project, the adults involved have musical knowledge: in particular, a music specialist and a musician.

Contribution of This Research to Early Childhood Education The story of The Yarra Songs project makes the following contributions to our thinking about young children and experiential learning. Understanding the role of adults as collaborators and co-constructors of knowledge has been the focus of research and this has had a direct influence on how adults design the learning environment. In this book we bring out the role of the adults to emphasise the reciprocal nature of learning. The project and the adults discussed here are unusual in their depth of experience, the resources at their disposal and the collaborative teamwork that has developed over the years. This is an example of the potential of a project approach within an Australian context, in a setting where the adults have had a stable team and have well-developed theories about children, the arts and project work. Although aware of international pedagogical research this centre offers thoughtful, reflective practice with a uniquely Australian voice. The relationship with the physical world of the river creates a voice for these children and the natural world. A second contribution is the integration of technology into the project as one of the languages of childhood learning and discovery. As technology is an influential part of most children’s lives and a major communicative tool, the use of technology to promote engagement and provide a pathway to lifelong learning is one of the responsibilities of early education. In the example of the Yarra Song project, technology is integrated into the pedagogy of the adults, is socially engaging and relevant to the children’s activities. Technology provides affordances (Forman, 1994) that add efficacy to the staff and children’s discoveries and knowledge building. The examples of the use of digital media incorporated in the project add to the discussion of the role of technology in education. Like music, we present technology as a language and an integral part of everyday learning experiences.

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The songs that emerged from this project were a solo taxonomy. Each had its own charm as the children sang about the lizards, worried about the state of the muddy river and enjoyed the colour of the lorikeets. The music became increasingly complex, and the ideas expressed moved beyond the everyday. The ‘Black Swan’ song was musically and textually more sophisticated and the children made a greater creative contribution to this song than the previous songs. The words were written by three of the children. Another child developed a dance of the swan that could be choreographed and performed by all the children. The fun and pleasure from the first four songs led to an exploration of a ‘big idea’. The children were operating in exciting territory, but this did not occur spontaneously: it resulted from the confluence that was produced across the year of interpreting and learning the songs about their immediate environment. This example demonstrates the value of time, depth and guidance and waiting for the moments when a spark ignites because of all the work and play that has gone before.

The Adult Protagonists in The Yarra Songs Project A major contribution this research offers to early childhood education is in illustrating the role adults can play in child-centred programs. This study is framed by a socio/cultural approach to human activity and relationships. As senior members of the culture of the ELC, adults are important protagonists in the children’s learning. Therefore, we describe the role each of the adult protagonists played in The Yarra Songs project. The project and the children’s participation and contributions are described in Chaps. 5 and 6. The adults are given a prominent place in the discussion as often the adult voice is hidden behind descriptions of children’s learning. The adults in the ELC are important partners in the children’s investigations. They often work in teams to create an environment conducive to rich investigations. As protagonists who work with successive generations of children, they are important historical figures in their own right. The adults are introduced in order of appearance. Jan Deans is the leader and instigator of the programs and projects developed in the ELC. Kylie Payman as the music specialist who thought to promote a specific musical adventure by approaching Stephen Leek and inviting him to visit the centre where he was inspired by the children, adults and the program. He agreed to participate in the composition of Australian songs that would become a part of the centre culture. Suzana Klarin has skills in working with the

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children, has developed unique methods of documenting experience that enhances the centre projects and, as a protagonist, elicits and records the children’s creative expressions about their experiences. The Program Leader and Architect of the ELC Curriculum Jan Deans has had a long association with the ELC. She was one of the designers who turned a run-down 1950s primary school, that was operating as a preschool, into the exemplary centre it is today. Starting in 1992, by 1999 she had developed the resources and the environment that enabled the establishment of Boorai  – Children’s Art Gallery located within the ELC. Attracted to arts-based education Jan had some redoubtable guidance during her student years. Jan has a strong research interest in children’ dance and the dancer, Hanny Exiner was an early influence. Hanny had become part of the creative dance movement in Vienna, coming to Australia at the outbreak of World-War-Two. Among many other activities, she taught at the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers’ College where Jan was a student. Dance as a language of young children became a major interest for Jan and the focus of her doctoral study. Another European influence on Jan was Inge King, born into a wealthy Jewish family in Berlin. Inge left Germany in 1939, studying in England and Scotland before coming to Australia in 1951. At the forefront of the development of non-figurative sculpture in Australia, she is responsible for many iconic public art works in Melbourne. Jan became interested in Inge’s sculptural works when she was one of the early art specialists Jan invite do the ELC. The third pioneering influence on Jan was the music teacher June Epstein. Like Hanny and Jan, June taught at the Melbourne Kindergarten Teachers’. These were powerful women to have encountered and perhaps gave Jan some of the energy she has displayed in championing the arts over the years. Jan believes in leadership and has steadily built the gallery and increased the arts program at the centre. She has facilitated research, practitioner research and conducted her own research. Jan aspires to growing a community of learners in which each member and their guests can learn from each other. Kylie Payman, the music specialist, put forward the suggestion for The Yarra Songs project. This suggestion, however, was made in the context of the community of learners that Jan had developed. Jan was willing to support the endeavour as the centre leader and facilitated arrangements to make The Yarra Songs project possible.

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The ELC Music Specialist Kylie is a classically trained singer and has performed with the Victoria State Opera company. Kylie’s ideas about children and music and practice have been described in the book Musical Childhoods (Nyland et al., 2015). Since then, Kylie has added formal post-graduate qualifications in early childhood education to her repertoire as well as continuing her interest in children’s music. Kylie was looking for repertoire for the children that would be relevant and fresh. She explains how the idea for The Yarra Songs project grew: I was looking for songs because it was tricky to find music that related to the children’s everyday experiences. So, you know in the past we sang songs like the Canadian Canoe song, you know that kind of music. But we were looking for songs about the animals we see every day. We’ve got blue tongue lizards in our garden, rainbow lorikeets in our trees, black swans on the Yarra river and ducks that fly overhead. Music that there was colonial kind of music, the old music from the past, like Waltzing Matilda. We just wanted very contemporary music, songs that hopefully included an environmental perspective and Indigenous perspectives about caring for the land. (Interview, Kylie Payman, 2020)

As a music specialist and an early childhood advocate Kylie remains actively involved in musical undertakings across various contexts. Through her interests and experience, she was aware of Stephen Leek’s accomplishments and thought he might be available to work with the ELC. I was involved in Young Voices of Melbourne at the time, with Mark O’Leary, and my own children were singing, and I have done some professional development with Marianne Stafford. I was looking at what they were singing, the younger group, and looking at repertoire around conferences. Then I thought, when I sang certain songs with the children Stephen Leek’s music resonated with them. It was easy for them to learn, it seemed to catch the children, they were hooked. When I was researching, I learnt, he had also done some work with Eltham Primary School and he was conducting at Melbourne University. So, I thought, he is someone that we can connect to. (Interview, Kylie Payman, 2020)

Kylie presented her idea to Jan.

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I proposed this to Jan saying, “I’ve got this idea, I’d like to invite this composer in, to create some music with the children and it would not just be for us; but it will be actually be music for children around the world because this composer, his music is sung by Australian children but also internationally”. (Interview, Kylie Payman, 2020)

Stephen was interested, visited the centre and wrote songs about the Yarra river, blue tongue lizards, rainbow lorikeets, ducks and black swans (see Chaps. 4 and 5). The Visiting Composer Stephen Leek is known for his choral activities. Born in Sydney, he has been an academic but left his university position to have time for his freelance work as a composer, conductor, educator and writer. He has been a composer in residence for organisations like the Gondwarra Voices (Australia) and the Tapiola Children’s Choir (Finland) and conducting his own choirs. He has a national and international reputation and holds honorary positions on the international music scene, for example, with UNESCO’s (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) International Federation of Choral Music (IFCM). Stephen Leek is known for his distinctive contemporary style as well as having a uniquely Australian voice. When approached by Kylie, Stephen was interested and was commissioned to visit the centre and help develop new songs. Kylie found this part of the project particularly exciting. Anyone can write a new song, but what makes a great song? Like the Yorta Yorta language song Innanay, it was not sung in Australian preschools 40, 50 years ago, now it’s become the song that so many Australian children’s choirs sing. It is a really well know Indigenous song now and it is one of our favourite songs. So, I wanted to try and do everything I could to increase the likelihood that this music could be continued to be sung and also be widely available to others, you know, so it does not just stop with us. So that’s always the hard thing, right…how much new stuff to introduce, how much staff like nursery rhymes and older folk songs, things that have generational connection. So that was why we chose Stephen. (Interview Kylie Payman, 2020)

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Kylie describes Stephen’s first visit to the centre in May 2018. He spent the day at the centre and met all the three and four-year-old children. They came in one by one, there are 3 and 4-year old’s rooms and they had a session with Stephen, and they shared their songs with him; and he explored some music with them. He sat in on an assembly in the morning, so that was the first thing he’d done; then he had 3 classes where they came to see him in the gallery where they talked about their music and their ideas and showed him some of their art. And then, after lunch, he went into the classroom  – their classrooms and engaged with them and looked at what they were doing in their class. And he was always very good because he was very comfortable with the children. (Interview Kylie Payman, 2020)

Stephen was approachable, easy to work with and happy to maintain contact. He visited the centre to observe how the songs had been received (see Chaps. 4 and 5) (Fig. 1.1).

Fig. 1.1  Stephen Leek in Boorai gallery with a group of children, Kylie Payman and Suzana Klarin

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The next adult protagonist to introduce is Suzana Klarin. We call Suzana the creative mentor because she actively develops teaching and learning practices within the ELC.  Her role in presenting provocations (Oaken-Wright, 2004) to the children is both thoughtful and challenging. Her recorded documentation of their responses has been a major aspect of the inquiry-based education approach within the ELC. The Creative Mentor of the ELC Suzana Klarin (previously Zaper) was trained as a teacher in Croatia and grateful that the arts, especially music, were privileged in her teacher education. In Australia she embarked upon a Master of Education thesis entitled The Poetical Understanding of the Imagery of Nature: How is Poetical Understanding Evident in Children’s art (Zaper, 2004). This thesis is a window into how Suzana developed her own ways of seeing and the origins of her provocations and recording of children’s experiences. She calls the documentation of the children’s ideas ‘Curriculum notes’ (see Figs. 4.3 and 4.4). Suzana’s role in the projects of the children she works with came from her own early childhood life and her early childhood teaching experiences across two countries. An important part of her pedagogical practice arose from her encounters with the theories of the scholars of Reggio Emilia (Edwards et al., 1993). The following is a reflection from her thesis: My encounters with the Australian early childhood field and the Reggio Emilia philosophy some years ago energized me with the newly discovered freedom and wisdom to continually reflect and question not just theories within my curriculum, but my own beliefs. I needed to find out more about the ways children become immersed in their art making while exposed to rich sensory experiences, but also about the ways they transform and communicate their findings. To me it seems obvious that human memory always goes back to these experiences of childhood; it is “a place to escape to, a sanctuary, a place that empowers us later in life”. (Cikanova, 1998, p. 100, cited in Zaper, 2004, p. 8)

We refer to Suzana’s activities as providing a bridge between the gallery where children met with the artists and how these meetings were explored in the home room setting where new and deeper meanings could be explicated. Suzana used displays, pictures and questions as provocations with

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children. Here is an explanation of how she chose a particular questioning style with children as they lay under a Moreton Bay Fig experiencing the joys of a natural space with a hint of magic. She observes the group of children and then chooses a gentle provocation. I quietly asked: “Does the tree know that you are here?”- using personification on purpose, recognizing their ability to see the tree in a new way. I tried to be present in the very moment, but at the same time not interfering in this small group interaction. (Zaper, 2004, p. 35)

Suzana’s provocation inspired the children’s comments to advance from casual observations: “it is like sitting under a green umbrella” (p. 35) to now include more imaginative ideas of what the tree can see or hear. ‘Does it talk with its branches? Can it feel the wind? Do the branches talk about children and fairies?’ Chapter 4 includes an example of a display Suzana created to accompany the children’s investigations and discoveries about the Yarra, the birds and surrounding objects (see Fig. 4.5, the display on the right). This display illustrates Suzana’s belief “that displaying materials beautifully and providing natural things that are unpredictable, creates a doorway into the endlessly complex world of a child’s discovery and learning” (Zaper, 2004, p. 23). Suzana’s data collections consist of photographs, audio tapes, recorded sounds, photocopies of the children’s artworks and records of conversations and comments as they occur. A combination of all these can be found in the curriculum notebooks that contain descriptions of children and events, experiences, conversations, musings, possible questions, ideas and reflections. Suzana also adds her own visual patterns that she sees emerging from the children’s discoveries to help create a rich picture. Mandala shapes have been of particular interest. She has developed skills in collecting data and displaying it in aesthetic and complex ways. These bring essential insights and remembrances to the activities of the centre. She says of her belief in the power of data: The data indicates that to achieve this [utilizing children’s voices within the arts curriculum] we need to engage our emotions, passions, creativity and enthusiasm into the teaching process, together with our memories. Only then will we be able to create a harmonious, poetical and spiritual arts curriculum that expands the quality and the organic nature of children’s and adult experiences. (Zaper, 2004, p. 85)

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The Structure of the Book In the following chapters we present how Stephen Leek, the composer, collaborated with the children of the ELC to produce a series of five songs to accompany their ongoing interest and relationship with the Yarra and its flora and fauna. The songs were ‘The Muddy River’, ‘Blue Tongue Lizards’, ‘Ducks’, ‘Rainbow Lorikeets’ and ‘The Black Swan’. This introductory chapter has framed the research by identifying the significance and contribution this book offers to early childhood education. We have emphasised the adult protagonists in this project because a major theme of this book is the role of the adult in child-centred education. For this reason, we have included a description of the adults’ contributions to the project. The following chapters of this book describe and analyse the unfolding events over the duration of The Yarra Songs project. Jan Deans provides a comprehensive explanation of how the centre developed its pedagogical practices and philosophical approach to children and their expressive ideas. She establishes the centre’s program’s theoretical foundation and identifies major influences and ideas about children’s learning. Vygotsky and socio-cultural theory dominate this discussion while important themes are drawn out from significant documents such as the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989), the ECA (Early Childhood Australia) Code of Ethics (2016) and the Australian Early Years Learning Framework: Belonging, being and becoming (DEEWR, 2009). Jan links these concepts to the growth of community, the physical locale of the centre and international and local influences that have inspired on on-going interest in sustainability and caring for the earth. We build on the context in Chap. 2 by devoting Chap. 4 to sharing children’s previous work from projects that involved composition and musical articulation. This chapter provides an opportunity to explain documentation of children’s ideas. A discussion of what is possible when children are respected and the adult image of the child is one that acknowledges the languages of the child and the value of listening, follows. The collaborative nature of the skilled adult (Chap. 2) and the voice of the child (Chap. 3) is the foundation for The Yarra Songs project. In the fourth chapter the account of this project is laid out in detail. We describe the evolution of four of the five songs that emerged from this undertaking. Using metaphor as a device to indicate the synergy of the project, that is the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, we have related the story of the songs using the metaphor of the human body. The

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songs described here are the: ‘Muddy River’, ‘Blue Tongue Lizards’, ‘Ducks’ and ‘Rainbow Lorikeets’. The stories of these songs encompass the project by telling of the initial motivation, the adults’ role in providing provocations to help direct the children and how the stories of these songs were documented. We present the story of the ‘Black Swan’ song in Chap. 5 in order to further detail this work. This chapter uses the idea of the life cycle (Niland, 2012) to describe the writing of this song from conception to maturity. The many languages that were employed to explore this song are discussed and illustrations of some these are presented. The use of life cycle metaphor is further strengthened as we can recount how this song has already taken on a life of its own. A child at the centre has taught the song to a younger sibling who has yet to attend the centre. This younger sibling is already a part of the culture of the ELC and the relationship with the river before he has become an active member of the community. Chapter 7 brings together what the adults have learnt from this initiative. An element of progressive education is the teacher as researcher. The lessons we have taken from studying this project include (1) the need for adults to have skills and knowledge in teaching the arts, (2) the rights of the child to an arts curriculum, (3) the role of the arts in supporting the use of different media in a world of increasing technological knowledge and (4) the importance of the arts for social and civic development.

Summary In this introductory chapter we have summed up the aim and purpose of this book. The Yarra Songs project forms the subject of this book, and the principles of project work and progressive education that underpin this project have been introduced and contextualised. The roles of the adult protagonists have been described as these players were initially responsible for the project and were active mentors and guides as it unfolded. This emphasis is an attempt to focus on the adult as well as the child in the co-­ construction of meaning. Chapter 2 continues with the project narrative by outlining how the ELC grew into a learning space with expertise in project learning and introducing a discussion about the concern for the Anthropocene.

CHAPTER 2

The Development of a Teaching and Learning Space at the ELC

Abstract  This chapter provides background context to how the ELC developed its present arts-based program with an emphasis on projects, discovery learning and the importance of play in the lives of children. Jan Deans, the Director, constructor and designer of the programs, physical, social and relational characteristics, for decades, introducers crucial elements of ELC practice and philosophy. Jan describes how the centre staff have focused on the arts as an expressive medium for children to express ideas give these ideas form to share with others. The creation of the Boorai has given the ELC a special place that is used as a gallery to display children’s artefacts as well as a studio for singing, dance and drama. Major theoretical influences are identified, and the role the centre staff play in promoting international and national policies that support child growth and well-being. Two main documents that impact the work in the ELC is the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Australian Belonging, Being and Becoming: An early years learning framework. The emphasis on children’s relationship and nature is referenced through the international projects the staff designs each year. Keywords  Early childhood music project • A social-constructivist perspective • Community of learners • Arts-based early childhood programs • Visiting artists

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 A. Acker et al., Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91692-3_2

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Introduction In this chapter we introduce the ELC and the director, Jan Deans, contextualises the significance of building practices on progressive theory, the importance of the arts and the significance of the collaborative voice. Drawing strongly on Vygotskian theory of social-construction and re-­ construction of meaning, Jan provides an explanation of the roles of the social and natural environment that surrounds the ELC. Chapter 1 offered a description of the adult participants in The Yarra Songs project and the children’s voices are presented in subsequent Chaps. 3, 4 and 5. The description of the theoretical underpinnings of the centre and its philosophy and practice provide the frame for The Yarra Songs project and especially how the adults in the ELC have developed skills and knowledge to support this framework.

A Distinct Teaching and Learning Space The purpose of this chapter is to overview the Early Learning Centre’s (ELC) theoretical pedagogical framework which is expressed as early childhood curriculum and program development. The ELC has grown out of a particular context in that it is an inner city centre, attached to a university and has a strong research culture, especially in the arts. The growth of the program has been influenced by localized forces, theoretical paradigms and processes, including some of the big ideas, like that of the Anthropogenic child (Sgōgren, 2020), that are shaping teaching and learning in the twenty-first century. This discussion highlights a number of core educational theories and principles, namely, the role of play in the lives of children, acknowledgement of arts-based teaching and learning as central to the ELC’s mission and philosophy, the role of socio-­ constructivism in the establishment of a vibrant culture of thinking and learning and contemporary ideas around environmental education for yearly years. The Threads of Teaching and Learning While the ELC has developed its project approach over the years, the principle that holds the centre project together is the role of play in the early childhood curriculum. The ideas of Vygotsky have held a dominant position in the thinking of the staff and have influenced the design of the social

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environment. Vygotsky (1978) noted that play provides the vehicle for children to behave more maturely than at other times and the memorable quotation “in play a child always performs above his average age, above his daily behaviour: in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself” (p. 110), draws attention to the importance of play for children’s growth and development. Vygotsky (1978, p. 96) also identified play as “a novel form of behaviour liberating the child from constraints”, an idea that resonates with free flowing and spontaneous learning through doing. Governed by innate natural curiosity and a desire to explore and learn about the world, children demonstrate a significant capacity to live in and through their playing. Play is acknowledged to be a creative act and early childhood scholars believe that it is through play that much of children’s learning occurs. As noted in the Australian Early Years Learning Framework: Belonging, Being & Becoming (DEEWR, 2009): Play provides opportunities for children to learn as they discover, create, improvise and imagine. When children play with other children, they create social groups, test out ideas, challenge each other’s thinking and build new understandings. Play provides a supportive environment where children can ask questions, solve problems, and engage in critical thinking. Play can expand children’s thinking and enhance their desire to know and learn. In these ways play can promote positive dispositions towards learning. Children’s immersion in their play illustrates how play enables them to enjoy being. (p. 15)

From this perspective, a strong relationship between play and artistic activity is identified with improvisation of the processing of ideas through form, colour, shape, materials, sounds and movement, having the capacity to produce new interpretations or impressions. Through play, children have ongoing opportunities to scaffold their learning, therefore enlivening their experiences and enlarging their imaginations towards their actual potential. A playful approach allows them to find out what they need to “know next through self-initiated problem-solving/finding and through implicitly drawn connections for self-discovered meaning-making” (St. John, 2010, p. 66). In his writings about children’s imagination and creativity, Vygotsky (1978) introduced the notion of the circular path of imagination. This process is understood to involve the filtering of lived experience through imaginative embodied processing that combines and recombines elements

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of the experience, to create an artistic product such as an image, music, dance or story. According to Vygotsky, for the circular path to be completed, both intellectual and emotional factors need to be involved. It is at this point that a clear relationship between play, creativity and artistic endeavour is identified, with imaginative musings and fantasy being fundamental to the experience. As further justification for the importance of play-based learning Vygotsky (1978) states: Though the play-development relationship can be compared to the instruction-­development relationship, play provides a much wider background for changes in needs and consciousness. Action in the imaginative sphere, in an imaginary situation, the creation of voluntary intentions, and the formation of real-life plans and volitional motives-all appear in play and make it the highest level of preschool development. (pp. 102–103)

From this perspective the staff at the ELC recognize play as an activity that has the capacity to engage children in multiple ways of doing and knowing, prepares children for real-world exploration, experimentation, problem solving, hypothesizing and decision making. The decision to have a strong focus on the arts as a vehicle for play and problem solving that incorporated the languages of mathematics and the sciences as well as the fine arts became a cornerstone of the program. The Centrality of Arts-Based Teaching and Learning The arts provide humanity with unique ways of communicating and making meaning of experience or ‘knowing’ about the world and are located at the core of the ELC’s philosophy. The Australian National Curriculum (ACARA, 2012) notes that: The arts have the capacity to engage, inspire and enrich all students, exciting the imagination and encouraging them to reach their creative and expressive potential…they provide opportunities for students to create, share and communicate ideas, emotions, experiences and imagination. (p. 2)

In all cultures, the arts provide important ways of expressing and representing ideas, emotions and values. Within educational settings the arts, including dance, drama, media arts, music, and visual arts are recognised

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as ‘symbol systems’, or modes of communication that are used in organized ways through cultural practice to express and communicate meanings (ACARA, 2013; DEEWR, 2009). From this perspective, the ELC staff have investigated symbol systems as a distinctive language plus a feature of human cognition that offers an insight into the link between the biological and cultural, namely “the nervous system with its structures and functions and the culture with its roles and activities” (Gardner, 1983 p. 301). Thus, for the young child, symbolization or artistic expression is a form of thinking and knowing about the world; the child draws on the information coming in from the senses, as well as the capacity to think, feel and imagine in a social world. The arts have always held a prominent position in early childhood, so it is not surprising that they became central to the ELC philosophy. In his influential work ‘The Psychology of Art’, Vygotsky (1971) proposed that: “Art is the social within us…. the social technique of emotion, a tool of society that brings the most personal aspects of our being into the circle of social life; it is the means through which individuals learn about self and others more fully” (p. 249). Eisner (2002, p. 2) acknowledges that humans are “sentient creatures born into a qualitative environment in and through which they live”, and he places great emphasis on the relationship between sensory or perceptual experience and thinking, citing the senses as the first avenues to consciousness. He describes cognition as a generic process of coming to know the world through the senses and identifies the arts as playing an important role in refining the sensory system and cultivating cognitive, imaginative and expressive capabilities. Hence, it is recognized that the learning process for the young child is dependent on multi modal sensory input and involves complex neurological perceptual activity, which in turn stimulates the abstraction of a wide range of sensory concepts that are available from the child’s immediate environment. Eisner argues for the arts to play a greater role in early childhood education. He considered the arts were a way of exploring relationships and to discover the affordances of a medium. This is significant to the project discussed, for while we have described music as a language, it has very different form to spoken language. The same applies to the affordances of digital media. Form can express feeling and this is demonstrated in The Yarra Songs project as the children express their emotions about the river and the birds in various forms. What is important in the words and the music of the songs turns into colour, shape and flights of fancy in the children’s drawings. The teachers of Reggio Emilia have emphasized

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“expecting the unexpected” (Strong-Wilson & Ellis, 2007) and it is through experiencing children’s ideas as they play with language in different forms, we get an insight into their view of the world. It is through the abstraction of each of the sensory modalities that concepts (Piaget, 1953) are formed. This process depends upon a constructive use of cognition with concepts being formed and then joined with other concepts, enabling the child to make meaning of the environment, use symbols to express understandings, predict probability patterns and regulate a wide range of interactions with the world and people in it. Eisner (2002) believes that it is this process of construction and abstraction that is at the root of art and forms the basis of thinking and knowing, pointing out that: The sensory system does not work alone; it requires for its development the tools of culture: language, the arts, science, values and the like. With the aid of culture, we learn to create ourselves. (p. 2)

With these powerful ideas in mind, the ELC program is designed specifically to provide children with extensive opportunity to explore their learning through their sensory system, with the knowledge that they are innately programmed to explore their learning through multiple modalities. As noted, the arts have an integral role to play in enhancing imaginative and creative thinking and processing and from this perspective they enable children the opportunity to play with ideas, try out various possibilities, experiment and finally produce an individual response, albeit within a group of learners. From a sensory perspective, engagement in the arts invites children to explore the exciting differences that are inherent in the qualities of sound, sight, touch and gesture, which over time result in transformation of ideas and thoughts through representation via what is universally known as the art forms, namely music, dance, visual arts and drama. Representation through these various expressive forms is the way that children learn to stabilize their ideas and thoughts and once the purpose of this form of communication is understood a whole new world of artistic thinking and knowing becomes available. The programs of Reggio Emilia, under the guidance of Loris Malaguzzi are some of the best-known examples of arts-based settings. Malaguzzi (1996) shedsignificant light on the young child’s capacity to communicate through what have been metaphorically labelled ‘the hundred languages’ Malaguzzi drew attention to the image of the child:

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…who from the moment he is born, is so eager to be part of the world that he actively employs a complex (and still not fully appreciated) network of abilities, learning strategies, ways of organizing relationships, and creating maps for personal, interpersonal, social, cognitive, affective, and even symbolic orientation. (p. 10)

The ELC philosophy incorporates the idea that young children communicate using many different languages for expressive communicative purposes and it is through engagement in drawing, painting, singing, dancing, making music, enacting and playing with words to create poetry and story, that children make personal meaning and expand their boundaries of communication and expression to others. Malaguzzi (1993, p. 93) also notes that symbol making is closely associated with “emotions, feelings and many other things that cannot be qualified through observation”, and as such the ELC prioritizes semiotic meaning making for its capacity to stimulate constructive thinking. Eisner (2002) believed that it is the process of construction and abstraction of knowledge, ideas and questions that are at the root of all art making and form the basis of thinking and knowing, pointing out that: The sensory system does not work alone; it requires for its development the tools of culture: language, the arts, science, values and the like. With the aid of culture, we learn to create ourselves. (p. 2)

This discussion justifies the positioning of the arts in the ELC, explains why they are integral to young children’s learning and how they play a central role in curriculum development at the ELC. Another influential scholar and philosopher for the ELC is Dewey. Dewey (1934) in his work remarked that art making grows out of lived experience and has a special purpose and supports an aesthetic form of experience. By interpreting their experience through the languages of artistic expression children can closely observe the world around them. For example, the improvised dance of the black swan, discussed more fully in Chap. 6, was based on the child’s experience in the natural world and cultural knowledge of a particular style of dance which shaped her use of expressive movement. Once the knowledge is stored the child brings imaginative processing to the event and through the engagement with the arts exploration of new and exciting possibilities unfold. Hence, the arts provide an opportunity for children to make thinking visible through a

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range of symbolic systems and over time they learn to abstract, differentiate and refine their skills and understandings to produce creative outcomes. What these outcomes might be and the way in which children’s and adult’s voices are heard will depend on the cultural context. The Arts Enabling the Expression of Children’s Voice Each early learning setting creates its own culture, one that is representative of the values that are held by those who inhabit the community, children, families, teachers and others. The ELC philosophy articulates a particular image of childhood where children are viewed as being “rich in potential, strong, powerful, competent and most of all, connected to adults and other children” (Malaguzzi, 1993, p. 10). ELC teachers place children at the center of curriculum negotiations, they embrace the idea of a ‘pedagogy of listening’ (Edwards et al., 1993), spending time observing children’s play, talking with them and listening carefully to their ideas and perspectives with the main aim being that listening produces questions rather than provides answers. The ELC philosophy has been highly influenced by the human rights charter, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (UN, 1989) which acknowledges the right of children to be heard and consulted on matters that affect them. In particular Article 12 of the Convention notes that: State parties shall assure to the child who is capable of forming his or her own views the right to express those views freely in all matters affecting the child, the views of the child being given due weight in accordance with the age and maturity of the child. (UNCRC, 1989)

This Article has had a significant impact on how ELC teachers engage children in their learning. They are encouraged, supported and guided to independently express their ideas and understandings and over time take a central role to become protagonists in their own learning and development. Intersecting and expanding upon Article 12, is Article 13, which endorses the important role of the arts in the lives of children. It states: The child shall have the right to freedom of expression; this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, either orally, in writing or in print, in the form of art, or through any other media of the child’s choice. (UNCRC, 1989)

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This Article along with Article 14 (UNCRC, 1989) which recognizes and promotes the rights of the child to participate freely in play and in cultural life and the arts, highlights the importance of children being provided with opportunities to engage in learning that supports their personal growth and be a participating member of the cultural group within the ELC and seek involvement in the wider community. The ELC strives to achieve these feelings of belonging and being through art making. The terms ‘being’ and ‘belonging’ are in the title of Australia’s national early years learning framework (DEEWR, 2009). The full name is Belonging, Being & Becoming: The early years learning framework for Australia (EYLF) (DEEWR, 2009). The EYLF has identified effective communication as one of the five learning outcomes for children aged birth to five years. It states: From birth children communicate with others using gestures, sounds, language and assisted communication. They are social beings who are intrinsically motivated to exchange ideas, thoughts, questions and feelings, and to use a range of tools and media, including music, dance and drama, to express themselves, connect with others and extend their learning. (p. 38)

The EYLF also acknowledges the centrality of the UNCRC (UN, 1989) in its design through the recognition that “all children have the right to an education that lays the foundation for the rest of their lives, maximises their ability, and respects their family, cultural and other identities and languages” (DEEWR, p. 5). Another significant document for the staff at the ELC is The Code of Ethics of Early Childhood Australia (ECA, 2016), which was developed to inform and guide the professional behavior and decision-making processes of early childhood professionals. The code endorses the principles advocated within the UNCRC (UN, 1989). It highlights the importance of learning that supports open-ended inquiry, focused engagement, ongoing development and shows respect for children’s capacities to self-direct their learning. The ELC teachers recognize that children’s contributions take many forms, and it is within the artistic domain that our curriculum gives enhanced opportunities to demonstrate their abilities to expand understandings of their physical and social worlds. The ELC’s teaching and learning program is shaped to honour the young child’s voice and innate propensity to communicate through the arts. With focused intentionality and clear purpose ELC teachers plan to support children’s everyday lived

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experience of engaging with the arts to ensure aesthetically sensitive and satisfying expressive outcomes. Trevarthen (1998) explains this phenomenon: Young children…are adept at expressing communicable ideas by means of signs, gestures, postures, vocalizations that are situated in a negotiated context of inter-subjectivity – well before they can say words with their mother tongue. Their awareness of reality and learning is aesthetic, dramatic and moral because it is built through communication with the motives and emotions of other persons. Provided that they can maintain relationships of trust and understanding, there is no reason why this learning cannot be carried out with many persons outside the family, and groups of other children offer a particularly rich context for testing feelings and ideas. (p. 97)

Socio Constructivist Perspectives Trevarthen’s point about the importance of a rich social context to encourage collaborative learning and because education is the field responsible for creating and maintaining the most positive conditions for learning, the ELC teachers have embraced ideas from the contributions of socio constructivist theorists. These theorists have advanced our understanding of the important and essential influence of ‘others’ in terms of the way children learn and make meaning. Vygotsky’s (1978) cultural/historical views on learning, development and creativity are the best known. One common theme that is apparent in all of Vygotsky’s writings is that human beings are conclusively interdependent and from the moment of birth infants are reliant on family members to support their growth and development. Malaguzzi (1997) considered Vygotsky’s contribution to early childhood thought was multifaceted. He noted that there is an innate eagerness on the part of the individual to be part of the world, apparent through the active employment of a “complex (and still not fully appreciated) network of abilities, learning strategies, ways of organizing relationships, and creating maps for personal, interpersonal, social, cognitive, affective, and even symbolic orientation” (p. 10). As children rely on their senses and their interactions with parents, teachers, peers and the environment to make meaning of their world it is through direct, firsthand multi-sensory lived experience and collaboration with, and imitation of others, that learning proceeds. Vygotsky did not ignore the emotional aspects of relationships and learning. This element of the learning environment he called perezhivanie (1971).

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Perezhivanie Within the construct of learning through play, which is centrally acknowledged in the ELC philosophy, the phenomenon of perezhivanie (intensely emotionally lived experience in a social situation) has been identified as an element of learning that promotes higher order thinking (Vygotsky, 1971). Through the course of making complex and dynamic connections between the key psychological processes of thinking, imagining and creating, the young child transforms information from the material and social world of lived experience, constructing knowledge into understandings and making meaning across a variety of contexts and codes or symbol systems. For Vygotsky, as a Marxist, this construct provides a frame for thinking that acknowledges that the child is in a dialectical relationship with the environment and consciousness can be mediated through affective reconciliation. Vygotsky’s concept of the environment was extended “beyond the physical to include social and affective activity, products of cultural development such as speech and other symbol systems, and social systems and formations” (Kozulin, 2003, p. 135). As such, perezhivanie describes the complex internal synthesis of thought, word and emotion and its transformation into multidimensional meaning making activity that culminates in semiotic expressions that demonstrate understandings of and involvement in the world. Vygotsky’s theory highlights the link between play, conceptual understandings and creative imagination within the social world of the child. It also describes the mutual influence and co-existence of scientific (i.e., formal or conceptual) and everyday (i.e., experiential) concepts in children’s learning. Vygotsky (1978) described how children learn every day by acquiring spontaneous concepts through experience and gradually, through open-ended play and language exchange, they develop and re-­ conceptualise these into more formal scientific concepts. The ELC teachers are influenced by Vygotsky’s ideas and are aware of the place of the concept, the ‘zone of proximal development’ (ZPD) in their teaching and learning environment. Vygotsky (1978) described ZPD as follows: What we call the Zone of Proximal Development…is the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving, and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers. (p. 86)

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The ELC teachers take their role as the informed adult in the play partnership when the circumstance arises. Within the construct of ZPD the metaphoric term ‘scaffolding’ (Ratner & Bruner, 1978) explains the role of teachers, other adults or more knowledgeable peers in supporting and guiding children’s learning and development. ELC teachers acknowledge that effective teaching relies on the teacher knowing how to select content or introduce provocations that stimulate children to move beyond what they already know to develop new knowledge and skills. In the first instance The ZPD describes the developing intellectual and psychological capabilities in children (Chaiklin, 2003). It is applied to educational processes, as it explains the difference between children’s unaided performance and their performance with assistance. Also, ZPD represents the zone where children’s everyday understandings interact with conceptual knowledge provided by mediators of learning, such as teachers, a range of semiotic tools (language, the arts, science, IT) and the environment. It also incorporates the idea that children will demonstrate evidence of their learning by having achieved a greater level of skill development or knowledge as a direct result of the scaffolding experience. The seminal ideas of Vygotsky (1978) surrounding the social processes of learning namely, that children’s cognitive activity occurs primarily through social interactions or dialectical processes with knowledgeable adults and peers in multi-modal environments, highlights the importance that is placed on the contributions of learners as well as the teacher and the significance of the learning environment and the artifacts within it. The ZPD is interpreted by the teachers in the ELC to be that cognitive space in which the content for learning is not so simple that the child feels no challenge nor so complex that the child disengages. Group discussions with the children, carefully designed play corners and provocations are a few of the strategies the teachers employ. The environment is a major content theme within the centre and relationships with the wider community, physical and social are actively pursued. These are described in Chap. 3. Making Connections with Community Building on ideas around the social construction of knowledge, the ELC staff work to develop relationships with parents, extended family and local groups within the community like the nearby children’s farm, the community gardens and an artists’ colony. ELC teachers work closely with families to ensure that children feel safe and nurtured during their

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experience of learning outside of the home. There is also a commitment to helping children to understand that when they come to the ELC they are making connections with the wider community; this includes recognizing that their preschool is a special location outside of the home where the focus is on learning new knowledge and skills. The physical location is also crucial to the learning and teaching strategies adopted by ELC staff. The ELC is located close to the Yarra River, a tumbling waterfall known as Dight’s Falls, a swing bridge that crosses the river, meandering pathways lined with native flora, a working farm especially designed for children and across the road from extensive historic Convent buildings that sit within acres of garden with established trees and flowering shrubs. This unique location invites interaction as it offers extensive opportunities for children to connect with the natural world as well as the local community. ELC teachers have built into their pedagogy a specialized program titled Stepping Out, Finding Out, Speaking Out. This program is underpinned by the belief that children should be provided with the opportunity to discover what learning exists beyond the fences of the preschool to enable children to enact their citizenship. The program includes ‘Learning in Nature’, which focuses on helping children to learn about Indigenous and non-Indigenous flora and fauna, the flow of the river, the birds who nest close by and the myriad reptile and insect life that inhabits the surroundings. Children are guided to develop their observation and thinking skills by engaging in ‘drawing-telling’ (Deans & Wright, 2018) and thinking routines (Ritchhart et  al., 2011), with teachers taking the opportunity to engage in one on one or small group intentional teaching whilst visiting various locations within walking distance of the ELC. Helping children to develop their observation skills is one way of facilitating a deeper connection with their learning. The goal the teachers have set is to stimulate wondering and questioning and to help children uncover complexity, going below the surface of what is seen and currently understood. The questions that teachers ask are seen as essential to propel children’s learning forward, although it is recognized that questions are also just one part of learning for understanding. The questions that children and teachers generate at the beginning of the learning journey change, transform and develop as the journey unfolds. The role of the teacher to take children’s understandings from surface to deep level thinking is considered central to the teaching and learning experience. A part of this thinking is the exploration of ‘big ideas’ usually related to environmental issues.

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Life Worthy Learning and Big Ideas: Learning in or from, About and for the Environment Perkins (2014) speaks about ‘teaching for understanding’ which includes the concepts of understanding as thinking, understanding as applying and understanding as noticing. This way of explaining learning has been enthusiastically embraced in the ELC and the teachers identify topics that they consider to be worthy of investigation. This means that at times teachers stimulate children’s thinking by identifying topics or questions and at other times children’s questions or interests form the basis for the inquiry. What is important is that the questions, whether teacher or child initiated, have the capacity to be big in insight, big in action, big in ethics and big in opportunity (Perkins, 2014). By taking a project approach (Katz & Chard, 1995) children and teachers embrace either a long-or short-term inquiry that engages them in an in-depth investigation where questioning, critical thinking, researching, collaborating, problem-solving and decision-­ making takes the teaching and learning on a flexible and open-ended journey. This approach provides varied multi-modal opportunities for children to exercise agency over their own learning and represent their learning through the construction of personally meaningful artefacts. Identifying and choosing life worthy learning content can be difficult and one source of guidance has been provided by the ‘UNESCO International Year’ initiative which sets the scene for focused concentration on enterprises that are of global significance. As the years have passed teachers have been drawn more deeply into the sphere of environmental education, where the critical matter of educating children to be in a strong relationship with Planet Earth became an imperative. Teaching and learning ‘in or from, about and for the environment’ (Palmer, 1998) was woven into the ELC’s teaching and learning framework. The overall aim is to help children to develop a set of environmentally sensitive values, beliefs, understandings and skills, which recognize the inter-relatedness of people, culture and the biophysical surroundings, including the adoption of a code of respectful behaviour about a range of issues associated with environmental quality and sustainable living practices. To this end the environment is used as a source of stimulation for realistic, first-hand experience in “language, mathematics, science, arts and the humanities and with the development of skills and abilities as an important purpose” (Palmer, 1998, p.  9). Teachers focus on educating for environmental awareness

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including, using problem-solving and action-oriented approaches, which foster awareness raising that in turn leads to the development of a deep personal concern for the environment which stimulates a desire to take some form of action for improvement.

Summary This chapter has presented an introduction to the ELC’s teaching and learning paradigm mainly through the words of the director, Jan Deans. It has linked the centre’s philosophical position to a range of theoretical perspectives that promote the teaching and learning of important life attitudinal and dispositional capabilities, such as creative and critical thinking, collaboration, multi-modal aesthetically oriented communication skills, citizenship and more. The complexity of the paradigm is evident as the teachers trust that children’s curiosity and natural desire to learn will infuse the learning journey with vitality, interest and the unexpected. The discussion has highlighted how play, socio-constructivist and child-rights perspectives work together to expand children’s thinking and meaning making. The underlying message is that there are multiple ways of knowing or experiencing the world and that all children have the capacity and right for artistic creation and expression of voice with teachers having an integral role to play in guiding, mentoring and shaping the individual and collaborative learning journey.

CHAPTER 3

Theoretical and Pedagogical Underpinnings of The Yarra Songs Project

Abstract  This chapter provides a background to the story of a year-long project between a group of preschool children and their teachers The ELC has specialist teachers who support the arts-based program and for this project an Australian musician and composer was invited to visit the centre to facilitate the composition of five songs. We explore the use of metaphors to describe the projects detailed in Chap. 5 and the growth of one song is explained in terms of early childhood education and the practice of linking experience to activity in Chap. 6. Metaphor is also a means of expressing intangible ideas like emotional engagement. We identify what makes a good project and explore the concept of ‘big ideas’ or ‘life-­worthy’ investigations. These are important concepts underpinning the work in the ELC centre Theoretical considerations include the image of the child, learning by doing and the role of the environment. Keywords  Metaphor in early childhood • What makes a good project • Learning by doing • Environment as third teacher

Introduction Following the discussion of the philosophical underpinnings of the centre curriculum in Chap. 2, we introduce the specific theoretical and pedagogical foundation of The Yarra Songs project. A major influence on the design © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 A. Acker et al., Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91692-3_3

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and implementation of the events that occurred was the project approach of the schools of Reggio Emilia. The Reggio Emilia programs were mentioned as an important exemplar and significant theorists like Piaget, Vygotsky and Eisner were acknowledged. The curriculum in the ELC is built around projects, especially ‘life-worthy’ projects like the environment. The educational philosopher most closely associated with a project approach is Dewey. Dewey believed in the social child, the individual within the group, the importance of adults bringing specialist knowledge and the significance of collaboration within a designated space. This space is the atelier and piazza in Reggio Emilia and the laboratory in Dewey’s approach. In his writing, Dewey mainly discussed children’s visual artistic expressions while acknowledging music was core to the early childhood curriculum. In turn Malaguzzi wrote of the hundred languages of children. Dewey considered the experience of creating more important than the medium and this idea also finds favour in the Reggio Emilia programs. In his commentary towards The Hundred Languages of Children exhibition Malaguzzi wrote “that the human species has the privilege of expressing itself through plurality of languages” (1996, p. 34). He went on to defend the rights of all languages that work for the “process of mutual enrichment” (p. 34) and part of this process is that “all languages coexisting in the mind and activity of the child have the power to become generative forces for other languages, other logics and other creative potentialities” (p. 35). The projects described in this book go beyond such statements in that the idea of the ‘big idea’ the ‘life-worthy’ focus of a project is also considered. Sustainability and love of the planet earth are ‘big ideas’ that have been pursued in many projects conducted at the ELC.  Though not espousing a post-human ideology (Malm, 2019) the staff at the ELC are very aware of the Anthropocene and an attitude to nature infuses much of their work. Use of space is also an important principle and the main project depicted was conducted in two special spaces, one dedicated to visual, music and dance activities and the second was an outdoor natural space where children encountered birdlife, native flora, fauna of the nearby creek. Protagonists were the musician/composer, specialist and generalist teachers, children and parents. The Yarra Songs project was a venture that resulted in the creating of five songs about birds, lizards and the river and these had meaning and value for all those involved. They continue to be sung and have become part of the cultural repertoire of the centre. Building up to this the background of how the staff and children have

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initiated investigations around particular topics and have familiarity with ‘big ideas’ is important context for the Yarra songs, and the projects commented upon in Chap. 4. Over the years the adults and children that have been associated with this centre have actively engaged in arts related projects with dedicated teachers, enthusiastic families and visiting artists from a range of backgrounds. As explained by the program director in Chap. 2, a major inspiration has been the value of an arts-based approach to give children an expressive voice and the image of the child as competent and creative in their ability to have a world view (Malaguzzi, 1993). The influence of the progressive education movement (Dewey, 1934; Lindsay, 2016) from the first half of the twentieth century has been a strong stimulus. Many projects have emerged from this Melbourne ELC and along with other arts media, music has always had an important place in the program (Nyland et  al., 2015). A specialist music teacher is regularly included in staffing decisions. The children have been involved in theorising that the children encounter as part of the environment around their centre. In Reggio Emilia, the teachers refer to the environment as the third teacher (Strong-Wilson & Ellis, 2007). At the ELC, the natural and made environments have been crucial to providing adults and children intellectual and emotional stimulation to follow interests and express ideas through a variety of mediums. The ongoing theme of sustainability, an in-depth discussion on the earth as a living entity and exploration of Indigenous content through visiting Aboriginal story tellers have influenced the projects and made the adults and children’s investigations ‘life-worthy.’ The nearby Yarra, is a familiar space that contains the birds that are the focus of ELC curriculum and many of the children’s projects. The children have been able to observe, imagine develop long term relationships with these creatures. This river has a special place in their explorations. In this chapter we unpack the concept of a project and discuss ‘what makes a good project’ (Forman & Gandini, 1993). Theoretical considerations of children’s thinking, and learning are presented as background to the children’s actions and understandings that make up the project. We explain the venture of projects generally by identifying parts that provide connections across the whole enterprise. These are discussed below using the metaphor of the anatomy of a human body to portray the synergy that is created using the songs and ideas within the Yarra project as examples (Chap. 5). We separately illustrate the development of the ‘Black Swan’ in

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detail, using the metaphor of the life cycle to explain the growth of the song (Chap. 6). For the whole project the body is used to denote a complete structure, grounded in experience that has both, tangible and intangible elements. By employing metaphor complex thoughts can become more accessible and emotional engagement with ideas is also made visible (Vygotsky, 1971). For the swan song, the life cycle (Niland, 2012) encompasses the known and the unknown. The project and the songs exist but the relationships the children and staff form with the ideas and content and how these can develop their own life, within a culture, cannot be planned. The New Zealand curriculum Te Whāriki (2017) is a well-known example of the use of metaphor in early childhood education, representing the curriculum as the woven, whāriki, mat which is a device to provide a message about the skills of the weavers, the joining together of different ideas for new learning and the potential for the future.

Anatomy of a Project A project grows out of an idea that is related to the creation of relationships that exist in social, physical, natural, cultural and contextual spaces. Building on existing relationships, knowledge and the environment the project, described in this book, made it possible for the children to express interest and fascination with the river and birds they had encountered in a variety of imaginative ways. These are explored in Chaps. 5 and 6. The music of the project brings together different languages and cultures of childhood and adult expertise that contained the possibility of developing new understandings of a familiar environment as well as creating a new resource in the form of the songs themselves. The act of being part of this creative work gave the children the opportunity to participate in an experience that illustrated how new things might come into being while working as collaborators in an adventure with adults of the culture. The history is important. The ELC has pursued in-depth explorations many years. Children and parents have become part of a world where the social and physical environment is a space where adults’ and children’s theories and interests can be tested. Previous projects have established culture and practices that feed into present knowledge and enhance experimentation. While projects, like investigating the Antarctic or exploring the properties of light and dark, may have taken place years ago, such ventures become part of the history and therefore the culture of the ELC.  As mentioned, an underlying theme over the years, that is firmly

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entrenched, has been the children’s relationship to the Yarra. This river has been the focus of excursions, physical, digital and imaginary. These explorations have led staff and children into the surrounding community as well as leading to engaging with ideas of local and global sustainability. History, pedagogy and documentation of the work of the centre have made a learning space that is cognitive, physical and relational. For a project, there is the layer that holds the whole together. In relation to the projects enacted within the ELC the whole is expressed through the hundred languages. These are words, music, dance, painting, sculpture, shadow play, dramatic play, film, displays, performances and many more. The childhood languages make it possible to interpret and re-­ interpret discoveries that have been made. Documentation offers re-­ visiting part of the process; so past, present and future actors in this space can share the experiences created over the years. The records contained in different ways in the environment means that no one entering the space is a novice. There are already rich materials for individuals on offer that provide an opportunity for reflection. We describe Suzana’s approach to curriculum notes in Chaps. 4 and 5 (see Figs. 4.3 and 4.4) to illustrate the richness and depth of the record keeping. An example of a display and work post is presented in Chap. 4 (Fig. 4.5). Each player within the centre, whether staff, parent, child or visitor, is made aware of the history of the centre and the optimism of the pedagogic approach that is part of everyday practice.

Theoretical Considerations Image of the Child All people – and I mean scholars, researchers and teachers, who in any place have set themselves to study children seriously – have ended up by discovering not so much the limits and weaknesses of children but rather their surprising and extraordinary strengths and capabilities linked with an inexhaustible need for expression and realization. (Malaguzzi, 1993, p. 72)

Malaguzzi explained that the adult’s theories of the child and children generally, will direct how the adult relates to the child. This is one aspect of the developmental niche (Super & Harkness, 1986) which consists of the physical and social environment, customs and practices of care and

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education within the setting and adult theories of childhood and children. The adult in the child’s world has a social and cultural view of childhood, their own remembered past and hopes and expectations for the child in the future. If the child of the social and cultural imagination is the powerful competent child portrayed by scholars like Dewey and Malaguzzi then the regulation and control the child experiences in the home, the city or the educational institution will differ from that experienced by many children. Dewey discussed the idea of miseducation and wanted children to be educated in settings where democratic communities were emphasised, children were respected and children’s interests and lived experience would be the foundation of the child’s knowledge of the world (Williams, 2017). Both, Malaguzzi and Dewey believed in citizenship and the democratic spirit. This could not be ‘taught’ to children, but an awareness would grow through social experiences that encourage scientific problem solving, questioning and an ability to empathise. Learning by doing, these two theorists claimed, is a way of breaking down the two opposites of education and experience so they could operate in harmony. The ELC is influenced by a number of programs and theoretical approaches, as well as those of Reggio Emilia and the philosophy of Dewey. Cizek, famous for his teachings on child art is acknowledged as well as Lowenstein and other art theorists (See Chap. 2 for a detailed discussion on some of the major inspirations for the ELC curriculum and practices). Other more formal early childhood programs, like High Scope, where children’s participation is sought, and active learning is the aim have also been researched. The ELC has produced teaching and learning resources for the early childhood sector to promote their beliefs in children as competent learners. The first was a year-long project called ‘Beyond the canopy’ (University of Melbourne, 2012, unpaged) which introduced the Reggio Emilia approach and was inspired by the International Year of Forests. The DVD and comprehensive teaching notes illustrate “The reciprocal nature of teacher directed and initiated learning … drawn from multiple modes of inquiry”. A second resource introduced the High Scope approach to teaching and learning. The DVD and teaching notes provided “an insight into specialized learning environments where the ‘Plan, Do, Review’ teaching and learning cycle flourish” (University of Melbourne, 2013 unpaged). While the individual child is honoured in progressive education (Malaguzzi, 1993; Vygotsky, 1978; Dewey, 1934) the child is also viewed as an integral part of the community. The community beyond

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the immediate centre has become an important part of the learning environment over the years. There is a children’s farm nearby, the Yarra and an old convent that now houses artist communities and other activities. The child is the individual within the group which gives a specific meaning to individuality and a community of learners. Significance of Learning by Doing: What Makes a Good Project? In a video called Message from Malaguzzi (Forman & Gandini, 1993) Lella Gandini interviewed Malaguzzi starting with the question “What makes a good project?”. Malaguzzi discussed the elements of a good project. He told Lella Gandini the first step is to look for an initial motivation and this should come from the children. There will be a prologue as children generate ideas. The adults listening to the ideas will already have expectations of children and an awareness of their competence. They assist the children to chase these ideas, some will become actions others will remain ideas. Then, children need to find methods to pursue their ideas, a method of work. As there is variation among children, there will be many different paths to take. The adults will already have it within themselves to respond to the children, perhaps design provocations to encourage ideas to flourish and welcome the different perspectives the children discover. New (2007) lists elements of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood that makes it unique, as well as an exemplar for programs around the world. Elements are: an interpretation of teachers as researchers, curriculum as long-term projects, the role of symbolic languages in child development and advocacy, the role of the environment, and an interpretation of parents as partners in the educational enterprise. (p. 5)

New goes on to emphasise the importance of making children’s ideas visible and points out the relationships among adults, as well as children, are crucial. When discussing projects and Reggio Emilia the relationships of adults is significant because the Italian word “projettazione” implies more than a project. It is a process of planning and design. Adults have an active role in working with children and other adults to create meaningful learning through relationships, use of symbolic languages in an environment that can be construed as a developmental niche (Super & Harkness, 1986).

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The design of the physical space is important, in Reggio Emilia there are the studios the children can work in and gain expert support from artists, Dewey had previously construed the notion of the laboratory and at the ELC there is the Boorai Gallery. The word Boorai is from the local Wurundjeri Aboriginal language and means ‘child’. This space is a gallery of children’s work and stories and is also a special place for music and dancing. While exploration and the creating of art takes place in the homerooms and the surrounding environment it is the Boorai where children’s voices can be heard across time. The ELC Director Jan Deans oversaw the development of the gallery and she reflects on its growth in Chap. 2. In the project described here, one of the outcomes was an exhibition of the children’s ideas about the ducks the children observed on the Yarra. The exhibition on the ducks was shared at an international education conference in a presentation titled ‘I’ve seen Ducks’ (AVP, 2019) and now resides in the Boorai. Such sharing of children’s work is a feature of progressive education as a means to invite awareness of the competent child. In-depth expressions of interest that projects make possible are valuable teaching and learning events and sharing them with the community makes the project a vehicle that plays a role in establishing a social image of the child within the wider society. Children are dynamic learners, who naturally make connections between sounds, colours, and other aspects of their surroundings and use their imagination to experiment, test their discoveries and create their own meaning. From the perspective of socio-semiotic theory, learning by doing is central, with children’s words, drawings, paintings, music making and dancing providing insight into aesthetically oriented symbolic representation that honours the children as active citizens (Deans & Wright, 2018). Recording projects and sharing them showcases young children’s multi-­ modal semiotic thinking as a primary vehicle for communicating understandings about the world, as exhibited in ‘I’ve Seen Ducks’. Added to this discussion is the interest that is being engendered in early childhood education about the Anthropocene and children’s knowledge (Sgōgren, 2020). Sgōgren says:“the Anthropocene denotes a geological epoch imprinted by human action on the surface of Earth” (p. 1). Some scholars discuss the concept as post-human (Murris et al., 2018) to denote a necessity for a different relationship with nature. This is a grand theory in that it suggests fundamental change is needed and at the same time it emphasizes inequalities and how these are socially and culturally reproduced (Malm, 2019). Indigenous voices are also recognized (Ritchie,

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2015) as being important. Although not using the language of post-­ human theorizing, the ELC has privileged an Indigenous voice within the program and the attitude to nature is on a deep emotional level. In this sense the ELC projects and the weighting given to ‘big ideas’ and our relationship with the earth has relevance for progressive early childhood thinking from across the twentieth century to new approaches emerging in the twenty-first century. This knowledge of past and present with an eye to the future adds value to the story recounted here.

Summary This chapter has provided detail of the centre approach to project-based learning. Theoretical underpinnings have been identified. Two main themes are the significance of the image of the child and the concept of ‘learning by doing’. We also explored what makes a good project and introduced the idea of using metaphor to express the scope of a project as a whole. This brief discussion allowed us to draw a direct line from the philosophy of Dewey, through the progressivism of the Reggio Emilia approach to the post-human theories that are becoming influential in early childhood education. Post human ideas and the new materialism also have a connection to Vygotsky. This chapter has started to embed the practice of the centre, the early childhood theorists that have been influential in forming the practices of the centre and the project of the river. Our use of the metaphor as a linking device for the project was explained.

CHAPTER 4

The Child Protagonists in the ELC Projects

Abstract  In this chapter, we illustrate the agency and learning of the children across a number of projects that have been conducted in the centre. The purpose is to explicate the image of the child that is prevalent in the ELC, the capabilities that children display, and the remarkable expressive ideas and artefacts produced by the children through multiple languages including speech, music, play, literature, movement and visual vocabularies. The culture of the centre, the children as collaborators and partners is described and we present examples of children’s ideas from a number of projects. We explore conceptual themes that are indicative of the deep learning that is facilitated in this setting. In keeping with the overall aim of this book, there is a focus on how adults have helped children’s interests emerge from some of the projects and how past activities link to the present. One outstanding example is the ‘Muddy River’ song of The Yarra Songs project. The creek and pollution have been an on-going interest and Suzana commented on the ‘Muddy River’ song: “It was interesting to observe how the inherited music of past generations connected with the new song”. Other themes are the origins of a project, the languages the children use and the adults’ role in the collaborations. Keywords  Child protagonists • Pedagogical collaboration • Relationships • Project learning

© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 A. Acker et al., Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91692-3_4

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Introduction This chapter contains examples of the agency and learning of the children within the curriculum practiced in this ELC.  There is an emphasis on active learning and children are encouraged to explore their own resourcefulness through initiative, curiosity and confidence in their own problem-­ solving abilities. The purpose of this chapter is to explicate the image of the child that is prevalent in the centre, to showcase the capabilities that the children display, give concrete examples of how children develop their own theories through co-construction with adults and how these can be expressed through multiple languages including speech, music, play, literature, movement and visual vocabularies. We explore a number of conceptual themes that are indicative of the deep learning that staff facilitate. While the children’s dispositions for investigative learning are a focus, the role of the adults in participating in the investigations is also included. We discuss the principles the adults apply to their practice in encouraging children in creative self-discovery and to integrate their existing world views with new knowledge. The adult’s role is an essential part of the collaborations that are the foundation for projects which are satisfying, complex and provide opportunities for different types of play, an appreciation of aesthetics, individual and group ventures as well as formal and informal learning.

Cultural and Ecological Influences As mentioned, many of the projects conducted at the ELC have grown from the children’s relationship with the ecological life of the centre, the river that is part of the children’s daily experience, eucalypts, birds, connections with a nearby farm and an Aboriginal story teller that all contribute to the children’s experiences and help competence though participation, questioning the familiar and building theories (Cadwell, 2003). We have revisited aspects of previous projects to illustrate how the children’s voices are heard through their comments (Cadwell, 2003), drawings (Deans & Wright, 2018) notations of songs (Acker et  al., 2017; Hanna, 2016; Reybrouck et  al., 2009) video observations (Hanna, 2016; Reybrouck et al., 2009; Fleer et al., 2014). Here we seek to highlight the image of the child that is a characteristic of this program and we provide a profile of the competent, citizen child (Huhtinen-Hildén & Pitt, 2018). The interest in sustainability has meant that the projects in the centre have often had a

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focus on one or more, aspects of the four elements, water, earth fire and air. Water and earth especially seem to hold a primeval attraction for these young children. The environment has featured in many of the children’s explorations and the familiar Yarra has been a strong connecting link across a number of the children’s journeys. That it is a focus of the song cycle emphasized here is not a surprise, and it will remain a focus in the future, as this is a long-term intergenerational relationship. An important social and cultural adventure that has been ongoing has involved the centre taking an in-depth look at the culture of Australia’s first people. An example of this was the storytelling encompassed in the Coming Closer project (Deans & Brown, 2002) where the staff and children engaged in a sphere that is sometimes examined with little regard to the complexities of both Indigenous knowledge and children’s ways of relating to the knowledge that was shared with them. In this project, the relationship between storytelling and art was used to highlight the concepts of cultural transmission and children were given the means to reflect on the experience. Deans and Brown called this a “window of consciousness” (p. 4). The venture aimed to be authentic and rich and this enterprise was ambitious, interesting and invited the children into stories told by Aboriginal story tellers. Examples are briefly retold below. George Jillimablu told the children a story about himself and a river experience when he was a boy. The part of George’s story that seemed most exciting was George crossing a flooded river in Queensland as a small child and having to hang from a small tree branch to save himself. One day my cousin and I went down to the river when it was flooded. He swam across and made it to the other side. It was my turn; I called out, “This is the way I go!” And I dived in, but the water was too strong. I was very frightened and afraid. I could see a tree and I grabbed hold of it with my dear life. There was rain coming down. As I was holding onto that little tree, I clung to it and never let go. (Deans & Brown, 2002. Appendix 1, p. 13)

A child Ben, 4 years, illustrated this part of George’s story: Ben gave emphasis to the drama inherent in the story by depicting an energetic pattern of wave-like lines that suggests the dangerous flow of the flooded river. One solitary line slants up-wards through the waves topped by a small red shape that Ben describes as, “George holding onto the tree in the water”. (Deans & Brown, 2002, p. 7)

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A slightly older child, Rachel, 5 years, was interested more broadly in artefacts and symbols. Rachael included a range of representational symbols that directly explain what George played, drew and talked about during the story telling session. She stated; “There is the didgeridoo. There is the river and in the river is the tree. George is hanging onto the tree. This is the Kangaroo. It’s looking to the side so you can see it and the bones. Next to the river is the dots and lines”. (Deans & Brown, 2002, p. 7)

That George had been a child and had experienced danger and excitement grabbed the children’s imaginations. A river also featured in the Water for Life project that involved the children in a study of the environment of their local creek. This interest was built on the children’s concerns about the plight of the river environment during a dry spell. A walk by the waterway had prompted many comments about rubbish, ailing plants and the general degradation of the river environment during drought. The river is an important theme in the centre and has been represented across projects, cultures, history, relationships and been analysed by the children’s many of the languages of childhood they use to express their ideas and emotions. The ‘Muddy River’, previously commented upon, was a revisiting of the Water for Life project that had made the children aware of and observant about the results of pollution and subsequent degradation of their cherished location.

Historical Overview of ELC Projects Over the years the centre has developed a systematic approach to the children’s learning experiences and these are often planned and designed well before the implementation phase. Goals are discussed at the beginning of the year as this quote about a theme and possible ideas to be explored in the year 2017 indicates: The year began with an ambitious mapping of targets that would provide shape and direction for the year ahead. Teachers enthusiastically identified the ‘big idea’ of ‘Greening Melbourne’ that would set the scene for a deep, rich and wide learning journey. (Deans, Interview, 2017)

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Themes for the projects are selected from multiple sources. The centre has developed many international ties. One of the most long-standing has been the Assocazone L’eta Verde in Rome. The L’eta Verde association promotes many United Nations themes aligned with sustainability and the need to respect and care for the natural world. The 2019 ELC submission of children’s work to L’eta Verde was titled “Green earth, green art, green heart.” Utilising the United Nation’s framework of international themes, designed to develop concern and informed awareness of a range of environmental issues, the centre developed collaborations on the following: The International Year of Earth Sciences (2007), The International Polar Year (2008), The International Year of Astronomy (2009), The International Year of Biodiversity (2010). The International Year of Forests (2011) and The International Year of Birds (2018). The Yarra Songs project grew out of the 2018 International Year of the Birds, but the children’s interests extended well beyond the birds. Also associated with the international themes was a project on glass. The centre has explored the idea of the Antarctic, Water for Life, The Canopy, Waterscapes, the nearby children’s farm and an environmental adventure called the eco-cubby that involved an architect as a visiting specialist. The actors in the projects have included staff and specialist staff at the centre, the children, parents; there are often community collaborators, visiting artists and researchers. Such a wide array of participants is part of the design of projects. “Importantly, the children were provided with scaffolding to take action on matters that impacted their lives and communicated their ideas effectively with diverse audiences” (Deans, Interview, 2017). The local surroundings of the centre have become increasingly important as children have become progressively familiar with their immediate environs and leave art works for future groups of children as an introduction to the area. Each new group are therefore not novices but are able to build on the work of their predecessors. A popular place to visit is a park and buildings that were once a convent. The children and staff visit the nearby convent frequently. This convent is on a bend in the Yarra and borders on the children’s farm, parklands and housing. The convent and grounds are an arts, education and cultural hub with a theatre and studios occupied by artists, musicians and artisans. The convent precinct also includes Mercy Place, an aged care residential home and an Interactive Arts Studio. The children visit these facilities and have developed relationships with residents at Mercy Place and people who frequent the interactive arts studio. When the children designed their own guide to the local

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area Mercy Place and the arts studio took a prominent place in their thinking and this was represented in the maps they produced. A shared experience with these people in the community seems to be the joy of being by the river. When the Yarra Songs project commenced in 2018, the children already knew the Yarra from their own activities and from the past projects of the many generations of children who had passed through the centre. Each group left a legacy for others to build on. When songs about birds was suggested the children already had a history of singing about the birds by the river. The ‘Black Swan’ song, described in detail in Chap. 6, was not the first ‘Black Swan’ song the children were familiar with. They had previously practiced singing a song featuring the black swan; the music was also written by Stephen Leek, as part of the repertoire for a choir they had formed to practice by the river – an elemental role in the children’s experiences and creative expression.

River as an Inspiration As commented upon above, the river was a shared bond between the children and the Aboriginal storyteller, George Jillimablu and provided an interpretive tool for the children to gain an insight into other ways of seeing. Georges childhood river was in North Queensland but the friendship with the river made George’s story immediately relatable. Across projects and participants, the river has been the bones, muscle and integument connecting the children’s research and discovery. To illustrate the capacity of the children as protagonists in their own learning in this section of the chapter we reference some of the projects the children have been involved in, especially the river projects, the way the children have given voice to their conceptual understandings and we acknowledge Suzana’s idea of inheritance. The ‘muddy Yarra’ is also on my mind since the children in the BG room wrote and composed two Yarra songs. We are making a path/Her long muddy dress/one prior, one post Stephen’s visit. Together, they became a small interwoven opus that we sang as a musical story about the river. It was interesting to observe how the inherited music of past generations connected with the new song. (Email conversation with Suzana, 2020)

Some of the projects that have been associated with the river nearby are:

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• Coming closer (2002), already mentioned on p. 44 The Coming Closer project involved First Nation children and non-­ Indigenous children across three early childhood settings. Two First nation Story Tellers presented stories to the children and the children’s responses and emotional involvement in the stories were studied through the children’s comments and drawings. The river story told by the George Jillimablu was part of this project and he engaged the children by telling a story about his own childhood. Two children’s responses from the ELC were described earlier, one was concerned with details within the story and the other child expressed the drama as a whole. • Poetry and music as colours of the world (2007) This project was a response to the L’Etre Verde for the year of 2007, which was the year of earth sciences. Using a range of expressive and symbolic languages, the children investigated the elements of earth, air, fire and water. The concept of fire and the sun was investigated through an exploration of hot and cold colours, the earth through drama, wind and dance made a suitable association for creating meaning and children observed and painted sunflowers. All these activities were planned using the High Scope approach of ‘Plan, Do Review’ (Holt, 2010). The proximity of the Yarra was a benefit and a river walk stimulated the children’s interest in the adult selected theme for the year. Photographs and audio recordings of the sound of the river flowing and bird song were documented (Brown & Deans, 2007). … in response to the audio recordings, collected during the river walk, four sounds emerged as significant to the children: water, birds, leaves and cars passing over a bridge. (p. 33)

Questions were designed by the collaborating adults, such as, “How do these sounds appear?” to encourage engagement and deep thinking. The river was once again a catalyst and the children adopted the sound of the river as a major focus of their investigations. • The choir (2011)

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Participants involved in the ‘choir project’ were 5  ×  2 groups of 4–5 year- old children and their teachers (n = 15), two music specialists, one researcher and the centre director (Acker & Deans, 2012). The children practiced in the open, often by the river and the emphasis in the selection of songs was care and respect for the earth and its flora and fauna. The first formal public performance saw both groups of children coming together to ‘Sing for the Earth’ for a large group of families and friends. At this time the children shared their song repertoire featuring: ‘Inanay’, ‘The River is Flowing’, ‘Hurt No Living Thing’, ‘Celebrate the Rain’ and ‘Peter’s Song’. These songs were specifically chosen to communicate the depth of feeling and respect the children had developed for the earth and its creatures (Acker & Deans, 2012). • Waterscapes (2013) Titled Waterscapes: A journey of discovery this project led to the preparation of a resource for educators on how to use the High Scope ‘Plan-Do-­ Review’ approach to teaching and learning (Holt, 2010). The two sample lessons presented in the documentation of this project are Cosy shelters for rain and shine and Catching water in the mountains (University of Melbourne, 2013). The accompanying DVD has lengthy audio-visual examples of the children engaging in discussion, selection of materials, manipulating the chosen materials, reviewing their discoveries and responding to extension suggestions from the teachers. • Action Yarra, stepping out, finding out, speaking out (2015) This project was part of the children’s on-going relationship with the river and its surrounds. The river was studied as a life-force and as a home to fish and birds. One discovery that had an immense effect was the recognition of how polluted the river was. The idea of “taking action” was inspired by the discovery of the pollution of the river and raising awareness of the importance of our waterways and looking after them became a central theme of this inquiry. • The birds of the present project discussed in this book (2018)

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As well as the rainbow lorikeets, ducks and black swans, discussed in Chaps. 5 and 6, the children indicated they had been keen observers of the creek and many other birds that live along the Yarra (Fig. 4.1).

The Visual Languages of Children Children and adults collaborating as protagonists in their own learning are a focus of these descriptions of projects undertaken at the ELC. Experiences over the years have resulted in rich expressions and many of the explorations and discoveries reported through projects have been complex. In this section of the chapter we return to the theme of the Yarra songs and children’s learning to present illustrations of children’s ideas about the music and the singing that was at the centre of the project. The book is a celebration of multi modal expression, of multiple literacies used by children to make-meaning. Young children are adept at using images, signs and symbols to bridge real and imagined insights. To illustrate and refine

Fig. 4.1  Display of children’s pictures of birds

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the extent of children’s visual thinking of the music and sound we provide awareness of the variety and complexities of children’s ideas as well as the diversity of symbolic expression, both representative and symbolic, they choose to explain their perceptions. McArdle and Wright (2014) suggest the following: … the arts might … be regarded as children’s first languages – their primary ways of seeing and knowing the self and the world and the means to express meaning. (p. 22)

Hanna (2016) takes up this idea of the arts as important early languages of children and explores the relationship between visual arts and the music arts. Seven characteristics of the visual arts and music are identified. The relationships between visual and musical expression are developed as an argument about commonalities. Hanna makes that the commonalities between elements of music and art can be seen as the beginnings of a vocabulary. To explore this idea in more detail we have selected 4 drawings the children did during The Yarra Songs project in 2018 as examples of how the elements of visual and musical expression can be combined to create different meanings. Each example contains a combination of pictures, words and musical notation – either invented or rudimentary. As we look at these drawings, we consider what the children are telling us about their knowledge, preferences and literary skills in dealing with the medium of drawing and formal musical literacy learning. Two of the drawings are free hand and the children have chosen where they envisage the music and the notes, the other two are on manuscript paper, which has dictated a more conventional approach to the score and we can look at how these children have imagined the music. Gromko (1994) suggested children’s musical understanding, in terms of perception and performance, may be reflected in children’s invented musical notations. This concept is revisited in Chap. 5. In the four pictures below, we can see that in two of the drawings, educators have chosen to use manuscript paper as a scaffold. The use of this frame has been acknowledged by both children while one has used the spaces to give an indication of familiarity with the staff and music notes while not yet seeing this format as a framework for elements like pitch. The emphasis seems to be on the song as a whole. The other two drawings relate to children’s ideas of notation and singing. In one case the notes are high, hanging over the head of the figure and in the other, the music

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emanates from the main figure in the picture. Providing experiences and opportunities to play with languages and literacies is part of the philosophy of this centre. The children’s engagement with music through singing and being encouraged to use expressive languages, both invented and based on more formal representation is an aspect of the pedagogical practices adopted to enhance discovery through project-based learning. Once areas of inquiry were decided, the teachers guided the children’s investigations by raising ‘points of conjecture’ and encouraging children to become ‘perspective takers’ and ‘co-constructors’ of knowledge. (University of Melbourne Teaching Guide for Poetry and Music as Colours of the World project, 2017)

The Pedagogical Choices of the Adults The pedagogical choices and practices of the adults are strongly reflected in the children’s explorations, drawings, comments and imaginative play. In Fig. 4.2 we have shown examples of children’s drawings that reflect a developed sense of the use of graphic communication as well as a sense of the types of experiences and scaffolds that might be provided to enrich the children’s expressive thoughts. In the case of Fig. 4.2 we can see the presence of the river, the impact that Stephen Leek and his music had on the children, the scaffolding provided by the adults in supplying different paper for drawing music stories and an underlying understanding that these children had all been introduced to musical notation as a communicative medium. We cited the teaching guide to one of the centre projects above as an indication of the continual support, planning and encouragement that the adults provide for the children once a project has been embarked upon. The adults are an integral part of the children’s explorations as well as curators of the experiences for future reference, scholarly research and as a record of the learning culture of the centre. The adults represent the on-going celebration of the competence of children in developing their knowledge of the world. One example of adult aspects of pedagogical practice are the curriculum notes maintained by Suzana. The case below (see Figs. 4.3 and 4.4) was chosen to illustrate themes that are present in the description of the Yarra songs project. The history of the centre is indicated in that the notes Suzana has recorded refer to children’s explorations in 2010, but we can see the same interest in uses of a mix of expressive and conventional

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Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

The singer is singing

Stephen Leek is

In this example

This drawing is

about the Yarra

singing about the

where the lines of

confined in that it has

River which is an

Muddy River in this

the stave are

been done on

important place

drawing. The child

included the child

manuscript paper.

theme running

drawing the picture

has produced a

However, the child

through the activities has depicted

credible rendition of has drawn pictures

and pedagogies in

Stephen as a large

formal music

and written music

the centre. The notes

dark figure and the

writing. The notes

notes mainly between

are hanging above

invented notation

are on the lines,

the lines. This might

the singers and there

just above his head

vertical and the

imply the child

is no differentiation

and the symbols

stems are directed

understands the stave

in regards pitch,

emanating from his

either up or down.

as a prescribed

rhythm or timing.

hand suggest the

Some are joined

structure to work

The positioning

music and the

with one or two

within and the script

suggests an uplifting

persona of Stephen

lines giving a

in its own right;

experience as size

Leek are one and

reasonable

hence, instead of

and positioning in

the same.

semblance of

inserting into the

children’s drawings

crotchets, and semi-

system, she indirectly

can be interpreted as

quavers. The picture embeds the symbols

a message about

of the snail above

by going between the

significance (Kolbe,

suggests this might

lines (Kolbe,

2005).

be the child’s

2005).Lines three and

notation for a song

four have some notes

about bugs.

on the stave. The drawings are of flowers and a snail.

Fig. 4.2  Examples of children’s use of musical notations in their drawings

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Fig. 4.3  Part of a page of Suzana’s curriculum notebook from 2010

languages that she developed during her research for her masters’ degree and has continued to refine her methods. In these notes the children had been listening to music with an idea of composing their own music about nature. The music of the Yarra is mentioned, children’s drawings, a three-­ line poem and music notation are all present. These on-going records create a rich history for each new group of children attending the centre and provide valuable discussion points when revisited. Suzana has written at the top. “To develop knowledgeable and confident self-identities and drawing their own experiences and symbols to help the children understand the world around them (MOT-LENA’S nature’s symphony, installations, mandalas’, composing own music – Vivaldi as an inspirational point”. Under these notes she has typed a poem by one of the children, Luka: In my street Lots of trees Have white flowers.

Beneath this Luka, or a child called Luca, has commented “my words are English” and a note has been added saying “Luca speaks Chinese”. On the right is a photograph of a child signing in as she arrives at the centre and the comment that she is adding her own symbols to the sign-in page. In the bottom right hand corner there is a photograph of a book cover and next to this has been written “Australian KEY to open Yarra’s music”.

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Fig. 4.4  An inset from Fig. 4.3

As well as curriculum notes, Suzana concentrates on the physical environment for children’s learning. The importance of the river is emphasised throughout this book, but the built environment is also imperative to encourage cognitive, social and relational learning. Spaces are thoughtfully designed and introduced to children and families in display panels in the entrance hall and then the physical sections are encountered when the child enter the classroom.

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Fig. 4.5  Examples of children’s workspace within the centre

The classroom workstations (Fig.  4.5) are artistic, exciting and, although child size, are not childlike. Such spaces reflect respect for children and their ideas. The aesthetic here is a dramatic one. Other examples of photographic images in this book show the composer Stephen Leek working with the children (Fig. 1.1), artefacts and comments the children have produced (Figs. 5.1, 5.2, 5.5) the music space in the Boorai. We share examples of pedagogy as we see the children stand on a giant stave (Fig. 5.4), look at and discuss their own drawings and notations and play their own music on the piano (Fig. 5.3). These photographic images offer the children adventure when they first encounter them and then they meet the physical reality of these spaces. As a significant part of the natural environment the river has been photographed by staff and children over the years and this documentation is an indicator of the importance of images as a connecting influence. Other roles adopted by the adults have been to teach the wider community about children and what they can achieve when listened to respectfully. When given the tools of expressive mediums like music, dance, drawing, sculpture, poetry, stories and imaginative play they can point a light on aspects of the world and their ability to care about physical and social relations. To promote project-based learning, a strategy of exhibiting children’s work to the wider community has become a standard practice of the ELC.  This is a practice that has belonged to progressive education since the late nineteenth century and has been gainfully employed by the ELC staff to promote their philosophy and belief in children (Nyland & Galbally, 2020). The staff in the centre organise children’s art exhibitions within the centre, share exhibitions at education

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conferences as well as presenting research papers and produce publications to share with peers and undergraduate early childhood scholars. These practices are built into the pedagogy, relationships and learning spaces that have developed in the ELC and are an important part of their role in advocating for children. In many ways these strategies can be seen as political acts.

The Many Voices of Children Running through this chapter has been themes of children and adults making meaning together using the arts to express ideas and theories about the world. The research and practice developed in the ELC has grown from a number of approaches to early childhood education. Ideas are eclectic but all share a philosophic harmony of a belief in children’s communicative competence, the child has rights and the arts provide a valuable voice for children. The adults have adopted practices from the Reggio Emilia approach to early education as well as strategies from High Scope to design some of their provocations and interventions. The theme of the sustainability of the planet and the role of children in that schema has become stronger as well. In the projects mentioned the river has been a presence welcomed spontaneously by the children and adults. The relationship with the Yarra fits with the eclectic approach to theories about children, culture, society and learning. The river could be considered a life force for the centre’s pedagogy. This has consequence for the project described in the next two chapters. When considering the river in the history and culture of the centre there is a hint of the Forest Schools of Scandinavia (Dean, 2019). That the centre has gone ‘beyond the gates’ (Kelly & White, 2012) is unusual. Even so-called Bush Kinders in Australia are carefully constructed through the elements of time and space (Elliott & Chancellor, 2014) and physical and social limitations. There is a lack of historical and cultural context as well as clearly designated physical boundaries to restrict movement. The children at the ELC have been able to develop an awareness of the river through their own activities, but also through the memories contained in left behind artworks of previous generations of children. These artworks, that take many forms, can be construed as gifts. The children have experienced the Yarra when it is full of rubbish, when it is muddy in times of drought and when it is flowing. It is a living entity. There is a sense of connectedness, a relationship and the river and

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its environs, is an influential part of the culture, pedagogy, children’s creativity as well as cognitive and emotional well-being. The project that resulted from the music specialist, Kylie Payman, inviting the musician/composer, Stephen Leek to the centre, led to the five songs of The Yarra Songs project. These were a result of the historical, social, political, contextual, cultural development of the centre as a catalyst for play and learning. Chapter 5 discusses four of the five songs and then using the life cycle approach (Niland, 2012) we unpack one song, The ‘Black Swan’, in Chap. 6.

Summary This chapter discussed the eclectic nature of the program and pedagogy within the ELC while emphasizing the philosophical underpinnings of the practices of the centre. An acknowledgement of children as competent is illustrated through brief descriptions of projects that have occurred. The role of adults in carefully planning, recording and encouraging ‘big ideas’ has been central. The main player in this chapter has been the river which has been a constant in inspiring the children’s emotional engagement as they have become familiar with the Yarra and its changing nature through different seasons and when it has suffered neglect.

CHAPTER 5

The Evolution of the Lyrics and Composing of The Yarra Songs

Abstract  Songs are an important part of musical expression in early childhood programs. The children who participated in this project took an active role in following the evolution of the five original songs that grew from the project, these songs became part of the cultural capital of the centre. In creating the music for the project, the composer, Stephen Leek, considered the spectrum of musical elements such as tempo, duration, dynamics, rhythm, beat and colour as well as the style, the lyrical content and its artistic and educational purpose. The children’s environmental experience of space connected with the musician’s interest in Australian content combined to add depth to the project. The conception of the songs was a collective enterprise. The musician and adults in the centre were able to reflect and interpret meanings in the children’s daily lives that would enhance the musical sessions. These conversations were documented using a variety of media. The evolution of 4 of the 5 songs in the Yarra Songs is the focus of discussion in this chapter  – ‘Blue Tongue Lizard’, ‘Rainbow Lorikeet’, ‘Muddy River’, and ‘Ducks’. Details of the elements of the project are examined as we describe the musical elements of the songs and the stories that had significance for the children. Observations are presented to illustrate how present and past knowledge combined to create meaningful learning experiences. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 A. Acker et al., Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91692-3_5

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Keywords  Evolution of songs • Composition • Shared experience • The river • The birds

Introduction Four of the five songs that grew and developed during this project are described in this chapter. Previous chapters provided insights into the centre philosophy, importance of the social, cultural and physical environment, the history of projects within this context and the role of the invited artist, in this case the composer, Stephen Leek. In Chap. 5 we start to unpack aspects of the specific project and explore the children’s beliefs and conjectures as the songs were developed. Three of the songs were specifically about birds while the other two, the ‘Muddy River’ and the ‘Blue Tongue Lizard’, were connected in an integral way to the river and the project. The ELC teachers took the initial inspiration from the United Nations International Year of the Birds. The year 2018 was chosen as it was the 100th anniversary of the Migrating Bird Treaty Act (1918) which is an international agreement to protect up to 1000 migratory bird species. The National Geographic decided birds and protecting birds would be a theme for the year and had a feature article on Why Birds Matter (Franzen, 2018) in the first edition for 2018. Taking this as the local theme the ELC staff decided to conduct their own year-long inquiry project about birds. Examples in this chapter include mind maps on the walls regarding bird habitat, life cycle and food habits of birds, though it was the blue-tongue lizard song that contained the most graphic content of daily life, especially the planning of meals and eating, The children’s questions, observations and artwork around the theme of the birds and their surroundings are commented upon to indicate the children’s interest and knowledge of the birds, local fauna and their ‘familiar’ the Yarra River. Stephen Leek observed that when the children were discussing the birds with him their conversation automatically moved to the muddy river as the habitat of the birds. I said to the kids, we’ve told all our friends,’ I’ve seen the ducks’ and now we’re all going down to see the ducks. Yeah. You know, and they totally get that and then they’re talking about the muddy river and what I’m asking them. It’s putting them in the first person, so it’s instant the start of becom-

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ing an empowerment and ownership from them. You know, even though they might not have written the words, those particular words, they’re singing that song to somebody else. So that’s, you know, and I find when I’m writing for young kids it’s a really important empowering tool to put it into the first person. Not having written for kids this young before, but this is a first. (Conversation with Stephen Leek, 2018)

These words of Stephen are reflected in the children’s comments on the blue tongue lizards below. Two children expressed their feelings about the song and the lizards which suggest they both had enthusiasm for these creatures but also their drawings and comments evidenced how differently they viewed and interpreted the story of the lizards. Both included an element of anthropomorphism in their interpretations but their views of the lizards were very different. The children would come together to sing the song but what is striking is the diversity of the experience. This makes the song both a shared and individual event (Fig. 5.1). We can see from these children’s comments that one is envisaging the song as a connection to the lizards while Mico thinks about the lizard as being always hungry. ‘Blue Tongue Lizard’ (see words below). Stephen Leek has written at the top of the score that the song is to be sung dramatically. This instruction is in keeping through the repetition of the first two lines and the final line moving to the lizard’s next meal which emphasizes the drama of the daily life of the hunter. There are musical ‘rests’ throughout that provide stress which in turn gives weight to the words of the song. “Yum” repeated twelve times in the penultimate line, all accented with the underlying beat of the ¾ time signature give the ‘yums’ a satisfying effect. Blue tongue lizard/hides in the rocks/out of sunlight/waiting to catch lunch Blue tongue lizard/hides in the rocks/out of sunlight/waiting to catch lunch Big juicy cockroaches yum/beetles and grasshoppers yummy/ Yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum yum/ Blue tongue/lizard/with a full tum Blue tongue lizard/hides in the rocks/out of sunlight/waiting to catch his dinner.

This chapter presents different aspects of the children’s work, the adult’s ideas and pedagogical practices and the influence of space and relationships to illustrate how this project was satisfying, sophisticated and taught us about children’s ability to understand important topics. The

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This is

This is

the Blue

the Blue

Tongue

Tongue

Lizards

Lizard

listening

in our

to people

song. I

singing

find it

their

funny

songs to

that the

them

Blue

with stars

Tongue

in the sky

is so hungry he goes straight from lunch to dinner

Fig. 5.1  Children’s thoughts about the Blue Tongue Lizards

adult’s role in providing guidance and expert input can also be observed. We stress the importance of the natural world, the earth, as a wider concept and relationships with the physical and social environments as ideal spaces for learning and co-construction of knowledge (Rinaldi, 2006). The anatomy of a project, described in Chap. 3, is used to comment on the songs, the project itself and the children’s theories.

Anatomy of the Project • The skeleton is the bare bones, the epistemology and contains the potential for new meaning and means of expression to be created through the shape of the project work

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Like many creative works, one of the inspirations for this enterprise was the children’s existing familiarity with the river and some of the creatures associated with the river. Familiarity provides a foundation for meaningful discovery. One part of the project that early took shape was the children’s portrayal of the ducks. This occurred as the staff members at the centre presented the conference paper ‘I’ve seen ducks’ at the Association for Visual Pedagogies (AVP) conference in 2019. We share two children’s comments and drawings of the ducks (Fig. 5.2) as an indication of their acute knowledge and fondness of these creatures. In the examples offered one child has expressed ownership of the duck song while the other acknowledges Stephen Leek’s role in the project. Stephen’s interest in Australia and his musical impressions of the country gave the project the scope needed for potentially new and challenging results. Stephen Leek became the provocation (Vecchi, 1993) and the children’s drawings and expressed ideas, cited in this chapter, indicate that the decision to invite an external artist into the project to work with the existing team was a successful choice and enhanced the adult contribution considerably. That Stephen was not a visiting artist in that he only visited briefly during the year and did his creative work away from the centre and sent the songs back meant he was more in the role of contracted artist. This was a model that worked well as centre generalist and specialist staff had the expertise to develop Stephen’s contribution. The centre had already created a cultural vehicle, a third space, (Ceppi & Zini, 1998) for exploration, symbolic expression and learning with the “Ducks”

“That’s

because it’s

Stephen and

our song” –

these are

The Wattles

children playing music”

Fig. 5.2  Children’s impressions

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Boorai. The visits of the composer took place in the gallery and presented the opportunity to create new possibilities and pathways to learning by connecting with children’s present thinking and interests to gift them with provocations for further insights. The idea of the gift is that the adults decide to provide children with a guide that presents material beyond their present level of competence. The children’s response to the gift, their interpretations and meaning making indicate that the gift/s were carefully crafted and were given to an appreciative audience who were able to build on the content with their own ideas. The picture above (left hand side) is an example of how the child experienced ownership of the “Ducks” song, “because it’s our song”. The second drawing illustrates the child’s enjoyment of being led through the music project by Stephen Leek and the child’s words accompanying the picture and size of Stephen in the drawing tell us that the child is seeing Stephen as a source, or leader, of the music. Ducks (see the words below) – this song was written in common time in the cheerful key of A major. The song starts with an emphasis on eggs, those magical, aesthetic objects and finishes on a triumphal note “Quacking, Squawking, Waddling, DUCKS!”. I’ve seen ducks living near the pond/ Making their nest to lay their eggs upon/ Eggs that grow to duck-lings/ Eggs that grow to duck-lings.     ………………….. I’ve seen ducks living near the pond/ Making their nest to lay their eggs upon/ Eggs that grow to duck-lings/ Eggs that grow to duck-lings I’ve seen hundreds of them/ Hundreds and hundreds of them/ …….. We’ve seen ducks Living near the pond/ Making the nests to lay their eggs upon/ Quacking/Squawking/Waddling/DUCKS!

• The muscles are the next part of our human body. They work with the brain and in tandem with each other to move all the different parts of the body, through repetition the muscles can create memory

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of how things work. The metaphor of the muscles extends to the history of projects, importance of the environment and pedagogy as aspects of the program that keep events moving while being a familiar medium that works with other parts of the body and can also gain strength through use. As described in Chaps. 2, 3 and 4 pedagogical practices in the centre have been carefully developed over the years. The physical environment, the use of symbolic languages and the projects have been described. As an example of the ‘muscles’ of this project we include examples of pedagogy that reflects competent teachers with inquiring minds who explore ‘big’ ideas (Deans et al., 2019). Jan explained the components of ‘big ideas in the conference presentation on ‘I’ve seen ducks’ for the Association for Visual Pedagogies (AVP). To quote: Big in insight: The understanding helps to reveal how our physical, social, artistic or other worlds work Big in action: The understanding empowers us to take effective action professionally, socially, politically or in other ways Big in ethics: The understanding urges us toward more ethical, humane, caring mindsets and conduct Big in opportunity: The understanding is likely to come up in significant ways in varied circumstances. “big in comeuppance”.

How are children introduced to a project once the adults have ascertained a topic has sustained interest for the children? The two pictures below (Fig. 5.3) are examples of how children and adults can map existing ideas and interests. The pictures presented show a clear hierarchy in the process of exploring a topic. The children brainstorm about their general knowledge of birds. This is followed by a mind-map as the children explore their former understanding and recognize how this can influence future discovery within a more contextualized approach. Using such tactics when starting to develop a focus for a project is a strategy to discover children’s present comprehension, interests and encourages a participatory approach as all children in the group have experience that can be potentially a contribution to the whole. An aim of using a project approach has been to engage children’s minds as they investigate the world around them, grow their own theories and test them in collaboration with others. Using

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Brainstorm

Mindmap

Fig. 5.3  Strategies to encourage creative thinking

brainstorming and creating a mind map is a way of illustrating how a script, or text, can be used to represent the shared insights of the children. The brainstorm and mind map above are examples of encouraging thinking and creative expression through the introduction of a text, or script, including music notation. The children in this centre are skilled at using different symbolic languages to express their ideas. One of the symbolic languages that has been emphasized over the years has been music. Music has a number of symbolic scripts that young children can play with. There are elements of music like rhythm, different tones or timbre, duration, pitch, often words, a vast array of instruments to express the elements of music and movement. The children are familiar with the idea that music can be expressed formally through different types of notation. The concept of musical notation was one of the texts that the children have been introduced to and was creatively utilized during this project. Examples of invented and more conventional notation recorded by the children have been resented in Chap. 4 (Fig. 4.2). Other pedagogical practices included the children moving their bodies physically on a giant stave (pictured below, Fig. 5.4) and they were encouraged to write their own versions of the music and play this on the piano (pictured below, Fig. 5.4).

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Fig. 5.4  Exploring elements of music Fig. 5.5  Musical notation

The picture below (Fig. 5.5) was done by a child during the project and is an example of the type of musical thinking that children were beginning to display. Musical thinking makes the narratives and emotions within the music emerge through direct engagement with the musical event. This was frequently observed during the time the children were exploring the

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music of the Yarra songs. In research designed to look at children’s invented music notations Barrett (1997) suggested that as “children become more experienced in encoding their responses, their recordings become less context-based and more concerned with ideas and concepts” (p.  1). Children make connections between sound and the notational symbols they produce. The children in this project were introduced to musical scores through being shown the scores and participating in exercises like the giant stave above. The picture below (Fig.  5.5) from the ‘Ducks’ song has a picture of the ducks, a symbolic image of the duck singing as the sound of the song comes from its beak, the child muses on the ducks’ preferences and motivations and has included some conventional music notes. The child has commented that “these are all the ducks singing and they are saying, you see, that ducks sing in the pond”. Such a layered and complex response from this young child is indicative of the thoughtful and carefully planned pedagogical practices of the centre when designing project activities. • The integument is the skin, hair, nails, glands and organs that connect and protect. For our project these are the connections, relationships between players (children and adults), the physical and social environment The following points describe main aspects of the integument of the project about the Yarra songs  – the river, the lizards and the birds. To illustrate these points we cite from the conference presentation ‘I’ve seen ducks’ (Deans et al., 2019) as this was an example of the adults communicating their ideas and intentions for an external adult audience and such activities are considered an important part of their advocacy for children. 1. As discussed in Chap. 2 the physical and historical contexts of the centre are tangible and form a unique setting. The centre has the river, the children’s farm and the old convent nearby. Collaborations have existed over the years with artists working at the convent, the people who use the children’s farm and the river has been a focal point for many explorations. The building itself is historic and the story of how the old parochial school became the children’s early learning centre has been recounted elsewhere (e.g. Nyland et al., 2015).

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2. As a centre that is attached to a university the centre has developed a strong research identity and the children have become part of the research community offering their insights and art works to the community 3. The Boorai gallery is an important communicative tool that conveys the centre’s philosophy and approach to children’s learning. This is a space that is used as a picture gallery, music studio, performance space and meeting space. The staff at the centre refer to the space as museum-like. This emphasis takes us back again to progressive education and the ideas of Dewey and Vygotsky. Museums are social places for learning and inextricably linked to the artistic in daily life. Vygotsky suggested that “art is the social within us” (1978) while Dewey (1934) believed aesthetics and culture to be an essential aspect of a democratic society. He believed in the importance of individuality and this was best expressed through interactions and working with others. The arts are part of human experience. The Boorai is a pivotal centre, physically, socially and intellectually, for the projects developed in the centre. 4. The presence of specialists, like Stephen Leek and the specialist educators within the centre, support skill development at a high-quality level. This enriches the idea of project-based learning as children and adults negotiate their inquiries. The children are co-­constructors of meaning. Stephen Leek commented on this when he talked about the need to challenge children, in his case through music. But you know, I think the pieces were difficult. I go to so many choirs where people sing easy stuff, things that are far too easy for them. If it’s not challenging, you’re not doing your job. I think that’s what I believe. And you know, these kids can do it. So, I’m saying it just offers different challenges, in a different way. There was definitely a response by them to the fact that you do what they are interested in, you feel that, you feel more connected, I’m empowered and they’re part of this process. So, yeah, especially ducks because the ducks, um, there were powerful words up on the paintings. (Conversation with Stephen Leek, 2018)

5. Documentation is a vital record of children as competent and socially confident members of the centre. Another aim of documentation is to share this image of competent and socially confident children with others in the society to advance a view of children as citizens

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and protagonists in their own learning and development. Documentation takes many forms that range from anecdotal reports to the formal conference presentation that was given to an international education conference on part of the project described here (Deans et al., 2019). This book is an example of documentation. From these points we can begin to see the contemplation and effort and attention to details that go into developing a project. The space, the history and the protagonists are important. That this is a community working within the larger community is also significant. The use of symbolic languages to give the children voice creates results that supports an image of the child as strong, communicative, insightful and a citizen. Projects are usually associated with an outcome and the outcomes proposed for this project were the songs.

The Songs Stephen commented on the importance of respecting the children by helping to develop challenging musical material for them to relate to. The children showed a marked enthusiasm for all these songs in a variety of ways, they expressed enjoyment at singing the songs, as well as commenting through visual images and conversations. Documenting children’s ideas through video recording, drawing and writing down the children’s comments has been a practice in the centre for many years and the children are used to sharing their ideas in this way and are familiar with similar practices left behind by children who have passed through the centre. This gives these sharing methods a historical continuity which is important in its own right. Here we share some of the children’s comments that accompanied the drawings. Various forms of symbolism were utilized by the children to express their thoughts and reactions. Some of the pictures were highly representative while others were more abstract, and many contained formal and invented notations as well as alphabetic forms. We only include comments from four of the songs, ‘Muddy River’, ‘Blue Tongue Lizards’, ‘Ducks’ and ‘Rainbow Lorikeets’, as the ‘Black Swan’ is unpacked in detail in the next chapter (Chap. 6).

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‘Muddy River’ This song has a lullaby feel, quiet and gentle with a 6/8 time-signature (see words below). Muddy river drifting quietly by Sleepy river ripples gently by Past the convnet under the bridge Past the children’s farm with hardly a sigh. Muddy river drifting quietly by Sleepy river ripples quietly by Through the city on its way To the ocean through the bay. Muddy River drifting quietly by Sleepy river ripples gently by Ah   Ah   Ah   Ah.

The name of the song came from the children who referred to the river as the muddy river from their surprise when they had seen it with little water. They were also aware that it was their Yarra river and therefore some of the children referred to the river as the Yarra when talking about this song. “This is when Stephen was singing the Yarra is flowing” one child commented while another said of his picture “This is rubbish in the Yarra. We are making Yarra sounds with Stephen Leek”. The instructions for the song on the score are “moving along” and there is a gentle flow to the rhythm of the song. Singing with Stephen Leek, or listening to Stephen Leek, was mentioned by nearly all the children who drew pictures of the ‘Muddy River’ song. Another said “This is me; I’m looking at everybody during the singing. I was singing about the Yarra”. One child was very enthusiastic and remembered some of the words “This is the muddy river, ‘these are the ripples drifting quietly by,’ this is a new song I want to learn”. The emotional response to this song was twofold. Stephen Leek singing about “the Yarra is flowing” was mentioned by many of the children and could be explained by the presence of the composer when this song was learnt and practiced. The children’s feelings and relationship with the river responded to the idea of the river and the most misquoted word ‘flowing’ was perhaps used to describe what was happening in the song. This word was not used in the song but is a descriptor of the children’s feelings as they sang this song. Many children mentioned the river “flowing” and seemed to like the word. That this word does not appear in the

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song is interesting. The children’s comments being a version of what you know rather than what you see. Kylie, the music specialist said the word ‘flowing’ had been an important onomatopoeic element in a song that was previously popular in the centre. The children had accompanied the song with flowing hand movements. Kylie, singing the tune said: The word ‘flowing’ features heavily in the often-sung simple song we sing The Yarra is Flowing which is an adaptation of an old folksong: The River is flowing/flowing, and flowing/ The river is flowing/down to the sea Mother earth carry me/child I will always be/ Mother earth carry me/down to the sea. (Interview, 2019)

This visceral connection between the two songs in the minds of the children is an indication of how the five Yarra songs of the year of the bird project became so integrated into the children’s imagination. ‘Blue Tongue Lizards’ Singing with Stephen became less of a focus for the children when commenting on the lizards and Stephen only received one acknowledgement among the Blue Tongue Lizard drawings and quotes from the children, “This is me singing blue tongue lizard with Stephen Leek, it was fun”. He did, however, get a different accolade from one child. “Of all the Stephen Leek songs the blue tongue lizard is my favourite”. Most of the content focused on the lizards hiding under rocks and the lizard’s choice of food. Two children talked about singing, one of the children said, “this is me singing”, with lots of music notation below the figure and the other child said, “this is us doing a choir and singing blue tongue lizard”. One child drew the whole story of the song. The lizard was “hiding under the rocks, and his lunch is this way”. There were two arrows pointing at two insects labelled ‘cockroach’ and ‘grasshopper’. One child summed up this interest “I like how the blue tongues are hiding in the rocks. I like the juicy yummy bit”. The shape of the lizards was appealing with one child drawing two lizards crawling while another imagined the blue tongue lizard “following me when I was about to go home”. In this song the children reacted to the story of the lizard across the day, hiding and catching lunch and dinner. This song was a dramatic text for the children and the fantasy that the blue tongue was following the child puts it into the category of Lindvist’s

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‘playworlds’ (2003). The music and the story were complementary, and the interest aroused went from the daily life of the lizard to a creative level of playfulness. ‘Ducks’ The song about the ducks was described earlier and supports the idea presented in so many children’s story books that ducks are a popular creature of childhood. They often appear in children’s stories and the eggs and ducklings add to their magic. There was emotional satisfaction to be derived from this song. The children’s comments were both lyrical and friendly. One child says simply “Me and my friends singing the duck song”. Another is patting the ducks while singing the duck song. One combines the song and the emotional impact “This duck loves listening to his duck song”. He especially likes the “quacking, squawking, waddling” bit. The bit referred to is where the song builds to a climax and finishes on the final celebratory “DUCKS”. Almost a breathless experience. ‘Rainbow Lorikeet’ Can you see the rainbows lashing through the trees? Blues and reds and yellows In the green leaves See the rainbow lorikeets Hiding in the tress Blues and reds and yellows In the green leaves. Colours like a rainbow Colours like a dream With colours like a rainbow Colours like a dream Rainbow lorikeets Rainbow lorikeets Keep silent, still Watch, listen Hear the rainbow lorikeets Singing in the trees Songs of joy and laughter

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Drifting in the breeze (Finishes with random bird calls and sounds getting softer)

The rainbow lorikeet song attracted the most flights of fancy from the children. The colour, the movement and the random bird calls the children make at the end of the song made a strong impression. Examples of the children’s comments on their drawings. “This is me singing the Rainbow Lorikeet. This is all the sound coming out of my mouth. It sounds beautiful”. “This is about the Rainbow Lorikeet song. ‘Song of joy and laughter drifting through the trees’. I love the Rainbow Lorikeets”. “These are the speakers. These are the notes for the Rainbow Lorikeet song”. “Our songs are going to fly into space in this rocket. Like a Rainbow Lorikeet it is going to fly and flash away”. “This is me singing the Rainbow Lorikeet song. I like them ‘flashing through the trees’ and the squeaky singing at the end”. “I like the bit where we make the Rainbow Lorikeet noise”. Kylie as music specialist recounted the following anecdote. The Rainbow Lorikeet song initially had the words ‘can you see the rainbows flashing through the trees, blues and pinks and yellows in the green leaves’ but Hugo, a 3 year old child from the Eucalypt room (who wasn’t involved with the development of the songs but due to singing in Assembly had met Stephen and knew that he was composing songs with the four year old children) asked for the words to be changed because Rainbow Lorikeet’s actually don’t have the colour pink – they have the colour red. So, Kylie, the music specialist emailed Stephen Leek with Hugo’s feedback and got permission to change the word from pink to red so that it more accurately reflected the bird. Kylie reflected: I was thinking that the youngest children might find those two songs (‘Muddy River’ and ‘Rainbow Lorikeet’) developmentally challenging, but their keen interest highlighted that the shared experience had a flow on effect to the younger children. The three-year-old children were involved on the periphery and also invested in the project so I was delighted to see that, for example, Joe, wanting to learn the other songs next year (see below, Fig. 5.6). Joe has written on his drawing: “This is the muddy river song.” These are the ‘ripples drifting quietly by’. This is a new song I want to learn. (Interview, Kylie Payman, 2020)

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Fig. 5.6  The Yarra River

Summary Songs are an important part of musical expression in early childhood programs (Acker, 2020). In this chapter we have introduced details of The Yarra Songs project. We used the metaphor of the body to describe the parts of the project and their significance to the whole. Projects are sometimes described as synergistic and the complexities within this project suggest synergy is a suitable word. Each song and the children’s responses could be taken as a wonder on their own but came together in a most impressive way. The project grew from the bare bones of an idea and it was made real through the introduction of a provocation, the invitation for the composer Stephen Leek to work with the children. The history and politics of projects within the community of the centre supplied the muscles to give the project strength. The largest organ in the body is the skin and this is part of the integument that held this enterprise together. As the English folksinger Roy Bailey sang in the Leon Rosselson song “You need skin.” You Need Skin You need skin, take good care of it. Don’t harm a hair of it. What would we do without skin. From the album “Why does it have to be me?”. (Bailey, 1989)

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Each of the songs produced by Stephen, the children and the staff at the ELC were musically and textually different and from the themes woven into the children’s comments, quoted above, we can see a fit with the children’s psyches, the children’s sense of ownership, almost of love for some aspects of the songs and how the composer was able to enter the children’s world and communicate with these songs. Photographs of the children preparing their drawings and designing their comments show the children intent on individual work. That certain themes flow through their ideas about the songs reflects the strength of the music that it had meaning for each child but also contained shared meaning. Musically challenging but perhaps because of this the children could be seen to reflect Vygotsky’s theories of the social and cultural significance of play. When playing children are able to spontaneously be more complex on their symbol use, ability to enter a narrative and think about their everyday experiences. The ‘Black Swan’ has been chosen to present a detailed exemplar of this project as it attracted more child input both in contributing to the song and in the response. The children had important input into the original composition as four of the children are listed as writers of the words and a formal dance was choreographed. In Chap. 6 we provide a comprehensive profile of the Black Swan song. Continuing the use of metaphor as a tool to explain the complexity of the children’s engagement with the material of the songs we adopt Niland’s (2012) approach to researching and explaining the song through the metaphor of the lifecycle of a song.

CHAPTER 6

The Life Cycle of the ‘Black Swan’ Song

Abstract  The metaphor of the life cycle was used by Amanda Niland (Exploring the lives of songs in the context of young children’s musical cultures. Min-Ad Israel Studies in Musicology, 10, 28–45, 2012) to explain how newly composed songs can develop. She utilised this concept to explain the growth of songs from conception to maturity and we have taken a similar approach in describing how the ‘Black Swan’ grew. In this chapter the children’s voices are once again represented through a number of languages including their comments, drawings, understanding of notation and video observations. Through painting, drawing, dancing, music making, dramatic enactment and poetry creation children have been provided with opportunities to express their ideas and thoughts. The artistic activities observed and featured, in the chapter are a testimony to the value of this project work to enhance staff and children’s cognitive understanding of complex ideas, in this case the concept of relationships with non-­ human creatures like the swan. This was an integrated curriculum that explored adult and children’s ideas through words, sounds, movement, gestures, images and visualization. The ‘Black Swan’ is an example of part of a project that included use of artefacts and materials across time, different spaces and interactions that provide a view of the children as

The Black Swan. Copyright Stephen Leek. Reproduced with permission from the copyright holder Stephen Leek. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 A. Acker et al., Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91692-3_6

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competent social actors and how connections within this context had the potential to be transformative. The role of the adults has been that of collaborators and the associations established achieved joint accomplishment. Keywords  Life cycle of a song • Children’s creative expression • Aesthetic awareness • Visual art • Musical literacy • Relationships with non-humans

Introduction (Fig. 6.1) The ‘Black Swan’ was the third piece in the series of five songs written for the project. The songs were introduced to the children in order of levels of complexity. The words of the ‘Black Swan’ were written by four of the children. The words are poetic and sophisticated in the major action suggested and the word order. The children were familiar with a previous black swan song, written by Stephen Leek with the text by Kel Richards

Fig. 6.1  The Black Swan by a five-year-old

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which had a more Australiana feel to it. In the Black Swan song described for this project the children are responding to the experience of seeing the black swans and their words focus on the emotional impression of the black swan. The context is that the swan is acknowledged as a uniquely Australian bird but it is its grace and power that the children respond to and a bond of respect is formed. We have depicted how children and adults collaborate in the ELC setting to create meaning and express themselves through artistic languages, often non-verbal. In this chapter we provide an in-depth example of one of the five songs developed for this project. We use a life cycle concept of the song as it grew as part of the musical culture pf the ELC (Niland, 2012). Given the emphasis on the earth, nature and responsible caring that is part of the philosophy of the centre a life cycle approach is suited to this story. Once again many of the children’s musical expressions were summed up through visual representations so we examine some of these through Hanna’s (2014) theories of how music and the visual can be seen to be connected. Deans and Wright (2018) have also investigated Hanna’s concept and their work with young children, dance and drawing has been a strong influence on the design of projects and the accompanying pedagogical practices within the ELC. Deans and Wright studied children’s kinaesthetic and spatial awareness through dance-play and translated those experiences into what they called ‘drawing-telling’. Their emphasis on ‘drawing-telling’ is evidenced in the examples of children’s drawings offered here. The ‘Black Swan’ song was also significant in that it was the only piece that inspired a dance performance created by one of the children.

The Life Cycle of a Compositon Niland (2012) suggests the stages a newly composed song will go through to become part of the musical culture of a particular community. She identifies the difference stages the children and adults engaging with the song will go through as it is created and introduced into the repertoire. This process of the lives of songs has been likened to the life cycle. The table below has been adapted from Niland’s (2012, p. 35) table and we have summarized the stages of the ‘Black Swan’ within this framework. As the five songs of The Yarra Songs project were planned with the children the life cycle metaphor works well in this context as it starts from conceiving an idea which then grows. This was the third song arising from the project and the narrative for the song is strongly embedded within familiar

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experiences of the children and is predicated on their interest in the river and in the birds and creatures they have encountered. This gives the music and project a strong focus that has not been influenced by outside forces, like commercial musical tastes the children might pursue outside the centre community. We provide examples of the children’s thinking about the ‘Black Swan’ song as we discuss each stage.

The Life Cycle of the ‘Black Swan’ Song (Table 6.1) Conception The origins and rationale for the ‘Black Swan’ arose as part of the river project. The children had welcomed Stephen Leek to the centre and had embraced the idea of growing songs about their own natural environment with him. The history of projects and the emphasis on sustainability and care for the earth was an inherited aspect of the socio/cultural environment. This third song was slightly different to the previous songs, the Table 6.1  Life cycle of a song Conception The origins and rationale for the ‘Black Swan’. The project about the birds and the river, the children’s ideas. The children had previously sung another song about a black swan, also by Stephen Leek Gestation Two children discussed seeing a black swan. Four children give the composer ideas for the words and emotion of the song. Stephen Leek wrote the music for the Black Swan Birth The ‘Black Swan’ song is written and the ideas expressed in the poetry became integrated with the music. The children’s words express an attitude to the swan that is one of respect and co-responsibility. The swan is seen as a protector Infancy The children engaged with the song. They started to learn the song and had different ways of perceiving the song which can be evidenced in their drawings Childhood The ‘Black Swan’ song was well known, and the children used many symbolic languages to explore its meaning. A dance was added to other symbolic languages that were being used to interpret and re-interpret the song. The children danced and sang for the end-of-year performance Maturity The ‘Black Swan’ has become part of the musical culture of the centre. It can now be seen to have the potential to transcend the generations of children. Such activities can also have long-term influences on individuals Adapted from Niland (2012, p. 35)

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songs about the blue tongue lizards and the ducks. Perhaps because the swan is a majestic creature there is a fairy tale feel to this song. The swan as a protector is expressed in a poetic manner with phrases like “Swirly ripples soft she makes”. As well as the drawings and discussions this song produced movement and a dance. The children’s prior knowledge and the composition came together with poignancy and it is by considering where the song came from that we can try to understand the richness of the children’s responses to it. As part of the larger project the conception was planned. The actual suggestion of the black swan came from a child who had seen the swans and suggested they were worthy birds for a song (Anecdote, Kylie Payman, 2019). Gestation As can be seen from the music score below four children proposed the original words and these were presented to Stephen Leek, the composer, and this set the musical frame for the song. Poetry has been an important expressive language in this centre and the children are familiar with the poetic form, are accustomed to having poetry read to them and have participated in writing their own poetry (Brown & Deans, 2007). The haiku form has been one of the tools used to discover words as poetry as these short pieces are used to express rich ideas that go beyond the everyday. That is, the haiku might describe a common place activity but will manage, in 17 syllables, to give it a profound meaning. The ‘Black Swan’ is not in the form of a haiku, but it does capture an idea and action in time in the way that a haiku might. The swan is swimming/gliding, an everyday activity, but the children also see this large and powerful bird as a protector. The idea of the swan and the emotion of awe and grace that emerges with the suggestion of beautiful movement and protection sets the tone for the music. The authors of the words – Zoe, Ali, Sophie and Helene Black Swan Black swan gliding Swirly ripples soft she makes Protecting all the water And all the people on her way Protecting on her way. Oo Oo Oo Oo Oo Oo (Verse and chorus repeated)

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The following pages present a copy of the music score (Reproduced with permission by the composer Stephen Leek, 2018, www.stephenleek.com).

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Birth The Black Swan poem was written, and the music composed. The song started to take shape. Poems have their own metrical composition divided into lines, syllables and metric feet. If this was a spoken poem it would depend on accent for the beat, for example, the first line would be trochaic, with two feet consisting of an accent for ‘Black’ and ‘gli’ (Winslow, 1909). However, words can be used differently in music and the four syllables in the first line of the poem become five as the children sing “gli-i-­ ding” (UoM, 2020). They also sing “wa-a-ter” The first use of the word

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protecting occurs at the end of the 4th bar and the “pro”, of the word is a quaver at the end of the line. The next bar starts with “tect” which is where the accent would usually fall if this was a piece of verse. The music supports the poetic accent which is crucial to the meaning of the poem. The music has been composed to reflect the children’s idea of the graceful, powerful, protecting swan. It has a gentle melody with a smooth texture. Stephen Leek has said it should be “flowing and rubato” (Leek, Music score 2018) and this is reflected in the repetition of the verse and chorus and the phrasing. The melodic line is diatonic, only moving from one note to the one above or below it (e.g., from F to G or E). Leaps remain small, so they are easier to pitch. They are usually thirds, although there is one interval of a fourth between “and all”. Similarly, while the third line leaps from C to A, it is a textual and musical repetition of the previous line. In general, the melody has a very small compass: the verse has a tessitura (range of pitches) of a major 6th (C-A), exclusively based on the pentatonic scale (a scale with 5 notes per octave which seems to be “naturally” easy to learn). The “ooo”s break the tessitura, extending the range to one octave up to C. The text follows the form of poetic metre, that is, one note per syllable, except, as mentioned above the first syllables of “gliding” and “waters”. As the children became familiar with the song, they were encouraged to express their ideas in their drawings. Infancy (Figs. 6.2 and 6.3) The two drawings above are quite different in emphasis and interpretation. Kumi has told a story about Stephen Leek, the singing, the Muddy river and brings in the perception of the flowing river. She then moves literally forward in time to depict her and a friend singing the ‘Black Swan’. From the position of their arms the two friends are also doing the movement of the swan. Hanna (2014) explores the concept of “the vocabulary of the atelier” (p.  292) and considers this in the relationship between children’s visual expression and music. Hanna likens the lines to the melody and in this case, we have a significant introduction in the figure of Stephen Leek singing to two children. Moving forward to the two children singing is done by literally moving down the page. The drawing has two distinct actions and the second transforms the still figures of the children into dancing, singing figures. Looking at the two figures we can see that when Kumi says “we are singing the Black Swan” there is now a sense of melody, rhythm and phrasing. Kumi is describing the whole project and

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Fig. 6.2  Kumi’s drawing

giving an example of her and a friend participating as observers and listeners and then as performers. Caia, in contrast, has concentrated on the music and words of the ‘Black Swan’. The context now is the river. If, as Hanna suggests, lines can be viewed as melody then there is much movement up and down in the lines of this drawing. Texture is provided through the combination of many straight lines and rounded shapes. This drawing has a harmonious form. Both drawings have emotional strength. Hanna considers the expression of emotion to be in the value of a drawing, in this case the enthusiasm displayed by Kumi for a more detailed narrative and Caia choosing to express the power of the swan and the river. In music this equates to a given point which could be a specific point stated by a change in the music. The pitch is an indication of value as the children link the swan and “all the people” as the pitch rises to an A note on the ‘and’ again, the pitch rises as they sing the A for the beginning of that magic word “protecting”. The chorus is a descending octave that illustrates the gliding

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Fig. 6.3  Caia’s drawing

of the swan and the ripples of the water. Caia has reflected these movements in his drawing of the swan. Kumi and Caia did not create the music or the words of the ‘Black Swan’ song but have agentic rights in its growth and development. As part of the ELC musical culture they have ownership as they are active participants of the historical events that have led to these songs. We can only interpret their drawings as observations and commentary on the ‘Black Swan’ but they are reflective of the context in which they were produced. One drawing is focused on the narrative line and sums up a whole story while the other comments almost exclusively on the subject of the song and its meaning. These are valuable insights into varying perspectives that children can bring to the same material. As the song moves into the childhood part of the life cycle, we see another development. Aria designs her own dance movements for the swan. Deans and Wright have likened dance to drawing as a non-verbal language.

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Learning through dance involves children in using their bodies as the instrument of expression, or as a non-verbal mediating tool for the expression of thought, ideas and emotions (p. 101). Childhood: Aria’s Dance The ‘Black Swan’ song had become well known, and the children used many symbolic languages to explore its meaning. Here we indicate the diversity of their response through drawing, a child’s dance and this dance of the song became part of the end-of-year performance (see Fig.  6.4). The dance was an important development as something new was produced and became a joint action shared by adults and children although it was the inspiration of one child. This development of the dance goes beyond individual self-expression as it became a group venture that could be replicated across all the groups in the ELC and learnt across time. Aria had been observed to have a strong interest in dance as an expressive language and we asked the staff about the Aria’s motivation in creating the dance.

Fig. 6.4  Aria dances the ‘Black Swan’

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Aria spontaneously made up the dance; Kylie thinks she was doing dancing classes. Aria was often observed outside dancing and singing the song. Her dad bought her a Black Swan soft toy, so she was carrying and playing with it a lot. She also performed the choreography in music classes, at the assembly and in her homeroom. (Interview recorded by Aleksandra, 2020)

Aria’s dance attracted staff and peer attention. She performed the dance for the different groups at the centre and the adults collaborated in following her lead to turn the solo into a large group performance. Aria made the dance inspired by her imaginings of the swan and the music. Her movements reflect how strong her mental imagery of the swan was. She designed movements and organized them into a sequence with structure and patterning. This was the material used to pull together the dance-­ story of the swan and adapt it for all the children to perform (see below Fig. 6.5). That a child this age was able to take such a leadership role in creating a piece that would then become a joint performance is remarkable. Suzana described how Aria was able to take ownership and guide the growth of the dance (Fig. 6.6).

Fig. 6.5  Performance  – children dancing the ‘Black Swan’- from ELC gala concert

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Fig. 6.6  Aria’s depiction of her dance Aria based her dance on a traditional Korean dance that she often called ‘dancing with your hands and your eyes’ (at the time she was exposed to and inspired by the Korean ballet). She always started her dance by demanding full attention from the audience and holding their gaze (the swan could only start when safe) and then she would focus on subtle movements of one, than another hand, making sure they resembled slightly outstretched wings, before lifting them slowly and taking off. She pointed out that stillness is as important as a dance and as she did her subtle movements with just one hand slowly moving as she kept saying ‘mirror, mirror’. She created intentional pauses holding the gaze of her audience all the time and understanding the power of the ‘in between movements’ or complete stillness. (Email communication, 2020)

Figure 6.7 displays a drawing of the Blue Gum and Waratah groups singing the ‘Black Swan’. The size of the children and the perspective is interesting. The older children may be the larger figures at the front but the line going back, and the size of the figures is unusual. The child who drew the picture is singing the song, using notation to depict the sound, and says “we are happy”. The pleasure of communal singing has been well documented (Gridley et al., 2011) and this child has recognized the value of combined action. “We are happy”. The other whole group activity was the dance. Dancing in a group requires physical exertion plus synchronised order.to provide pattern and structure. Like group singing dancing also promotes wellbeing and positive social effects (Acker, 2020). Deans and Wright (2018) have described dancing as embodied thinking. They say that, “through the moving body the young child builds knowledge and understanding through the dynamic interplay between physical, cognitive and affective domains of experience” (p.  1). Physical learning is

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Fig. 6.7  Children singing the ‘Black Swan’ at the end of year performance

often intuitive but when movement becomes a form of artistic communication it can be “accessed for the purpose of expressing kinaesthetic consciousness of ‘body thinking’” (p. 1). The child has commented: “Us singing the Black Swan gliding. The big children are the Blue Gums and the smaller children are the Waratahs. We are happy. I have my mouth open in the middle of the song”. Maturity The ‘Black Swan’ becomes part of the musical culture of the centre. It starts to transcend the generations of children. Aria has already taught it to her younger brother who says it is his favourite song. The artefacts of the project, including the children’s drawings, are an historical legacy from the children of 2018. The documentation of the ‘Black Swan’ and the examples provided here, support the idea of documentation as a visual record of children’s competence. Documentation is designed to make

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learning visible. Krechevsky et  al. (2013) quote Emilia Gambetti, who described documentation as a “systematic act of collecting, interpreting and reflecting on concrete traces of learning” (p. 24). Added to the display panels that will be a gift to future children there is the song and the dance. These are a tangible heritage. The dance and the song are two products that have arisen from the project that can have a participatory life beyond a record of what these children did. They are there to be repeated, performed, interpreted all over again, adapted but always with a core shape. The children were able to become the swan by manifesting it in sound, body movement and their images. Another important aspect of human experience is memory. These children were engaged in an exploration of the Yarra and songs of the birds that some will remember with great clarity. Others may have more vague memories of the experience, but these memories will form the crucible of their consciousness. Emotion is associated with memory and even if details fade the project has been a memory maker and has played a part in the identity formation of the children involved. The ‘Black Swan’ had a different affective atmosphere from the other songs in The Yarra Songs project. The swan in art and literature has been portrayed as a strong bird and has represented many different meanings from grace and inner peace to portending disaster. In Australia it is often seen as a symbol of early European settlement and the guilt and responsibility associated with that history. Black swans are therefore a significant part of the Australian ethos, they appear in Aboriginal dreamtime stories and our iconic poets, like Henry Lawson, Banjo Paterson and Judith Wright, have written about the black swan. Even the famous great poetry hoax of Ern Malley (Rundle, 2006) contained the line “I am the black swan of trespass on alien waters”. That the ELC children wrote the poem for this song, reflects the importance of wordplay and poetry in the centre program and the emphasis on all forms of play. Poetry is encouraged as form of wordplay (Brown & Deans, 2007). The unusual themes of the song and the word order are an indication of the magic of words in poetic form and the intuitive relationship these children have for the black swan. The American poet James Merrill wrote: Always the black swan moves on the lake. Always The moment comes to gaze As the tall emblem pivots and rides out To the opposite side, always. The blond child on

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The bank, hands full of difficult marvels, stays Now in bliss, now in doubt. His lips move: I love the black swan. James Merrill Collected Poems (1946/2001)

Summary This chapter described the creative work of Stephen Leek (music), Zoe, Sophie, Ali and Helene (words) and Aria (dance). The context is an environment that is artistically and physically rich and has been propagated by centre staff – both generalists and visiting specialists. The particular creation discussed here is the song, the ‘Black Swan’, which has been expressed as an instrumental, singing, dancing, painting, drawing and film. Recordings have included displays, observations and conference proceedings that were presented via a PowerPoint display and a video. The ‘Black Swan’ was chosen as an exemplar to unpack using the life cycle metaphor as it has a more extensive repertoire than the other songs, though each had their glorious moments (see Chap. 5). The idea of a song about the Black Swan already had a history with the centre and, with children supplying words and a dance as part of the song, the collaboration was an example of reciprocity. The Black Swan can also be seen as an expression of the belief in nature, the earth and the sense of responsibility and connection the staff strive to develop as part of their program.

CHAPTER 7

The Arts in Early Childhood

Abstract  This book has explored a project that was orchestrated in an arts-based program in an early learning centre. We have described the context, the development of the program and the richness of a particular project within this centre. The roles of the children and the adults are significant, and these have been unpacked in previous chapters. In this final chapter we return to the theme of the languages of childhood and discuss the value of a multi-modal approach to promoting creative expression and recognize the importance of individual and collaborative voices to make meaning of experience. Keywords  Project learning in early childhood • The languages of music • Creativity • Communication • Multi-media expression

Introduction In this final chapter we return to the main discussion of the book – music as a language of childhood and how children represent their ideas using different media. The role of the adults was also emphasized as these are often not highlighted when discussing child-based learning through projects. The project approach is a powerful medium for developing relationships, in-depth learning, cultural change and the design of the environment can be democratising force (New, 1997; Acker & Nyland, 2020). The © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 A. Acker et al., Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91692-3_7

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composer-protagonist, Stephen Leek, brought a unique set of skills and particular beliefs about music, young children and content that fitted with the centre philosophy and helped to make this successful. Stephen is not only committed to producing music with an Australian voice, he is also a staunch environmentalist. He was strongly supported by a like-minded staff who all had trust, wide-ranging expectations of the children and a philosophical approach to the social and physical world that went beyond the immediate experience. This chapter focuses on principles of working with children through arts media. Some of the main concepts identified in Chap. 2 were derived from theories of Dewey (1934), Malaguzzi (1993) and Vygotsky (1978) and were elaborated upon in the context of this particular project. We also mentioned the more recent ideas of sustainability and the child of the Anthropocene (Malm, 2019). This was a theme that Stephen’s interest in an Australian musical identity interacts with. Included in the themes of his music are a commitment to the environment, community and peaceful coexistence (Stephens, 2004). Theorists and ideas drawn on here included the collaborative nature of projects, the individual child working within the group to help create culture, the role of the adult specialist and the democratic and relational nature of the space (the studio/laboratory) (Ceppi & Zini, 1998; Hanna, 2016). We reiterate the significance of music as a language in young children’s lives and the possibilities it provides (Barrett, 2006; Hanna, 2016; Leek, 1999). The relationship between the visual and music has been discussed and Ceppi and Zini comment on the design of relational space and conscious listening. Those who design relational spaces should therefore consider sounds and the soundscape as an integral part of the visual landscape. One of the important tasks for those who design and organize spaces, both interior and exterior, is to draw up sound maps with the help of our own ears, to write “scores” for soundscapes that can be conserved in order to better remember and be able to communicate what we have heard. (1998, p. 91)

The Yarra Songs was an exercise in creation, communication and multi-­ modal experiences through music. To return to the stated aim of the book and the title, we discuss each of these concepts in relation to the ELC project that produced experiences across a variety of modes and methods of expression. We discuss the idea of creativity in the learning process for children and adults. The arts, language and communication are then

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considered. This leads into the idea that different media present different opportunities of expression and we explore the multi-modal experiences provided to these children and how using a range of representative materials assisted the children in forming hypotheses (discovery) and the opportunity to test their theories (Forman, 1994). The role of digital recording as a representative medium with affordances is included. The chapter concludes by bringing the separate topics in this chapter together to argue for the significance of music, in many forms, in children’s lives.

Creativity The concept of creativity can be a moving feast in early childhood. There is the debate about children as intentional artists (Boone, 2007) or are they able to provide unique insights into experience because they are young and have not been sufficiently canalised into the culture (Cole, 1996). This view of young children is echoed by the composter in this story, Stephens (2004) interviewed Stephen Leek and quotes him commenting on children ability to be in the moment. You just do it, and don’t question it as being new or different, you think everybody does it, and so that is how I think traditions start. (Leek, 1999, p. 13)

Although a stimulating context is designed by the adult partners this is not necessarily a path to creativity though individual and group work can both be creative. The children shared insights and sometimes surprising perspectives through drawings, group discussions and participating in performance. They revisited their work through displays, photographs and video recordings. The synergy of the group was celebrated, and individual contributions were welcome. Joint work on the ‘Black Swan’ led to the song itself, drawings and discussions, a dance for all to participate in during the end of year concert. Another aspect of creativity that feeds into this project is the goal of Jan, as director, to develop a community of learners. In 1957 Shahn wrote that: The public function of art has always been one of creating a community of learners. That is not necessarily its intention, but it is its result. (p. 150)

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Giving children opportunities to think in hypothetical terms gives a glimpse into the mind’s eye of the child. The provocations designed by Suzana were carefully thought through to surprise the children. Her displays, discussion and recordings made possible a situation that was exciting, could be shared and provided practice in developing observation skills, an ability to ask questions and to think in different ways. Such pedagogical strategies as brainstorming are identified as a means to create a large quantity of ideas that can be explored freely using different mediums that contain the potential to be imaginative. The sharing of ideas is an important part of any project conducted in the ELC and the oft repeated Reggio Emilia phrase “expect the unexpected” (Strong-Wilson & Ellis, 2007) was frequently an aspect of the experiences that occurred.

Communication Arts media can provide children with the means to comment on experience, explore their understandings of the world and communicate emotions and imaginings. Giving children a voice through many languages makes it possible for children to express their individual responses to events and to actively share those responses with others. The early learning centre has a research framework based on many years of developing an environment that is collaborative and has a strong focus on co-­construction of knowledge. The approach to the hundred languages of children (Edwards et al., 1993) that is exemplary in the ELC is the study that has been put into efforts to listen carefully to children’s contributions. Children communicate in myriad ways and in this context, we saw skilled pedagogues and artists, with finely tuned skills, who presented and interpreted the children’s arts expressions to deliberately enhance the child voice. The children were encouraged to voice their ideas and thoughts about their creations, and these were carefully recorded as part of the data. The children were an active and participating part of the research conducted in the centre. Examples of children’s comments about their work were included in Chap. 5. The children’s comments are an essential part of interpreting the children’s views. Many activities are designed for groups, or small groups, with the voice of the individual always welcomed. The children in the ELC are viewed as a group of peers and this approach offers opportunities for individual growth as well as encouraging social and cognitive skills that are enhanced through collaboration. The presence of adults with skills adds value to the

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media that children use to give voice, both in the quality of provision and in the shared interpretation of what is communicated. To invite the composer, Stephen Leek, to be part of this enterprise was particularly apposite as he does not differentiate between his twin roles as composer and teacher as he believes the composer should be in the community and part of the community. He aims to write music with and for members of a community (Stephens, 2004). The use of the arts as languages is part of encouraging creative thinking as media with different affordances (Forman, 1994) can lead to the development of metaphors for making meaningful connections between different ideas and happenings and makes different perspectives possible.

Representative Media and Affordances Verbal symbols are an enormously important vehicle for children to tell the stories that come from their imaginations as well as depicting reality. The recording of the children’s comments during group brainstorming and writing their explanations on drawings is a valuable practice that is recognised in the ELC.  As well as the spoken and written word formal symbols like music notation was part of the project described in this book along with the use of other representational media. To express the same concept using different media helps children to have different perspectives on the same subject as different media have different affordances (Forman, 1994). An affordance is the relationship between the transformative properties of a media and he child’s desire to use that property to make symbols. (p. 42)

Forman examines the physical properties of media in regards their affordances and says each media will present different ways of expressing a concept and therefore may “influence thought” (p. 41). The black swan was expressed in many ways, singing, conversation/discussion, brainstorming, drawing, painting, poetry, dance and written notation. Different media will have constraints and Forman distinguishes between reactive and non-reactive media. Drawing is non-reactive and can be used for design purposes as well as flights of fancy. It is not constrained by physical forces. Therefore, we have the blue tongue lizards (Chap. 5) portrayed as sentient creatures with desires and intentions. One is concentrating on the next meal and another lizard is following a child home. Aria’s dance

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expresses the grace of the swan but is restricted by the force of gravity so she cannot fly. Drawing may therefore be more cognitively demanding than working with media like clay or blocks. Adding the children’s verbal explanations provides a story and memory aid. Drawing and the recording of children’s words is therefore a privileged practice in the ELC (Deans & Wright, 2018). The singing, which is at the core of the children’s activities in this project, is a powerful medium, reactive in that it is physically constrained but also non-reactive in that it can be a highly emotive experience. As a medium music is sound and ephemeral and does not exist across time like other expressive art activities. However, it takes other forms once it exists. In this case as recordings, videos, formal notation with varying arrangements, the written poem and most important, in children’s memories so the song and emotion can be revisited. There are musical elements that make music a modular medium but the degrees of freedom are great, so music is probably both a reactive and non-reactive medium in that it does not restrict, or constrain, by its nature but has physical limits. The Yarra Songs project was wide-ranging, with the songs as a central focus with other forms of expression being an integral part of the venture.

Music and Multi-Modal Experiences We have referred to expressive media as a way for adults and children to explore their knowledge and assumptions, intentions and expectations and the strategies they use to theorise and test their theories. Forman’s ideas of reactive and non-reactive medium for children to construct theories and test theories has been mentioned. Ever present in the activities of the ELC is the use of digital media to record experiences, revisit events and to reframe the meanings constructed over time through research, theorising and re-interpreting projects and activities. The use of digital media is constantly used to look for multiple messages and different perspectives through revisiting, editing, changing formats and story building (Cowan, 2019). The ELC has strived to develop pedagogical approaches to digital technology that supports the arts-based program. The affordances of digital tools have been considered as a vehicle for expression. Meaning making in this centre is multimodal with many languages of childhood skilfully deployed. In previous projects the children watched opera, ‘The Magic Flute’, as a serial (Nyland et al., 2015). They watched and discussed, Cathy

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Berberian’s ‘Stripsody’ on YouTube, during music sessions (Acker & Nyland, 2020) and designed their own animal soundscapes. For the song about the black swan the following are examples of multimodal expressions that were included in the writing and performing of the song. • Words – the poetry of the song • Verbal exploration of ideas and knowledge – brainstorming • Music-scores – composition • Singing • Paintings and drawings • Dancing • Video • Photographs • Displays • Computer imaging • Performance • Collaboration – relationships A language that is clearly associated with music is that of emotions, or feelings. Music has played an important part of social cohesion and has been practiced in most cultures and groups across history. The strong emotions that can be evoked when music is heard or performed can be primeval. Children recognize emotions in music and can experience different affective moods when listening to or participating, in musical activities. In this project the children took part in performances and the power of performance can be an undertaking where the individual and the group can come together and feel exhilarated. The swan dance was embodied music with the grace and grandeur of the swan expressed. The children’s lyrics were beautiful. A powerful language like music and the accompanying language of emotion makes music one of the arts that should be part of an active early childhood education experience.

Discussion and Concluding Comments We have described the arts-based program in the ELC. The director (Jan Deans) has explained the philosophic and pedagogic foundations of the centres practices and her aim to build a community of learners (Chap. 2). Details have been given of a project that involved a number of skilled and talented adults and children who were willing to be creative participants.

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In this final chapter we have briefly mentioned more general elements of the projects described by commenting on creativity, communication and the languages children use to explore their own world view and theorise about events, social and physical, around them. A variety of multi-modal expressions available to the children have been identified. To conclude there are four themes that have arisen that have implications for early childhood arts education generally. These themes are: • The need for adults to have skills and knowledge in teaching the arts • The rights of the child to an arts curriculum • The role of the arts in supporting the use of different media in a world of increasing technological knowledge • The importance of the arts for social and civic development. The emphasis on seeking an Australian identity through environmental awareness is part of this theme. • The importance of the arts for social and civic development The Adults: Arts and Skills In the education setting the arts are an introduction to culture. As adults share skills and insights the children are able to develop tools to interpret and build on experience. They are able to participate in re-creating their cultural surroundings. There have been studies examining the knowledge and skills generalist early childhood teachers acquire through their teacher training (Garvis, 2012) that suggests many feel ill prepared to implement an arts-based program. The idea of needing adults with high-level content knowledge, as well as pedagogical and relational skills, is often not considered in early childhood teacher training (Garvis, 2012). The same issue exists with STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) (Timms et  al., 2018), implying that the neglect of content knowledge, may be a problem across many early years’ staff training programs. Following a child-centred approach the ELC brings arts specialists into the program and encourages the generalist teachers to research the children’s learning and record their own perspectives. In this story of ‘The Yarra Song Cycle’ the skills and talents the adults brought to the project was a significant element of the project (see Chap. 1). These skills have been developed over many years of practice and were available through the generalist staff, specialists and the invited composer. When considering

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quality practices, the content knowledge of the adults should be considered part of the resourcing of the program. The Rights of the Child to an Arts Education Article 31 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 1. States Parties recognize the right of the child to rest and leisure, to engage in play and recreational activities appropriate to the age of the child and to participate freely in cultural life and the arts. 2. States Parties shall respect and promote the right of the child to participate fully in cultural and artistic life and shall encourage the provision of appropriate and equal opportunities for cultural, artistic, recreational and leisure activity.

Not all children have equal access to arts education. The concept of an arts education is particularly pertinent for a rights discussion as arts and culture are a basic part of being human. Although many countries have curriculum guidelines for early childhood education that emphasise the value of arts education there is usually no accompanying requirement for teachers to have skills or special training in the arts. All children have a right to education, and we ask the question “to be taught what and by who”? This has been a debate for many years (Hedges & Cullen, 2005) but if education policy makers are satisfied that generalist teachers can supply art and music education in the early years then teachers need specialist training. For years the research into arts and music education in early childhood settings has reported that staff lack confidence to deliver arts and music programs to children (Nyland & Ferris, 2007). The arts help preserve and create cultural heritage and in a multicultural country, like Australia, the arts are also a platform for sharing different perspectives in a meaningful framework. Through the arts children develop a sense of self, creative depictions of what they observe or imagine, enjoy rich experiences, gain their own personal aesthetic sense and acquire knowledge of the world and people in it. The children and adults portrayed in this book were part of a privileged system supported by researchers, a university and appreciative families. The staff and visiting artists and musicians have been nurtured over the years. Such education should not be for elites but be a social good in an inclusive society.

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Education policy makers, teacher training requirements, a recognition of expertise that will support quality provision is the right of all children. The Role of the Arts in Supporting the Use of Different Media This statement supports the idea of digital technology as part of the hundred languages of children (Malaguzi, no date). The ELC focuses on child-centred, inquiry-based learning using multiple languages. A range of technologies have been used to support the practice described here, from the thumbnail images Suzana puts in her journal through to the websites maintained by Stephen Leek and the ELC. Technology is an important part of the breadth of languages available for children and adults to explore aesthetics and specific concepts. The aesthetic experience is not only cognitive but an emotional one. Learning for children and adults is based on prior knowledge and experience and digital technology is part of individual and social awareness in the twenty-first century. In the practices detailed in the story of The Yarra Songs project technology in many forms was an instrument frequently used. Technology has not been separated out in this story; we have taken an inclusive view of literacies. The arts, in all forms, are languages and we view children’s use of arts media as use of cultural and symbolic systems. The Importance of the Arts for Social and Civic Development The children were partners in the projects and philosophical aims of the centre. They were accorded communication rights through access to a range of arts media and use of space and relationships within the context. The concept of citizenship can be seen in the way the children were able to work collaboratively while, at the same time, sharing individual insights. They were part of the centre community and staff worked actively to extend that community to knowledge of the life beyond the gate. Respect for children’s rights was part of the atmosphere the children worked within and at the same time the children developed an understanding of the rights of others and the idea of obligations to others. They were concerned about the state of the Yarra – their river, they could imagine intentions and feelings for the lizards, be affectionate to the ducks and find the lorikeets exciting. There pictures are full of sociable encounters, with natural phenomena, with non-human friends and how they shared

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and participated in these events together. With the swans we get the hint of an important relationship that goes beyond the here and now. In this story, the river was a physical connection, linking all the protagonists  – people, creatures and the natural environment. Children’s expressive languages made it possible for them to communicate as reciprocal members of the culture within this investigation. Their sensitivity to the non-human participants creates possibilities for the future.

Glossary

Adult protagonist  fosters a learning and relational environment that reflects values they wish to communicate to children (see child protagonist). Anthropocene in early childhood  concept from natural sciences of the present geological epoch and the impact of human activity. Environmental and sociological ideas of children’s relationship with nature. Boorai  word ‘boorai’, meaning ‘baby’ or ‘child’, comes from the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. This is the studio space of the ELC often refer to as the Boorai Gallery. Child protagonist  a view of children as competent communicators with rights. This child constructs and co-constructs their own learning with adults who listen to their ideas (see adult protagonist). Circular path of imagination  Vygotskian notion of a process that combines and recombines elements of experience, to create an artistic product such as an image, music, dance or story. Co-construction of knowledge  learning is an active process as children develop a world view by interpreting experience in the light of existing concepts and reorganizes these mental structures through interactions with the physical and social environment. Main theorist Piaget. Construction of knowledge  learning is primarily a social activity. Learning is a communal activity that is co-constructed in a social and cultural space. Main theorist Vygotsky. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2021 A. Acker et al., Music Composition in Contexts of Early Childhood, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-91692-3

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Digital technology  tools/materials that present a range of possible symbolic languages. They have the potential to allow for the exploration of present understandings and create new knowledge. Early Learning Centre (ELC)  the research site of this book and program for children 3–6 years. Metaphor  a tool to highlight tangible and intangible elements of a project. Provides a connection to give synergy to the endeavour. Music  a symbol system, expression of culture, shared human experience, language of childhood, core part of a progressive curriculum. Pedagogy  teacher as transmitter of culture, guide, partner, collaborator, listener, co-constructor of knowledge. Perezhivanie  emphasizes subjective experience, especially emotional aspects of experience. Gives added meaning to an activity through enhanced recollection. Post human theory in early childhood  separation of nature and society in western culture is identified as a threat to the sustainability of the natural world. The Anthropocene (see above) creates a demand for children to move beyond the nature/social binary. Areas of post human theory include new materialism, child/animal relations and the relevance of Indigenous knowledge. Progressive education  education movement that has a philosophy based on a social image of the competent child with rights, engages in child-­ based learning through projects, emphasizes the arts as an expressive medium that encourages the imagination and symbol use. Projects  also project approach, project-based learning. Provocation  used by adults, or more senior member of the culture, to extend children’s ideas to increase planning, reflection and critical thinking. Can take many forms including questioning, discussion, materials, events or demonstrations. Associated with the ZPD (see below). Yarra  is a river in south-central Victoria, Australia. Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)  a highly focused mental state with the activity at hand. Optimal state for provocation as the child is intrinsically motivated, and in the moment (flow).

References

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Index

A Active learning, 36, 42 Advocacy, 4, 37, 68 Aesthetic, 12, 21, 24, 42, 55, 64, 69, 103, 104 Affordances, 5, 19, 97, 99–100 Agency, 28, 42 Anthropocene, 2, 14, 32, 38, 96 Artefacts, 28, 44, 55, 91 Arts (arts in early childhood), 4, 95–105 B Belonging, Being, Becoming: An early years learning framework, 19 Big ideas, 16, 27–29, 32, 33, 39, 57, 65 The Black Swan, 6, 8, 13, 14, 21, 33, 46, 57, 70, 76, 78–93, 97, 99, 101 Blue-tongued lizards, 8, 9, 13, 14, 60–62, 70, 72–73, 81, 99

Boorai Gallery, 10, 38, 69 Brainstorm, 65, 66 C Capability, 19, 26, 29, 35, 42 Children’s interests, 3, 36, 45 Children’s rights, 104 Co-construction of knowledge, 98 Cognition, 19, 20 Collaboration, 2, 24, 25, 29, 32, 42, 45, 65, 68, 93, 98 Coming Closer, 43, 47 Communication, 4, 19–21, 23, 24, 29, 90, 91, 96, 98–99, 102, 104 Community of learners, 7, 37, 97, 101 Composer, 9–11, 13, 32, 55, 57, 60, 64, 71, 75, 76, 81, 82, 99, 102 Composition, 3, 6, 13, 76, 81, 84 Conceptual understanding, 25, 46 Connections, 3, 17, 25–27, 33, 38, 39, 42, 61, 68, 72, 93, 99, 105

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INDEX

Context, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 13, 16, 22, 24, 25, 33, 56, 60, 68, 79, 86, 87, 93, 97, 98, 104 Creative self-discovery, 42 Creative thinking, 20, 66, 99 Critical thinking, 17, 28, 29 Cultural transmission, 43 Culture (cultural capital), 2, 4, 6, 14, 16, 18–22, 28, 34, 41, 43, 44, 51, 56, 57, 69, 79, 87, 91, 96, 97, 101–103, 105 Curriculum, 2, 4, 7, 11, 12, 14, 16, 21–23, 31–37, 42, 51, 53, 54, 102, 103 D Dance, 6, 7, 18, 20, 21, 23, 32, 35, 47, 55, 76, 79, 81, 87–93, 97, 99, 101 Deep learning, 42 Democratic spirit, 36 Design, 4, 5, 16, 23, 31, 37, 38, 45, 56, 79, 87, 95, 96, 99 Desire to explore, 17 Developmental niche, 35, 37 Dewey, John, 2, 4, 21, 32, 33, 36, 38, 39, 69, 96 Different media, 14, 95, 97, 99, 102, 104 Digital media, 5, 100 Display, 11, 12, 35, 42, 49, 54, 67, 90, 92, 93, 97, 98 Dispositions for learning, 17 Documentation, 11, 13, 35, 48, 55, 69, 70, 91, 92 Drawing, 16, 19, 21, 38, 42, 47, 50–53, 55, 61, 63, 64, 70, 72, 74, 76, 79, 81, 85–88, 90, 91, 93, 97, 99, 100 Drawing-telling, 27, 79 Ducks, 8, 9, 13, 14, 38, 49, 60, 63–65, 68–70, 73, 81, 104

E Early Childhood Australia Code of Ethics, 13 Eisner, Michael Dammann, 19–21, 32 Emotion, 12, 18, 19, 21, 24, 25, 44, 67, 81, 86, 88, 92, 98, 100, 101 Engagement, 3, 5, 20, 21, 23, 34, 47, 51, 57, 67, 76 Environment (third teacher), 33 Exhibitions, 32, 38, 55 Expressive ideas (thinking, activities), 42 Expressive medium, 55 F Familiar, 33, 34, 42, 43, 45, 46, 57, 60, 65, 66, 70, 78, 79, 81, 85 Fitzpatrick, William, 2 Future, 3, 4, 34–36, 39, 43, 45, 51, 65, 92, 105 G Graphic communication, 51 H High Scope, 36, 47, 48, 56 History, 2, 3, 34, 35, 44, 46, 51, 53, 56, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 92, 93, 101 Hundred languages, 20, 32, 35, 98, 104 I Iconic, 7, 92 Images of the child, 2, 13, 20, 33, 35–39, 42, 70 Imagination, 2, 17, 18, 25, 36, 38, 44, 72, 99 Indigenous, 8, 27, 33, 38, 39, 43

 INDEX 

Innate natural curiosity, 17 Investigation, 3, 6, 12, 28, 33, 42, 47, 51, 105 L Learning by doing, 2, 4, 36–39 Learning (inquiry-based), 2, 4–6, 11–14, 16–29, 33–39, 42, 44, 46, 48–51, 54–57, 62–64, 68–70, 88, 90, 92, 95, 96, 98, 102, 104 Leek, Stephen, 3, 6, 8–10, 13, 46, 51, 55, 57, 60, 61, 63, 64, 69, 71, 72, 74, 75, 78, 80–82, 85, 93, 96, 97, 99, 104 L’eta Verde, 45 Life cycle of a song, 80 Life worthy learning, 28–29 Listening, 13, 22, 37, 53, 73, 96, 101 Lived experience, 17, 21, 23–25, 36 M Malaguzzi, Loris, 20–22, 24, 32, 33, 35–37, 96 Meaning making, 17, 21, 25, 29, 64, 100 Metaphor, 13, 14, 33, 34, 39, 65, 75, 76, 79, 93, 99 Mind map, 60, 65, 66 The Muddy River, 6, 13, 14, 44, 60, 70–72, 74, 85 Multi-modal experience, 96, 97, 100–101 Musical notation, 50–52, 66, 67 Music as a language of childhood, 5, 95 N Nature, 5, 12, 13, 32, 36, 38, 39, 53, 57, 79, 93, 96, 100 New learning, 34

119

O Observations, 12, 21, 27, 42, 60, 87, 93, 98 Origins of a project, 42 P Partnerships, 26 Pedagogical choice, 51–56 Pedagogy, 2–5, 22, 27, 35, 55–57, 65 Perezhivanie, 24–26 Performance, 26, 35, 48, 50, 69, 79, 88, 89, 91, 97, 101 Philosophy, 2, 11, 16, 18, 19, 21, 22, 25, 36, 39, 51, 55, 60, 69, 79, 96 Piaget, Jean, 20, 32 Planned, 34, 44, 47, 68, 79, 81 Play, 2, 6, 16–23, 25, 26, 29, 35, 38, 42, 51, 55, 57, 66, 76, 92, 103 Practitioner research, 3, 7 Problem solving, 4, 17, 18, 25, 28, 29, 36, 42 Process, 4, 12, 16, 17, 19–21, 23, 25, 26, 32, 35, 37, 65, 69, 79, 96 Program, 3, 4, 6, 7, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 27, 32, 33, 36, 37, 39, 42, 57, 65, 75, 92, 93, 100–103 Progressive education, 2, 14, 33, 36, 38, 55, 69 Project (project approach, project-­ based learning), 2–14, 16, 19, 28, 31–39, 42–57, 60–70, 72, 74–76, 78–81, 85, 91, 92, 95–102, 104 Protagonist, 6–14, 22, 32, 42–57, 70, 105 Provocation, 11, 12, 14, 26, 37, 56, 63, 64, 75, 98 Q Questioning, 12, 27, 28, 36, 42

120 

INDEX

R Rainbow Lorikeets, 8, 9, 13, 14, 49, 70, 73–74 Reflective practice, 5 Reggio Emilia, 2, 11, 19, 20, 32, 33, 36–38, 56, 98 Relationships, 2–6, 13, 14, 17–19, 21, 24–26, 28, 33–35, 37–39, 42–45, 48, 50, 56, 61, 62, 68, 71, 85, 92, 95, 96, 99, 104, 105 Relevance, 2, 4, 39 Research, 3–7, 13, 16, 46, 51, 53, 56, 68, 69, 98, 100, 102, 103 Revisiting, 35, 44, 100 Role of adults, 5, 57 S Scaffolding, 26, 45, 51 Shared experience, 46, 74 Social and civic development, 14, 102, 104–105 Social environment, 16–17, 35, 62, 68 Socio-cultural, 6, 13, 80 Songs (song cycle, singing), 3, 6, 8–10, 13, 14, 19, 21, 32–34, 42, 43, 46–51, 57, 60–64, 68, 70–76, 78–93, 97, 99–101 Space, 12, 14, 16–29, 32–35, 38, 50, 54–56, 61–63, 69, 70, 74, 96, 104 Specialists, 5–9, 32, 33, 45, 48, 57, 63, 69, 72, 74, 93, 96, 102, 103 Storytelling and art, 43 Studio, 38, 45, 46, 69, 96 Sustainability, 13, 32, 33, 35, 42, 45, 56, 80, 96

Symbolic languages, 4, 37, 47, 65, 66, 70, 88 Synergy, 13, 33, 75, 97 T Teacher as guide, 4 Technology, 4, 5, 100, 102, 104 Themes, 2, 4, 13, 24, 26, 33, 34, 39, 42, 44, 45, 47–49, 51, 56, 60, 76, 92, 96, 102 Theoretical framework, 16 Transformative, 99 Trevarthen, Colwyn, 24 U United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), 13, 22, 23, 103 V Visiting artists, 3, 33, 45, 63, 103 Visual language, 49–52 Vygotsky, Lev, 13, 16–19, 24–26, 32, 34, 36, 39, 69, 76, 96 W Workstations, 55 Y Yarra river, 3, 8, 9, 27, 60, 71, 75 Z Zone of proximal development (ZPD), 25, 26