I take particular care to challenge all children, regardless of factors that could inhibit musical success. The following anecdote describes my efforts to stretch a particular child whose musical abilities were not initially evident, but whose abilities have rapidly developed with simple direction and goal-setting. (Page published in Summer 2015)

Eren is a child in Year 4 with significant autistic characteristics. He struggles with expressive language, most of his speech is memorized repetition, and his social skills and attention span are very underdeveloped. He also is hyper-flexible, which affects fine and gross motor coordination. Since Eren was in Year 2, I realized that music was a good sensory experience for Eren, and was an activity that he enjoyed. Therefore, my goal was to provide him with experiences that would provide that sensory stimulation that is valuable for children on the autistic spectrum.

When Eren was in Year 3, he learned the recorder like all other Year 3 children. While he enjoyed the recorder, he struggled to play clearly, to cover the holes, and to play correct rhythms and pitches. As in previous music lessons, I saw the recorder as a form of sensory input that was a valuable experience for Eren, but not as a skill that he would develop at an advanced level.

Upon entering Year 4, I encouraged him to continue with the recorder because it is an activity that he seemed to enjoy. However, toward the end of the Autumn term (2014), I began to notice that he was playing pitches with greater accuracy, and he was moving his fingers appropriately. As I monitored his achievement, I realized that he was performing at nearly the same level as rest of the recorder children. This was an incredible realization, considering that his achievement in most academic and social areas is considerably below average.

At the beginning of the spring term (2015), I decided that Eren had achieved enough success to pursue his music exam. I spoke with his mother, and we agreed that this would be a good goal for him. Over the next few months I spent a lot of time helping him to prepare for the exam. Finally in May, Eren sat and passed his exam.

This experience has helped me to understand the value of Standard 1. By setting goals for Eren’s development, music has evolved from a sensory experience to an advanced skill that he will continue to develop. While not every child has such a success story in music, I do attempt to provide similar opportunities for all children to realize their musical potential, and if appropriate, to deepen their skills so that they can pursue music as a serious study in the future.