When parents think about how their child can learn to play the piano, the first questions that usually come
to mind are things like ‘how to learn and memorize
the notes?’ and then a little later: 'how do I get my child to practice?'...
Learning how to play piano involves many different abilities - specific mental skills, the ability to physically coordinate one’s use of the body, the integration of emotional feelings and the senses, and a strong motivation as the fuel. Integral learning is a holistic approach to education which creates ability by giving attention to all of these aspects of the child's development. By using this holistic approach we can focus on the aspects in each individual child which need nurturing, and thereby enable the growth of the whole child.
Below, the Integral Learning diagram divides the process of learning into four quadrants - mental, physical, senses, and inspiration. Naturally, the quadrants overlap, but this conceptualization of learning can be very useful in assessing children's development.
Integral Learning Diagram
The Mental Quadrant of integral learning is what we may traditionally think of as learning -- or the process of acquiring knowledge about specific things. By listening repeatedly to a music recording, the child comes to "know" how the music sounds. This enables the child to play (or, ‘speak’) the pieces naturally the way babies extract the sounds of their native language and become able to speak. (1) This process of pattern recognition (also know as statistical learning) is an implicit process (e.g., not necessarily effortful) that is important for acquiring different kinds skills. As infants become toddlers, many scholars believe that they use ‘pattern recognition’ to learn how words piece together to form grammar; this involves knowing which parts in the phrases are the same, and which parts are different. Similarly, the recognition of patterns in musical sound is actually an important part of both teaching and learning music. Learning to read music can be thought of as the next step in pattern recognition which involves pairing melodies and rhythms with visual symbols.
The Physical Quadrant of integral learning includes the process that the child goes through to develop a sense of their body through through attention to their own posture and the coordination of their physical movements. Understanding exactly how their physical movements produce certain sounds is a critical link. Through repetition of specific spots the physical ability to play patterns is linked with the sound. These patterns are then the building blocks that are used in all of the pieces they are playing.
As Dr. Suzuki says:
"Knowledge plus 10,000 times equals ability."
Learning how to play piano involves many different abilities - specific mental skills, the ability to physically coordinate one’s use of the body, the integration of emotional feelings and the senses, and a strong motivation as the fuel. Integral learning is a holistic approach to education which creates ability by giving attention to all of these aspects of the child's development. By using this holistic approach we can focus on the aspects in each individual child which need nurturing, and thereby enable the growth of the whole child.
Below, the Integral Learning diagram divides the process of learning into four quadrants - mental, physical, senses, and inspiration. Naturally, the quadrants overlap, but this conceptualization of learning can be very useful in assessing children's development.
Integral Learning Diagram
The Mental Quadrant of integral learning is what we may traditionally think of as learning -- or the process of acquiring knowledge about specific things. By listening repeatedly to a music recording, the child comes to "know" how the music sounds. This enables the child to play (or, ‘speak’) the pieces naturally the way babies extract the sounds of their native language and become able to speak. (1) This process of pattern recognition (also know as statistical learning) is an implicit process (e.g., not necessarily effortful) that is important for acquiring different kinds skills. As infants become toddlers, many scholars believe that they use ‘pattern recognition’ to learn how words piece together to form grammar; this involves knowing which parts in the phrases are the same, and which parts are different. Similarly, the recognition of patterns in musical sound is actually an important part of both teaching and learning music. Learning to read music can be thought of as the next step in pattern recognition which involves pairing melodies and rhythms with visual symbols.
The Physical Quadrant of integral learning includes the process that the child goes through to develop a sense of their body through through attention to their own posture and the coordination of their physical movements. Understanding exactly how their physical movements produce certain sounds is a critical link. Through repetition of specific spots the physical ability to play patterns is linked with the sound. These patterns are then the building blocks that are used in all of the pieces they are playing.
As Dr. Suzuki says:
"Knowledge plus 10,000 times equals ability."
The Inspiration Quadrant: Inspiration literally means "to breath in", or to
fill someone with the desire to do something. First, we nurture children's
motivation and provide true inspiration for them by holding the vision of
them playing piano beautifully. We also foster motivation by
creating an environment where the child can hear and see wonderful
performances, observe other children playing and learning piano, and perform regularly in recitals so they experience the inspiration and excitement of sharing their music.
The Senses Quadrant involves direct learning through the senses. Researchers define various types of senses. Even rhythm can be considered a sensibility. (2) In the Integral learning concept, senses can be defined as including both ‘physical’ senses (tactile (e.g., touch), auditory, visual) as well as emotional sensations.
The auditory sense is primary in music learning as it is in speech. By immersing the young child in music during their sensitive period of language acquisition, they are able to learn music as a language directly through the auditory sense. The tactile or touch sense is important in learning to use the hands to receive information and develop sensitivity. For more information on the tactile sense read the previous blog "The Touch Sense") The visual sense is then useful to link the music with the visual symbols (written score).
Emotional development is also in the senses quadrant as it involves an inner response/sensation to the stimulus of the environment that does not necessarily involve thinking. It includes feelings such as respect, appreciation, a sense of well-being, belonging, confidence, perseverance. By focusing attention on these positive feelings as soon as they are observed in the child, parents and teachers can greatly influence the development and deepening of these attributes. Dr. Suzuki says:
"Character first, then Ability."
(For more reading on this subject read the blog "Affirm, Motivate, and Inspire")
So this quadrant is broad in scope and critical in children's learning. Dr. Kataoka writes about the relationship of the senses with piano study and the development of the child in her book Sensibility and Education.(3)
As parents and teachers we can use the integral learning concept to analyze how to help each child by focusing our effort on the quadrant which needs most attention. For example, a student may be able to understand what to play (mental quadrant)but not be able to physically do it. By focusing specifically on physical skill this student can progress. Another child that may be able to play easily with physical coordination, but may need help with understanding patterns in music and how to learn new pieces by understanding patterns. Emotional and motivational needs can be addressed through a similar type of focus and often involve giving appropriate feedback to the child and adjusting the environment to support learning.
At different ages and stages these needs change, and we can adjust the focus to optimize learning by creating balance in the quadrants.
The Senses Quadrant involves direct learning through the senses. Researchers define various types of senses. Even rhythm can be considered a sensibility. (2) In the Integral learning concept, senses can be defined as including both ‘physical’ senses (tactile (e.g., touch), auditory, visual) as well as emotional sensations.
The auditory sense is primary in music learning as it is in speech. By immersing the young child in music during their sensitive period of language acquisition, they are able to learn music as a language directly through the auditory sense. The tactile or touch sense is important in learning to use the hands to receive information and develop sensitivity. For more information on the tactile sense read the previous blog "The Touch Sense") The visual sense is then useful to link the music with the visual symbols (written score).
Emotional development is also in the senses quadrant as it involves an inner response/sensation to the stimulus of the environment that does not necessarily involve thinking. It includes feelings such as respect, appreciation, a sense of well-being, belonging, confidence, perseverance. By focusing attention on these positive feelings as soon as they are observed in the child, parents and teachers can greatly influence the development and deepening of these attributes. Dr. Suzuki says:
"Character first, then Ability."
(For more reading on this subject read the blog "Affirm, Motivate, and Inspire")
So this quadrant is broad in scope and critical in children's learning. Dr. Kataoka writes about the relationship of the senses with piano study and the development of the child in her book Sensibility and Education.(3)
As parents and teachers we can use the integral learning concept to analyze how to help each child by focusing our effort on the quadrant which needs most attention. For example, a student may be able to understand what to play (mental quadrant)but not be able to physically do it. By focusing specifically on physical skill this student can progress. Another child that may be able to play easily with physical coordination, but may need help with understanding patterns in music and how to learn new pieces by understanding patterns. Emotional and motivational needs can be addressed through a similar type of focus and often involve giving appropriate feedback to the child and adjusting the environment to support learning.
At different ages and stages these needs change, and we can adjust the focus to optimize learning by creating balance in the quadrants.
In the center of the four quadrants of the Integral
learning diagram; inspiration, feeling, thought, and doing come together. This is a state of integration, total concentration and ability. I like to call this "playing by heart" because the child can play piano freely with "heart tone". Another way of saying this is to be in the state of "flow".(4)
Playing piano is an ideal learning medium to nurture the whole child.
1 Hay, J.F., Pelucchi, B., Graf Estes, K., & Saffran, J.R. (2011). Linking sounds to meaning: Infant statistical learning in a natural language. Cognitive Psychology, 63, 93-106.
2) Wikipedia link about various senses
3) Sensibility and Education by Dr. Haruko Kataoka
(Highly recommended- available on Amazon through the link) 5) Dr. Suzuki's term for beautiful tone
4) TED Talk on the "Flow" State
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