Methods of Teaching Piano to Children with Autism
Date
2022-04-28
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Abstract
The present study investigated pedagogical approaches of teaching piano to beginner level students with autism. The research focused on consideration of students’ learning abilities and traditional piano methods and assessing better practical solutions for learning and playing piano. Taking into consideration the positive effects of music therapy on social communication, cognitive, emotional, and motor abilities of children with autism, and the difficulties public schools have in providing music education for children with diverse abilities, the purpose of this study was to enhance the opportunities for accessible music education and practical performances for children with autism. Participants were elementary school children aged 6.5, 7.5, and 11 years old, who have never taken piano classes before, but had an interest in participating in musical activities. Using an action research approach that followed a 12-week (24 lessons) cycle design, each cycle was completed within two lessons each week. The expectation for accomplishment after the completion of 24 lessons was that each student would have the ability to memorize and play 8 measures with various rhythms, such as quarter and eighth notes, understand melodic lines, and play without interruptions when performing. In conclusion, all three participants performed two pieces (8 measures), understood rhythms, read notes from the staff, and could identify them on the piano keys. Given that the students had learned differently, and each had distinct logical understandings of the material, some of them demonstrated a higher-than-expected understanding of the theory. This study was sufficiently successful in terms of developing piano teaching strategies for students with autism. It includes positive emotions, an enjoyable collaborative teaching-learning process, and the piano classes where they can create harmonious environments, musical sounds, and wonderful friendships.
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Keywords
Teaching piano, beginners' level, children with autism
Citation
Dimitrova, V. (2022). Methods of Teaching Piano to Children with Autism (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.