In part I the discussion of talent began with a poetic scene and ended with reflective after-thoughts, befitting the theoretical nature of the subject. The quest to recognize the spark of potential talent in young children brings us into the very real world of the school classroom. Suppose it is your task to observe student behavior in a third grade elementary music class and identify students who show evidence of potential talent. Your attention is drawn to the following students: . . . Student A is playing a melody from her music book on a xylophone. She decides to elaborate by creating a “variation.” Excited, she busily starts notating and revising her ideas on manuscript paper. . . . . . . Observation Notes: Musical training is evident. Performs with ease. Shows curiosity, creativity in musical tasks. An outstanding student. . . . . . . Student B is sitting in a listening center with headphones on, totally absorbed in the activity of circling patterns he hears. He taps his pencil as he listens, quickly working through the ear-training exercise. A quick check shows that his answers are correct. . . . . . . Observation Notes: Fine-tuned listening. Quite perceptive and quick in complex listening tasks. He is rather shy in group activities. . . . . . . Student C volunteers to sing and act out a solo in a cowboy song. He performs with confidence, singing in tune and with expression, obviously enjoying himself. His performance is met with spontaneous applause. . . . . . . Observation Notes: Quite a showman. Comfortable in front of an audience. Clear, clean vocal quality and intonation. Performs with personal flair. Shows leadership skills in group activities. Energy plus enthusiasm. . . . . . . Student D works with a number of Orff instruments, simply “fooling around” with sounds and rhythms. Each repetition shows a bit more development of an imaginative improvisation, which she describes as a “summer storm.” . . . . . . Observation Notes: Sensitive awareness of mood in music. Syncopated rhythms used in improvisation—retained well by ear. Adept at learning by ear. Not comfortable working with notation. . . . . . .
General Music Today Music Ideas Series: Viewpoints in Secondary General Music—Article Two: Power Trio: Three Ideas for Renewed Success With Classroom Ensembles
