Connecting the Elementary General and Beginning Instrumental Classrooms

Children often make decisions that affect their musical future based on their early musical experiences. With lifelong musical learning and participation being a goal of school music instruction, connecting students’ early musical experiences with their beginning instrumental education is essential for success. By utilizing the five general suggestions of adding more play, movement, singing, working with patterns, and collaboration to beginning instrumental music programs, instrumental music teachers can strive to create consistency between elementary and beginning music classrooms, leading to increased persistence, decreased frustration, and improved efficiency in meeting student learning outcomes and keeping students enrolled in school instrumental music programs. Examples of authentic activities in each of the five key areas for connection are provided.