This project is a continuation of the research project A comparative study of the composing process and the composition strategies of children versus conservatory students, based on the concept of Kinderen op vleugels (2008-2010) by Johanna Roels. Within part-time arts education, a method was developed for promoting the development of musical competence. This method is characterized by a child-centered approach in which expressivity is taken as the starting point for composing and visualizing music-theoretical concepts. All dimensions of musicality are involved such as listening, designing, writing and performing. Extra attention is paid to the musical thinking of children and their promotion. In a pedagogical context with subtle interaction between teacher and pupil, the activity of composing (in this case at the piano) brings up unexpected, authentic thinking patterns and actions in children. Music-theoretical concepts are also discussed in a playful manner.
This research will examine how children use strategies of a diverse nature, both during the initial referential way of thinking - in which the drawing is transformed into music - and during the autonomous musical way of thinking - provided that the abstraction of the drawing - use strategies of a diverse nature. These can range from intuitive, natural mechanisms to complex, reasoned principles in which extra-musical competences are integrated.
