These Peruvian children are singing two songs on their way home from school. Their village, Izcuchaca, is located an hour out of Cuzco. The titles
of the first song is unknown. With my limited understanding of Spanish I can
pick out these words from it: handsome, water and ham. The second song, which
seems to be called Chanchito “My
Darling”, has these words in it: permission of you mom, hands, “hacer” to
do, rat and ham. I think this song has something to do with the symbol of a pig
being a sign of abundance and happiness. See
this article.
These students are much like any other children, passing the
time by singing their favorite songs. It is unclear if the videographer
solicited the songs or if he simply began recording. Regardless, several of the
children express great enjoyment of singing the song as they walk, even changing
to a different song as they go. Children utilize music in many different ways.
It is a way for them to learn about their world, vocabulary, cultural norms,
etc. It is a way for them to express themselves in a safe way that is both
expressive and consoling. You can often tell what kind of a mood a child is in
by the songs stemming from their subconscious. When my son was young we used to
sing, “Baby Mine” from Disney’s Dumbo, to him as a baby to put him to sleep. He
didn’t like going to bed and so this song became a sad song to him. As a
toddler when we sang this song to him, his face would change from a happy face
to a sad face. Songs can often indicate to a child a particular task or time of
the day. My daughter would sing the “Clean Up” song every time we asked her to
tidy her room.
As children begin to socialize, music plays a role in
alleviating fear of the unknown and engagement with other kids. In many
cultures social dance plays a huge role in socializing children. They work
together to perform a common routine and consequently become more familiar with
one another. The commonality of music can be found on the playground as girls
jump rope and sing to the skips. In the video above it is interesting to note
that the tempo of the songs coincides with the rate in which they are walking. In
preschools, circle games like Ring Around the Rosie help kids engage with one
another. Similar musical games can be found around the world. With music as the
unifying factor, social interaction becomes less anxious and more about the
enjoyment of spending time with friends.
Stephen:
ReplyDeleteHow absolutely adorable! Those children completely brightened my day, thank you for that! I must agree with your point about how similar these children are to any other children in the world: singing their favorite songs to pass the time and to entertain themselves.
I must also agree with your point about how important music is in the early years of a child's socialization; they are more likely to connect with other children who share similar likes and dislikes. One can even see how easily children of different cultures get along because there are so many globally common threads of music (like the "Ring around the Rosie" game) that they cannot help but to stretch their imaginations and find common ground. It saddens me to see children grow out of this phase so early, but it is something that we, as their teachers, can help with, we can teach them how to love and accept one another, including their differences for their whole lives.
Great example, Stephen! It was a pleasure!
~Meg
Hi Stephen,
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting this video. It is a great demonstration of this week's topic: music and socialization.
I think that one of the primary benefits of children singing unison song's--such as in the video you posted--is that it positively reinforces group effort. Since human interaction, camaraderie, and joint tasks are essential to a functioning society, it is important that children develop positive associations with group activities. Song is one way students can have fun in a group activity.
I also want to point out that one of the uses of music is to making the passing of time more pleasant. These children seem to be filling the time on their way home from school with a fun activity, singing. In a way, this reminds me of rowers on a boat who sing to increase performance (and make their task more enjoyable) and of the many other workers (chain gangs etc.) who used song to make their labor more tolerable.
Thanks again.
Stephen,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed your post! As an elementary music teacher, these children remind me of the younger ones I teach. It doesn't matter that they are from two very different places, and they speak different languages, I see many similarities between them. You mentioned how important music is in the socialization of young children. I couldn't agree more. I have come to realize that the students are more willing to participate and they have more fun when we sing and play circle games and learn folk dances. Because these activities are fun and physically active, the students gain a positive association with music. I try to include many different group activities in each lesson that I teach so that they will continue to like to sing and play. Nothing is better than a teacher telling me that his/her class continued to play our music game outside at recess.
Hi Stephen! Great post!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all the children in the video seem to really be enjoying themselves. What a great time it seems they are having! Your thoughts on the role of play really give me a lot to think about.I think you are spot on with your thoughts. Thanks for sharing!
What a great find, Stephen! This would lead to a great discussion about the prevalence of group singing and folk song culture in this country that was much more vibrant pre-technology (i.e., radios, TV, etc.). In areas of the world where technology is not as prevalent, song tends to be more prominent is everyday life.
ReplyDelete