Music, co-creation, play

REGION: South
MUNICIPALITY: Esbjerg
PROCEDURE: 2021
DAILY OFFER: Kvalund

Institution: Børnehuset Kvaglund

Period: August-December 2021

Head: Dorte Jespersen

Artist: Signe Friis

Art form: Music

Kick-off meeting: August 2021

SNUDE

In the last half of the project, we were hit a bit by the challenges of everyday life, new children, illness, etc., which meant that we changed our planned form a little along the way, adapting it to what was possible in relation to what was possible in the daily life we faced. The experience and the experience we gained here was that even under slightly pressured conditions, it was possible to add the musical approach into the work with the children.

All the good experiences we have described during the mid-term reflection continued into the last half of the project. We now find that we have automatically begun to add music into everyday life, e.g. spontaneous singing, focus on "pulse"/rhythm, etc. it has become much more natural for us to use what we have learned, and think it into everyday life and in the activities that take place in the rooms.

We have experienced that Signe has been good at collaborating and showing direction. She has prepared a number of activities/measures that we can continue to work with and after. We have gained some good tools that can be used going forward in our pedagogical work, we now think differently, creatively, more nuanced and varied about using music in everyday life, which also means that we have a much easier time following the children's tracks, initiatives and interest in music.

The wondering points written in the SNIP story have all been worked with in the course, in addition, a number of other dimensions from the musical world have been added and learned, which has helped to make a positive difference for the children. As can be seen, there has been a development in the children's group on the competencies we wanted to strengthen and promote with the project. Some children have shown new sides of themselves that we had not seen before and have developed a lot in the process. Especially in one room, there has been a positive development in the dynamics of the entire group of children, children who previously did not say much in the community have begun to participate actively and the joint attention has been significantly strengthened.

Mid-term reflection (after the 4th action)

After the first time Signe was in the group, the staff was a bit frustrated, they had imagined something else. Imagined that Signe came with a "program" and that the children should be ready. But Signe did not come with a finished plan/program, she went into what was going on in the room/what the children were doing and started using music in several different ways as it suited the situation.

The staff now experience that it has been very useful and instructive what Signe has come up with and something they themselves have been able to use in their daily lives, and see it as an advantage that it can be used in everything else that is going on and as part of the play. They are keen that they now have to be responsible for it with Signe as a sparring partner/on the sidelines.

The composition of the children in the two rooms is very different and therefore there have also been some differences in the activities. But for both rooms it is true that the children are curious and captivated by what is going on when Signe is here and ask for her when she is not here. The children also use it at other times, even the children who have not previously been so active in the community.

Our experiences;

- We can see that the children are more attentive, willing and able to participate in the community.

- We see some aspects of the children we have not seen before, in a positive way.

- The children have started to spontaneously sing about what they see and experience.

- Listening to music when we do creative activities has had a good effect. It gives calmness, concentration and a good atmosphere.

- Working with pulse and rhythm in, for example, walking in pulse and motor activities has a good effect on children.

- The children relax when we put on classical music.

- Instrumental music has a good effect when we have relaxation - all the children were quiet on the floor when the adult came in.

- The children quickly learned to read the rhythm cards and corrected each other if a child/adult "read" wrong. The children were very attentive when the cards were in use, singing/clapping the rhythm.

- The educators use what Signe has come up with in everyday life and have become much more nuanced in their choice of music for different activities and creative in relation to where, how and when we can advantageously use music, rhythm and pulse.

Follow-up reflection (after 8th action) Dec. 2021

Children with rhyme and rhyme challenges were good at reading rhythm cards.

Quiet background music provided better creative immersion (up to 45 min) - we had thought it might be distracting.

We have learned what classical music can do in relation to well-known songs (pop music)

Before we started with PlayArt, we had several children who did not want to join the assembly, but now everyone is involved.

Video clips are shared in the auditorium so parents can see what we are working on

The children have taken rhythms home and want to share it with the parents, so we have put up notes with rhythms and have also put some in the auditorium (So we are not only teaching the children, but also the parents.