How to facilitate motor synchronization to broadcast music with young people ?

Abstract

During music lessons in the first grade of primary school, it is not easy for teachers to propose movements related to broadcast classic music by CD. Young pupils often not understand that they have to move in tune with music, preferring jumping regardless the task their have to pursuit. According to the Swiss educationalist Jaques Dalcroze approach, natural walk facilitates motor engagement to reverberate musical arsis and thesis. But is it really rele- vant? And if yes, for what age category? Indeed, previous results indicated that for a part of 10 to 12 years old children, they synchronize much better with music when they only have to produce little tapping on their face with theirs index finger in a sitting situation, rather than in a walking situation. How musical pulsation is mentally reconstructed and maintained by 5-6 years old children? Do they synchronize better to music during a walking situa- tion or during a sitting situation? What happens when we demand them to reduce degrees of liberty of their movements (clapping in theirs hands in a sitting situation or tapping with theirs index fingers alternatively on their own face)? Are they able to maintain correct synchronized movements with music in both situations? Results should provide new understanding about differentiated ways to con- duct a lesson to facilitate synchronization to young pupils with broadcast music.