Edwin Gordon
Encyclopedia
Edwin E. Gordon, Research Professor at the University of South Carolina
's Gordon Archive, is an influential researcher, teacher, author, editor, and lecturer in the field of music education
. Through extensive research, Gordon has made major contributions to the study of music aptitudes, audiation
, Music Learning Theory, rhythm
in movement and music, and music development in infants and very young children.
He is the author of several seminal works in the field of music education, including Learning Sequences in Music: Skill, Content, and Patterns (ISBN 1579990045); A Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children (ISBN 1579992595); and Preparatory Audiation, Audiation, and Music Learning Theory (ISBN 1579991335).
Gordon received his bachelors and masters degrees in string bass performance from the Eastman School of Music
, a second masters degree in education from Ohio University
, and the Ph.D.
from the University of Iowa
. Before turning his attention solely toward the field of music education, he played string bass with the Gene Krupa
band.
Gordon continues to present seminars and lectures throughout the world, in addition to being widely published in international research and professional journals.
The Jump Right In series uses music learning theory.
Gordon, E. (1971). The Psychology of Music Teaching. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
's Gordon Archive, is an influential researcher, teacher, author, editor, and lecturer in the field of music education
Music education
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
. Through extensive research, Gordon has made major contributions to the study of music aptitudes, audiation
Audiation
Audiation is a high level thought process, involving mentally hearing and comprehending music, even when no physical sound is present. It is a cognitive process by which the brain gives meaning to musical sounds. In essence, audiation of music is analogous to thinking in a language. The term...
, Music Learning Theory, rhythm
Rhythm
Rhythm may be generally defined as a "movement marked by the regulated succession of strong and weak elements, or of opposite or different conditions." This general meaning of regular recurrence or pattern in time may be applied to a wide variety of cyclical natural phenomena having a periodicity or...
in movement and music, and music development in infants and very young children.
He is the author of several seminal works in the field of music education, including Learning Sequences in Music: Skill, Content, and Patterns (ISBN 1579990045); A Music Learning Theory for Newborn and Young Children (ISBN 1579992595); and Preparatory Audiation, Audiation, and Music Learning Theory (ISBN 1579991335).
Gordon received his bachelors and masters degrees in string bass performance from the Eastman School of Music
Eastman School of Music
The Eastman School of Music is a music conservatory located in Rochester, New York. The Eastman School is a professional school within the University of Rochester...
, a second masters degree in education from Ohio University
Ohio University
Ohio University is a public university located in the Midwestern United States in Athens, Ohio, situated on an campus...
, and the Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
from the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
. Before turning his attention solely toward the field of music education, he played string bass with the Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa
Gene Krupa was an American jazz and big band drummer and composer, known for his highly energetic and flamboyant style.-Biography:...
band.
Gordon continues to present seminars and lectures throughout the world, in addition to being widely published in international research and professional journals.
Skill Learning Sequence
Music learning theory includes eight levels of skill in two basic categories, discrimination and inference.Discrimination
Students perform a music task to correspond to the teacher's performed example.- aural/oral—students learn to hear and to perform tonal patterns sung or rhythm patterns chanted by the teacher with a neutral syllable.
- verbal association—the teacher sings with syllable-name tonal patterns or chants with syllable-name rhythm patterns that were made familiar at the aural/oral level. Students reproduce the patterns in an echo response.
- partial synthesis—familiar patterns are grouped into phrases.
- symbolic association—the teacher shows students familiar patterns in rhythmic notation.
- composite synthesis—students comprehend the sight of music notation in terms of tonality and meter.
Inference
Patterns that are unfamiliar to students are incorporated into the learning process.- generalization—students compare unfamiliar music to music they have learned by roteRote learningRote learning is a learning technique which focuses on memorization. The major practice involved in rote learning is learning by repetition by which students commit information to memory in a highly structured way. The idea is that one will be able to quickly recall the meaning of the material the...
. - creativity/improvisation—students perform patterns that are different from but related to patterns performed by the teacher.
- theoretical understanding—students consider why music is what it is and the common applications of music theory.
Tonal content learning sequence
- tonalities in one part
- changes in tonality or key in one part
- two or more tonalities or keys in two or more parts
- harmonic progression in two or more parts
Rhythm content learning sequence
- rhythm patterns in usual meters
- unusual meters in one part
- changes of meter or tempo in one part
- two or more parts in the same meter or tempo
- two or more parts in different meters or tempos
The Jump Right In series uses music learning theory.
Further reading
Gordon, E. (1984). Learning Sequences in Music: Skill, Content, and Patterns. Chicago: G.I.A. Publications.Gordon, E. (1971). The Psychology of Music Teaching. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice-Hall.