Music Education in Latvia

Don and I visited a music publishing house/music store today and got to speak quite a bit with the owner.  She is very knowledgeable about music in Latvia, so we learned a lot.  One of the reasons behind Latvia's successful singing is that they hire a special music teacher for the students starting in preschool! While most of the preschool children in the US get to sing while they are at school, it is never done with a specialized music teacher.  After talking with her about the music education in the schools and looking at some of the music education books, I am afraid that the program here would put the music education program in the US to shame.

The children are taught to sing with folk songs a cappella so that they can get used to hearing voices sing on different pitches.  In that way, harmony is taught to the students when they are young.  By the time they are in 5th grade, they are singing songs with 3- to 4-part harmony.  They are also taught proper singing techniques, and the quality of their vocal sound is excellent.  I heard a 5th-9th grade girls' choir yesterday, and if I had closed my eyes, I would never have guessed them to be a young as they were.  Their sound was very mature and rich.  I was really impressed.

The students also spend a lot of time learning solfege (the do, re, mi system) and rhythm.  Because of that, they learn to sightread music very well.  They have many singing festivals in Latvia, and the children participate in those as well as participate in competitions in other countries.

While singing is still important today, the love of technology has definitely impeded some of the participation in music.  Kids are not as interested in music as they used to be since they have discovered all of the things they can do with technology.  So far the impact hasn't been too significant, but it may get worse in the years to come.

I am going to go back to the music store when I have time and purchase some of their music education materials.  I want to try and utilize some of their techniques in my classes.  I want to try and make the children's experience in music class a rich and rewarding one.