Introduction to my blog

Welcome to my blog! I look forward to sharing information, ideas and discussions about music education and music education research with you. The focus will be primarily on early childhood music education but will also include blogs applicable to children from birth to 12 years of age, as well as some just focusing on primary-aged children.

Who is the blog for?

  • parents who want to learn about what children actually get out of ‘doing music’, how it benefits them
  • parents who want to find out about making music with their child at home
  • people who are interested in what we do at Music Explorers and why we do it
  • early childhood educators who would like to discover ideas and tips about implementing music in early childhood education and care services
  • people with an interest in music education research

Really, it’s for anyone with a curiosity about music education!

I plan for it to be accessible, and mostly not written in an academic style but sometimes communicating complex ideas or elements in a way that’s straight forward. If something is going to be a bit more academic, I’ll put a warning on it…

If you ever have questions about something I’ve written, don’t hesitate to email me, send a text message or contact me via Facebook. I’ll welcome your comments and they will help me learn more about what you want to know.

Happy musicking!

Allison Cameron

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    Frequently Asked Question

    Yes. For preschool-aged children, I have a wide range of quality tuned percussion (xylophones, metallophones and glockenspiels) and untuned percussion (e.g. hand drums, triangles, egg shakers, woodblocks) that are used in classes every week.

    From toddler classes on, I also provide opportunities for children to ‘meet’ a wide range of musical instruments (e.g. trumpet, clarinet, violin, guitar). School-age children in Instrument Explorers play the full range of instruments in the collection.

    Yes, you can do a trial class for all the Music Explorers classes. If a friend who already attends Music Explorers refers you, you pay the lower “Friends rate” for the trial class. As a thank you, your friend will also receive a discount off the fee for their next term.

    You can attend casually for all classes except Instrument Explorers, providing there is a place in the class you’d like to attend. Please phone, text or email Allison prior to the class, to confirm there is a place available.

    Yes, you can. Some younger children will be happy to sit on your lap and if you wish, you can also bring something for them to do.

    It’s common where an older child is enrolled in the Music Explorers Preschool class for a toddler to want to participate in the class. In this case, the Mini-Music Explorers Toddler fee, less sibling discount, is charged for the younger child.

    Yes. A 5% sibling discount applies to term fees for the second and subsequent child in a family, concurrently enrolled in Music Explorers. Note that the discount is applied to the lower fee or fees.

    Yes! Every child is welcomed and valued at Music Explorers. Allison aims to create a warm, inclusive, friendly and respectful learning environment where each child can reach their full potential.

    Yes, the Instrument Explorers class is suitable for children from Kindergarten to Year 4 and addresses music outcomes in the Australian Curriculum.

    Research

    Allison’s primary area of research interest is how participating in playful music education in the early childhood years affects children’s language and behavioural development.

    Other areas of research interest are:

    • How children engage in music and develop their musical skills and knowledge
    • Early childhood educators’ pre-service training and professional development in the arts
    • Development of self-regulation
    • The effects of growing up in socio-economic disadvantage.

    PhD thesis – Making Music Speak

    Allison completed her PhD at the University of Wollongong (UOW) in 2021, titled Making music speak: The role of the “Tuning In” program in the development of preschool children’s oral language skills, under the guidance of supervisors Honorary Associate Professor Rose Dixon, Dr Jane Warren, and Honorary Associate Professor Irina Verenikina.

    A description of the thesis is provided below. A digital copy of Allison’s thesis can be downloaded here.

    The Making music speak study investigated the effects of the Tuning In music program (TI) upon the language skills of four and five-year-old children using mixed methods approach. (TI was the music education program of Shoalhaven Youth Orchestra, which ran in the Shoalhaven region from 2014-2020.) The study comprised a quantitative quasi-experiment and a qualitative multiple case study.

    Forty-five children, attending four early childhood education and care centres and educators at two of the centres participated in the study. Child participants at two centres received a 30-minute TI class weekly over a five-month period (TI group), while child participants at the remaining two centres received the music programming provided by educators at those centres (the comparison group).

    Children who participated in TI music sessions were found to show a statistically significant improvement in an aspect of phonological awareness called Sound Matching (p>.05), as well as improvements in phonological memory abilities, when compared to the comparison group. These results were supported by qualitative results that demonstrated that the TI group engaged strongly in the music sessions, and showed increased motivation to speak. This was particularly evident in children with language disorders. Overall, the quality and quantity of the speech amongst TI children improved. A key factor that appeared to contribute to children’s engagement and desire to communicate was the warm and responsive relationships formed between the TI teacher and the children. This highlighted the important role that social relationships play an important role in supporting children’s learning.

    Several music-specific “active ingredients” were identified, which included providing a range of music experiences to help develop beat and rhythm skills. Additionally, providing children with choice to participate in different ways was found to lead to increased participation over the course of the intervention.

    Allison’s study provided a valuable contribution to literature on how music could be used in early childhood education settings to support children’s language development, which is an emerging area of research. In particular, music may be useful for children with language delays or disorders and could be used in early childhood settings to complement traditional therapies to support young children’s speech development.

    Allison has presented her research at a number of Australian and international conferences. These include the International Society for Early Intervention conference, Early Start (UOW) conference, Early Childhood Australia national conference, ACT Australian Literacy Educators’ Association, and Australian Society for Music Education conference. Allison will also present at the Australasian Journal of Early Childhood Research Symposium in early 2023.

    Publications

    Cameron, A. (2022, March 12). Music making at home to support children’s development. Play + Learn Together. https://www.playandlearntogether.com.au/play-blog/home-music-making

    Cameron, A. (2021). Making Music Speak: The Role of the “Tuning In” Music Program in Developing Preschool Children’s Oral Language Skills. [Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of Education, University of Wollongong]. https://ro.uow.edu.au/theses1/1463

     Cameron, A., Gibbs, L., & Grimmond, J. (2022). Play + Learn Together Literature Review, Play + Learn Together. https://www.playandlearntogether.com.au

    Cameron, A., Burns, P., Garner, A., Lau, S., Dixon, R., Pascoe, C., & Szafraniec, M. (2019). Making sense of multi-sensory environments: A scoping review. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2019.1634247

    Mayerson, D., Dixon, R. Lau, S., Garner, A., Burns, P., Cameron, A., Pascoe, C.& Szafraniec, M. (2019). “She would really like that”: Identifying community needs in a multisensory environment. Progress in Community Health and Partnerships: Research, Education & Action, 13 (1),39-49.

    Other research projects

    Allison has also worked as a research assistant on a number of research projects at UOW, including:

    Lead My Learning 2016 (Lead Investigator, Professor Valerie Harwood)  http://www.leadmylearning.com.au/about/

    SMILE project 2016-2018 (Lead Investigator Associate Professor Rose Dixon) https://www.uow.edu.au/engage/cegs/project-showcase/sensory-room/about/

    RevITAlise (RITA) project 2021-2022 (Lead Investigator, Dr Gai Lindsay).

    Consultancy

    Music Explorers can provide a range of tailored music education consultancy services for early childhood education and care (ECEC) services. Allison is passionate about sharing knowledge to assist educators and services so they feel confident to provide quality music programs for babies, toddlers and young children.

    What can Allison help educators learn?

    • Music content knowledge needed for teaching young children
    • Developmentally appropriate music pedagogy approaches
    • Goals for children’s learning and development
    • Theories informing early childhood music pedagogy
    • Planning, implementing and reflecting on music practices
    • Creating a holistic music program
    • Music and the EYLF
    • Practical skills to develop confidence and self-efficacy in leading music
    • What research evidence tells us about the benefits for young children of participating in music

    Allison can provide a range of services, tailored to your needs, including:

    • Professional development workshops
    • Mentoring and ongoing periodic support
    • Advice on building a collection of music resources and musical instruments

    Allison presented on early childhood music pedagogy and research in various contexts, including:

    • University of Wollongong (UOW) Early Start Webinar
    • Early Childhood Australia National Conference
    • International Society on Early Intervention Conference
    • Early Childhood Intervention Australia (now Reimagine Australia) NSW Conference
    • Australian Society for Music Education Conference
    • UOW Early Start Conference
    • Paint the Town REaD Conference

    Please get in touch to discuss how Allison can assist with professional development to meet your service’s needs.

    You can read Allison’s blog on music-making in the home, published on the Play & Learn Together website.