Why Strings?

I wondered, and I guess many other parents with children at Steiner schools do too, “Why do they have to learn a stringed instrument?”

The music teacher at the big girl's school is not able to recite, with any confidence, a purely anthroposophical argument in favour of the compulsory study of a stringed instrument, but she has one particular observation, as a teacher, that stands out for her as a true indictment of the value of string playing for the young child.

The violin, viola, cello and double bass differ from the guitar and piano, for instance, in the absence of fixed notes. The frets of the guitar establish the pitch of the notes along the string and if you play the right fret on the right string and the guitar is in tune it will be the right note. If it’s out of tune you pull out your electronic tuner and retune the string. No worries! With the piano the notes are also fixed. If a note is out of tune it’s not your fault. Now where’s the number of that piano tuner?

The stringed instruments that the children play have only four notes that are “fixed” – the four open strings. Melodies are played, like on the guitar, by pressing on the fingerboard at the right place on the string and since the violin has no frets this at first seems like guess work.

Sometimes to help the students find the notes teachers put stickers on the fingerboard where the notes in first position can be found. But strangely the stickers don’t help. It still sounds so out of tune.

So the act of putting the fingers down in almost the right place is not enough to play the violin or cello in tune. There is something else needed – something else besides a good technique – and here comes the miracle. At some point the young string player begins to adjust his or her fingers to make an out of tune note in tune – or much closer to it. In the course of playing a melody it is a momentary thing that is not dwelt upon, though it is a profound “YES” moment. Now they are a musician.

An inner faculty of hearing is being awakened that was not there before. The student is able to internalise the music, hear it within herself. This faculty is also awakened with singing, but there is no other instrument better equipped to awaken and develop the musical ear than a violin, a viola, cello or double bass.

I am, who are you?

Our big girl will turn nine in this year, and according to Steiner, a metamorphosis is occuring -

"as two streams now flow in opposing directions, the influences of heredity are lessening and the individuality found in each child is awakening. This is sometimes referred to as ‘the crossing’. A new awareness of self as separate from the all embracing world of nature makes the child begin to look at the world more objectively"

As she becomes more aware of her own inner world, she will become more introspective, but also more critical and judgmental of her relationships with others, including me (and him - her parents) and her teachers. Children of this age often become worried and insecure.

"Nine year old children will question those things that previously went unquestioned: “Who are you to tell me?”, “What is my real name?”, “Am I adopted?” They will push boundaries, venture forth fearlessly when you wish they wouldn't and shrivel up fearfully where once they were confident.
 
With the ninth year there comes an important stage in the development of the growing child, and this should be carefully watched and considered in teaching and education. It is the age when the child first really feels separate from the surroundings, which formerly were taken so much for granted. Self-consciousness becomes noticeably stronger and the soul‑life more inward and independent. All the child's powers of consciousness stir to life, and a wish to learn to know both teacher and world from a new angle.
 
This age makes great claims on the wisdom and tact of the teacher. The children need to be protected from a feeling of disappointment with themselves or the world, which they can so easily fall into at this age, especially in the presence of world‑weary or cynical adults."
 

At school she is learning about the Hebrew Myths: Creation to Cain, her teacher gave us this summary of the main lesson (which runs for three weeks...so finishes this week)

 

At this age the children are wanting to explore such questions as:

What is good and evil?

What does it mean to understand good and evil?

Where does evil come from?

The images in the Old Testament Stories are vivid, the action dramatic and the tone often authoritative which is what the 9 year old is seeking from the adults around them. God creates, gives commandments and 'punishes' those who disobey; This meets the sense of justice that children of this age are finding. The individuals mentioned in the stories are strong, decisive leaders of their people (men and women).

Rudolf Steiner described how the principle of imitation, which is still prevalent in the first two grades, gives way to a new element that becomes necessary for 8 and 9 year olds. The new element is the need for authority. No longer one with the environment, the class three children now experiences the world “outside” as being separate from the Self. The child at this age wants to make decisions but is only gradually developing the inner resources to do so.

The natural authority figures of mother and father are often questioned, The children need to experience wisdom that is connected with authority, which comes through the story content of the main lessons in the middle years. One might call this a need for guidance through recognising the voice of authority-guidance that develops the children’s own growing ability to discern truth from untruth, Encountering the guiding authority that permeates the Old Testament can ignite the inner process of finding the inner voice of authority, which can become the ultimate authority for life.

"and there was light"

In the car on the way home she tells me wonderful colourful stories about Lucifer and his evil ways and how there is light and dark and a particularly lovely story about the very first water lily. I must find out the title of the book her teacher is reading from (cause sure as hell it ain't the bible!)