Representation of Music in

Childrens Drawings
Clare Na
Children Musical Development
Mini-Study
May 01, 2013
Introduction
Can music affect in 4-5 years old childrens drawings.
To see if music can affect children in their drawings
Can children reflect music on their drawings

Find out how childrens representations with music and
without music.
How children understood music by asking children to draw the
music.
Method
Subjects:
Children age 4-5
Individual (Ein and Matt)
Groups (3 boys and Mixed group of 16 children)
Procedure:
Stage I
Aprox 10 min of free-drawing
Stage II
Aprox 8 min of free-drawing with background music
Stage III
Aprox 4 using the background music from stage II, ask children to
represent music
Music: Vivaldi Violin Concerto in G minor (Summer) 3
rd
movement,
Presto

Main Questions
Stage I and Stage II:
(a) the difference of drawings with music and without music
(b) how is music effecting childrens drawing?
(c) how are children reflecting music on their drawings.
Stage III:
(a) what is childrens representations of music and their musical
notation when they are listening to music;
(b) how do children notate music;
(c) and how are childrens understanding and thinking shown in
their musical presentations.


Assumptions
Stage I
Feeling, thoughts, family picture
Stage II
Change of speed in drawing
Wider use of paper
More side drawings
Stage III
Use of more colors
Inventing their own notation:
Symbols/Numbers/Shapes/Lines/Dots
Varied drawing techniques such as use of altered length of lines and
shapes to express their musical thinking and understanding

Ein Jung (Female, 4 years old)
Stage I
Ein Stage II
Ein Stage III
Matt (Male, 5 years old)
Stage I
Matt Stage II

Matt Stage III
Ein & Matt
Result (Ein &Matt)
Stage I
One dominant subject in their drawing
Ein: Bear Matt: Train
Stage II
More objects appeared in their drawing
They both used more colors
Their drawing speed got faster
Stage III
Matt: used western traditional notation
Ein: thought Vivaldi Summer was masculine music
3 Boys (group, 5 year olds)
Result (3 Boys)
Stage I
Stage II
Stage III

Copying/idea exchange
Adapting
Social/Peer influence