Music in the Church School

As Orthodox Christians, we know that music is an important part of ourworship services. Indeed, without the music of the Church, we would be without a means of worship. Music in the Church is not an ornamentation to the liturgical services, but is an essential element of the services, the medium by which the Church instructs her faithful. The early Church used psalms, hymns, and prayers as teaching tools, sung during processions and within the services themselves. Gradually, over the centuries, the understanding of this teaching quality of church music has been lost, so that today, we are faced with a limited understanding of the place of music in the Church.
We have then, a situation in which music, in theory, is an important teaching tool, but in actual practice, is seen as an ornamentation. What such a situation imparts to our children should be obvious. Rather than taking advantage of a readily available means of spiritual growth and education, children are often discouraged from active participation in the church services. The education received in church school is too often undermined, rather than reinforced, by the liturgical services. For example, when children are taught the Creed or the Lord's Prayer, it should be made clear to them their expected participation in the liturgy at those moments. Likewise, the troparia, kontakia, and any special hymns of feastdays or fast periods should be taught, together with the place and function of such hymns. Certain psalms - those used as communion hymns or antiphons, for example - could certainly be taught. The Church's teaching is clear - music is integral to its worship. From this, it should be obvious that teaching church music to our children is mandatory. As Christian educators, we must assume the responsibility given to us to make that teaching a reality by taking this music and transforming it into a living, active part of our liturgical lives, to become a part of our spiritual lives, as well.
This transformation must, of necessity, begin within the church school curriculum. All facets of church school instruction can be enriched by the inclusion of church music as a part of each lesson. By so doing, the instructor not only underscores whatever is being taught, but also maintains enthusiasm by taking advantage of children's natural inclination to sing. Children do not need to be able to read music in order to be taught hymns. In fact, to teach songs using aural (hearing-related) abilities rather than visual ones (such as note reading) allows a child to learn the fundamentals of music - the ability to recognize and reproduce sound - naturally. Think how much of our church music utilizes this aural ability, using a text sung to a specific, known melody, or tone.
As mentioned above, with any particular church school lesson, any pertinent troparia, kontakia, or special hymns can be taught, so that when children hear the hymns in church, they can be recognized and sung. Further, any Scripture readings for the particular lesson should be read and explained. It is plain that such instruction, especially in relation to a feastday, would make a lasting impression on the children. If this were done with Sundays and feastdays throughout the liturgical year, the children would be given a sound foundation for the Church's teachings.
To start with the troparion tones when teaching children is ideal because these simple melodies tend to fall quite easily in the children's vocal range. Thus, such instruction would in no way be frustrating for the children, nor damaging to their voices. The "Lord, I Call" melodies likewise lend themselves to children's vocal ranges, as do simple psalm melodies. With the knowledge of just a few melodies or tones, children can be taught any number of hymns. This instruction, coupled with reviews of appropriate Scripture lessons, enables the children to have a feel forthe liturgical cycles throughout the year.
It has been mentioned that in the instruction of much of our church music, the ability to read musical notation is not really necessary. A teacher can rely largely on the aural abilities of children to teach certain hymnsortonal melodies. This aural ability must not be underestimated. Children respond from infancy to nuances of tone, and if this responsiveness is encouraged and developed, especially with regards to church music, the result would be to have children who are easily able to become active participants in the liturgical services as they grow older. The vast amount of vocal nuances to which Orthodox faithful are exposed while in Church - the chanting of the Scripture, the repeated chant melodies, the hymns of the Divine Liturgy - provides the perfect catalyst for such aural instruction within the church school.
Since so much of our music is based on repeated melodic motifs (or fragments), a method of teaching children a troparion or "Lord, I Call" melody could be structured so that the children learn to recognize these melodic motifs, and some of the intervals which make up these motifs. By doing this, when teaching a new piece, any intervals or motifs with which the children are familiar can be seen as "easy parts," over which the teacher and children can skim. When teaching melodic fragments or motifs, children can sing a neutral syllable such as lah or loo. If specific intervals within a motif are to be taught, a useful method of identifying these intervals is to use the solfege syllables. These are the commonly known syllables Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, and Ti. There are various ways in which to use these syllables, some being more adaptable to Orthodox liturgical music than others. One of the methods which is quite adaptable is known as the "movable Do" system, in which Do is always the first note of the major scale, determined by the key of any particular piece. The moveable Do system of music instruction has gained in popularity in recent years, due largely to the research efforts of the Hungarian composer, Zoltan Kodaly. While space does not permit an in-depth study of moveable Do here, the music section of a local library should have some books on this subject, especially on Kodaly's studies. An interested choir director or church school teacher should look into these books.
Before a teacher or choir. director shies away from such instruction as being too complicated, a few points should be made. First, by no means does an entire song need to be sung using solfege or similar methods. They are simply an aid to teaching certain intervals or motifs. Secondly, no method of musical instruction can replace the necessary enthusiasm of the teacher when instructing children. The children must be able to see that the teacher believes in the importance of what is being taught. This enthusiasm will impart much more to the children than formal ininstruction, without the teacher's interest would. Thirdly, the teacher must avoid the trap of trying to teach too much. It is better that little is taught in the course of a school year, but taught well, than to teach a large amount that is quickly forgotten. Remember, the students will also be learning through their church's liturgical services and their prayer lives at home. What is being taught in church school should help to enhance, explain, and strengthen that learning.
As an aid to instruction, use any media materials at hand, such as tapes, transparencies, or films. Encourage the children to exercise their imaginations by using movements, pictures, and words to demonstrate what has been taught. The soundness of a child's Christian education depends upon its being capable of staying with the child as he or she grows older.
Of course, any instruction within a parish presupposes the existence of communication among the choir director, church school teachers, the parish priest, and the parents. Without proper support on all levels, any program of instruction is doomed to failure. The importance of musical instruction within the church school must be understood, so that an adequate amount of time can be assigned to such instruction. It must be stressed that this instruction is not "busy work," but an intrinsic part of a child's Christian education. Each parish has a special set of circumstances which will determine the day, hour, and length of time devoted to church school instruction, but within these circumstances, each parish must strive to achieve the best results that it can. Such efforts can only result in the improvement of our children's understanding of the Church, which is our ultimate goal as educators and parents.