THE MUSIC LEARNING THEORY OF GORDON IN ITALY

> AIGAM - Summary description of activities

The Music Learning Theory is a theory conceived by Edwin E. Gordon (South Carolina University, USA) based on almost 50 years of research and observations. It describes how children from birth learn music and is based on the assumption that music can be learned according to processes similar to those of language acquisition. At the same time as musical aptitude and Audiation studies were developed (constituting the theoretical foundation of MLT) a methodology was, applying its principles, giving rise to several fundamental innovations in the field of musical education.
The Music Learning Theory is taught and divulged in Italy by the sole association authorized to do so, AIGAM, "Associazione Italiana Gordon per l'Apprendimento Musicale" (Italian Gordon Association for Music Learning). The association's teacher members run the following courses in Italy: "Musicainfasce®" (0 - 36 months) , "Sviluppo della musicalità®" (3 - 5 years) and "Alfabeto della musica®" (6 - 9 years).
AIGAM runs formal Gordon training courses in Italy, authorized by the Ministry of Public Education for music teachers, nursery, pre-school and primary school teachers. Additionally, the Association diffuses the Music Learning Theory through pubblications with the "Edizioni Curci di Milano" and collaboration with universities and conservatoires as well as with major Italian musical institutions such as the "Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia" and the "Accademia delle Arti e dei Mestieri dello Spettacolo Teatro alla Scala di Milano".

The principle aim of the Music Learning Theory of Gordon is to encourage the development of a child's music aptitude according to his/her potential, modality and, above all, pace. The main skill encouraged by didactics based on the MLT is Audiation that Gordon defines "the ability to hear and comprehend in ones mind music not physically present". Audiation, a real "musical thought", is indispensable for understanding musical syntax, for creating and listening, for being able to read music well and for improvising. MLT does not aim, at all costs, to bring up a child who is a musical "genius" or a professional musician but, on the contrary, a person who is able to comprehend musical syntax and express themselves musically with the voice or an instrument.

Audiation is developed from birth in an environment rich in musical experiences of a certain quality. The approach favoured by the MLT for encouraging Audiation development is that of informal guidance during the early years. The musically competent adult informally guides the child in musical learning, by being a direct example, through play and movement. The concept of "informal guidance" reminds us of Montessori's "indirect education" and Vygotsky's "zone of proximal development".
The adult comunicates with the child through melodic songs and rythm chants without words and tonal and rythm patterns, listening to the child's spontaneous musical responses, mirrroring them and putting them into context within musical syntax. The child's free, perceptive and heuristic movement is encouraged and mirrored by the teacher's direct example. Recent discoveries in the field of neuroscience with regard to mirror neurons (Rizzolatti 1995) confirm Gordon's intuition with regard to the value of putting musical competences into use without explicitly teaching them.

There are 70 AIGAM Associate Teachers working in 30 cities all over Italy. They run the following courses: "Musicainfasce®"; "Sviluppo della musicalità" and "Alfabeto della musica®" in nurseries, pre-schools, primary schools, music schools and children's centres. According to a census carried out by the association there are about 4000 on the courses.