Ukrainian game folklore in the life of a modern child

Author

Pylypchak Maria

a junior researcher at the “Archival Scientific Funds of Manuscripts and Phonographies” of the M. Rylskyi Institute of Art studies, Folkloristics and Ethnology of the NAS of Ukraine.

Ukrainian game folklore in the life of a modern child

Abstract

The study, recording and use of children’s playing folklore in the present day preschool institutions are defined as a subject of proposed research. Nowadays Ukrainian heritage is used more often in cultural and educational programmes for children teaching. This tendency exists in the developed countries of the world for a long time already. Carl Orff, Kodály Zoltán, Filaret Kolessa and their followers should be mentioned as the pioneers in this field. At the beginning of the century new methods and numerous textbooks on teaching youth through the game have been created. Still one should speak with children in their own language. We’d like not only to mention, but also to study the way musical sensibility can influence the other aptitudes of a person, their behaviour in the society as well as the creative potential, and how it stimulates interest for artistic vision.

In modern world, where the rules of globalization influence culture too, a potent turn to superficial and highly unsophisticated tastes has been happened. Consequently, quite another requirements come into being, namely entertaining industry of leisure, the aesthetic substitution of a genuine thing with a low-grade one. We should understand the ways these processes influence the aesthetic and artistic value criteria of art itself. Besides this important sphere which pre-determines the choice of ethnographical song material for the young generation repertory, the authoress suggests the ways of solving numerous professional practical tasks in teaching music.

Practical classes with the children folklore ensemble ‘Tsviten’ (affiliated with Hryhoriy Veriovka National Folk Choir of Ukraine) have been held for 34 years and comprise the base of the study. The experience of other leading experts in teaching has been adapted for the learning process of children aged from 3 to 12. Learning rhythm, diction, melodic hearing and musical memory of little children is described in detail in the article. Also a number of lessons included into Maria Pylypchak anthology of children’s playing folklore titled ‘Hrailyk’ (Kyiv, 2018) is presented. The lessons consist of three development areas: rhythm, singing and musical memory improving. That is why they can be used as a pattern while working with both young learners and teens. The article provides pieces of national traditional folklore to be studied and passed on as well as the information on key ethnopedagogical concepts.

A great deal of attention is paid to the genres of the children folklore along with their developing capacities, as well as to the ways of teaching them to children. There is a large amount of practical material on using musical folklore for educational purposes. There is also the information on Ukrainian folklore symbols, popular toys and games which underlie Ukrainian ceremonial calendar alongside the texts of ritual songs. Over and above the folk heritage, one must consider which author’s music should take the leading part in children’s musical space. The choice of melodics is especially important for intonational and thematical spheres as well as each epoch has its own intonational vocabulary for the choice of transmission means. The authoress suggests the article to preschool and school educators, primary school teachers and professional musicians who can play music with children confidently.

Keywords

children’s playing folklore, upbringing, ethnocultural education.

References

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