Invented notations and mediated memory: a case-study of two children's use of invented notations

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Abstract

Memory may be viewed as a defining indicator of early cognitive development with the study of mediated memory and natural memory providing another perspective on the nature of children's cognitive development. Invented notations may be viewed as a form of mediated memory, providing another view of children's musical cognition. In this case study, the examination of two young children's invented notations of a range of musical events (received song, original song and original instrumental compositions) and the ways these notations function as a means to encode, store, and crucially, retrieve musical meaning suggests that notations that employ abstract symbols to record a musical event are more effective as agents of mediated memory than iconic/pictorial symbols. Drawing on the field of socio-cultural psychology, I suggest that these children's semiotic activity and use of mediated memory in music is evidence of a developing control of the signs and tools of music.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)55-62
Number of pages8
JournalBulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education
Issue number153/154
Publication statusPublished - 2002
Externally publishedYes

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