Early learning materials conceived to initiate tots into the making of music suffer from conflicting design aims and manage to put quite a few little fellows off from the outset.

It is often wrongly assumed that kids who don’t pursue music are simply not interested. Whereas in fact they may feel as if they hit a brick wall, unnoticed by their carers, because of a mismatch between what they hear as music and what gets shoved in front of them by the music teacher or assistant. They take one look at the map and don’t recognize the territory.

I checked out Montessori materials, hoping to find some more enlightened approaches but was disappointed. Sure, the Montessori philosophy stresses independent discovery rather than rigid learning, but the mapping of the content is still adult-centric. The major scale still rules – despite singer Rihanna’s earnest efforts to dislodge it – and those sharps and flats are still painted black.

Here’s me sounding off. Correct me if I’m wrong.

Follow me on Twitter @jazzpanflute