The Experience of Tonic and Dominant can be Defined Melodically at a Very Early Stage of Musical Development, as it is innate to our hearing essence. FIRST: Teach how to hear the cadences of the major scale; not to read. Teach WITHOUT words; how to hear. Sing. Solfège.
SONGS. They need to Encounter the Beauty and Aesthetic of their Individual Voices within a Community of Sounds and a Heritage of REPERTOIRE. This can all be accomplished at a VERY Early Age. There is no place for egocentric “clever” curricula that reinvents the wheel. There is wisdom and truth in the tradition of the pedagogy contained in our shared historical precedence. “Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler.” GIVE them the Opportunity for the ART-FORM to be their teacher.