s ▁music ▁learning ▁theory ▁ ▁Ed win ▁Gordon ' s ▁music ▁learning ▁theory ▁is ▁based ▁on ▁an ▁extensive ▁body ▁of ▁research ▁and ▁field ▁testing ▁by ▁Ed win ▁E . ▁Gordon ▁and ▁others ▁in ▁the ▁larger ▁field ▁of ▁music ▁learning ▁theory . ▁It ▁provides ▁music ▁teachers ▁with ▁a ▁compreh ensive ▁framework ▁for ▁teaching ▁mus icians hip ▁through ▁audi ation , ▁Gordon ' s ▁term ▁for ▁hearing ▁music ▁in ▁the ▁mind ▁with ▁understanding ▁and ▁compreh ension ▁when ▁the ▁sound ▁is ▁not ▁phys ically ▁present . ▁The ▁sequence ▁of ▁instructions ▁is ▁disc rim ination ▁learning ▁and ▁inference ▁learning . ▁Disc rim ination ▁Learning , ▁the ▁ability ▁to ▁determine ▁whether ▁two ▁elements ▁are ▁the ▁same ▁or ▁not ▁the ▁same ▁using ▁a ural / oral , ▁ver bal ▁association , ▁partial ▁synth esis , ▁symbol ic ▁association , ▁and ▁composite ▁synth esis . ▁With ▁inference ▁learning , ▁students ▁take ▁an ▁active ▁role ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁education ▁and ▁learn ▁to ▁identify , ▁create , ▁and ▁improv ise ▁un famil iar ▁patterns . ▁The ▁skills ▁and ▁content ▁sequences ▁within ▁the ▁audi ation ▁theory ▁help ▁music ▁teachers ▁establish ▁sequ ential ▁curr icular ▁object ives ▁in ▁accord ▁with ▁their ▁own ▁teaching ▁styles ▁and ▁belief s . ▁There ▁also ▁is ▁a ▁learning ▁theory ▁for ▁new born s ▁and ▁young ▁children ▁in ▁which ▁the ▁types ▁and ▁stages ▁of ▁prepar atory ▁audi ation ▁are ▁out lined . ▁ ▁World ▁music ▁ped ag ogy ▁The ▁growth ▁of ▁cultural ▁divers ity ▁within ▁school - age ▁populations ▁prompt ed ▁music ▁educ ators ▁from ▁the ▁ 1 9 6