lumen
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response 66 of 97:
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Feb 4 04:50 UTC 2000 |
Jonathan Pratt
February 1, 2000
Instrumental Music Methods
MUSIC EDUCATION FOR THE MASSES:
My philosophy of music education
I'm really a philosopher at the core-I spend hours thinking of
possibilities on any given idea. A love of learning, and of education,
has grown out of that. My next passions are experiencing music and
teaching children, so my philosophy of music education is a very strong
one. I believe it should be for everyone, and the mission of developing
appreciation for the musical arts must be at its core. From my
observations, that is not what music educators have been doing, however.
Charles Leonhard (1999) articulated many of the frustrations I have been
feeling ever since I began formal music studies. His article appeared
under the "Grand Masters Series" section of the November 1999 MEJ. He
has been a distinguished teacher, lecturer, and author in music
education for more than six decades, and he relates what he has seen in
the past for music education to suggestions and ideas he has for its
future. He implies that music educators have failed to keep music an
integral part of the education of all children, and that many are behind
the times in teaching how much it has grown and changed.
"In my experience," he writes, "many music educators have been unable to
adjust to a changing social structure, the revolution in communication,
and contemporary developments in music itself." The result has been
what he calls the "elitist virus," or an attitude that leads conductors
to concentrate too heavily on difficult music or music contests, and
many students are trained primarily in folk and art music of the western
European tradition, or "pale imitations thereof." He also explains that
like many other subjects of art, music education has divided itself into
specialized branches that have grown to compete against each other and
virtually destroy any sense of unity of purpose or cooperation.
He gives many detailed suggestions to improve music education programs,
but the crux of his argument is to add or more strongly emphasize areas
that have been neglected or overlooked. He suggests study in an art
subject other than music is helpful, and urges emphasis of aesthetics,
art criticism, and history of music. He adds that students should be
provided with a broad learning experience that goes beyond the scope of
traditional music and includes styles of other ethnic groups,
contemporary art music, and contemporary popular music. Finally, he
emphasizes the importance of educational technology in instruction and
assessment of achievement. I was deeply impressed by this article
because the author articulated frustrations that I had with my music
education for years, and validated what I intend to do in my teaching.
Hopefully, my colleagues will follow suit.
What he calls the "elitist virus" is something that I have
observed myself and believe to be a terrible problem, even the root
cause of our failure to keep music education in the schools. I think a
lot of kids believe they can't relate to what the schools call music
because too many teachers insist on clinging to tradition. I have also
seen some music educators regard what their students listen to as
invalid. I have heard some dismiss music on MTV and the commercial
scene in general as music that is merely about sex (sorry, Mr. Gookin).
In my honest and humble opinion, much of music has had that persuasion
in mind, including that of the Western European tradition. I have also
sensed that some consider popular music to be rather worthless.
I watch MTV and VH1 quite a bit to stay informed of current
events in popular music, and I do believe that children and adolescents
are exposed to a variety of music through these cable stations, as well
as CDs and the Internet. I consider it to be my other source of music
education. I agree with Leonhard that "they are responding naturally to
its expressive effect, thinking about it, talking about it, serving as
critics of it, making choice about it, and using it to enrich their
lives." It is a shame that this is not adequately addressed in school.
Supposedly, the Information Age is bringing much of the world
closer together than ever before. Music composers are experimenting in
many new elements they have discovered thanks to these communication
breakthroughs. Many music educators do not seem to be adequately
presenting how technology has brought music of the world together,
however, nor how it has impacted the creative process of making music in
general.
I also believe music teachers can no longer neglect the idea of
interdisciplinary studies. Even if music programs cannot be structured
to work jointly with other subjects and the teachers that teach them,
educators should provide students with the tools they need to discover
how they do relate to each other, and they should seek assistance from
these other teachers. With the trends of this Information Age pushing
ideas forward, we must realize that these connections are more
imperative to our student's survival in life. One excellent project I
have seen that has brought a community together was the Kamiakin
High/Kennewick High school production of Fiddler on the Roof in
Kennewick, Washington. The instrumental, choral, and theater arts
programs came together for a magnificent show the community has long
since remembered. The Jewish people of the community were also
consulted for cultural practices, and historical research was done and
put up on signs that decorated the entrance, educating the people about
Sephardic Jews like the ones in the story.
Furthermore, we cannot underestimate the power of networking
that has come about with the exchange of information, especially through
the Internet. I believe burnout is a frequently discussed subject
because many teachers have not learned how to use resources that are
available to them. Multimedia, of course, is one. I already implied
that teachers should become knowledgeable about popular music through
MTV, VH1, and CDs (and, I should add, contemporary music periodicals);
it is only fair to use the same kinds of resources to teach traditional
music, PBS being one of them. The Internet is also a fabulous resource
for information, free and commercial sheet music, instruments, and so
on.
Teachers must also turn to their communities for classroom
resources, and for service. Loyalty and help can be built if teachers
show how music can enrich people's lives by giving to their communities.
As I pointed out with the Fiddler production, this can result in
excellent partnerships. Leonhard suggests that they might receive
instruction in the school's electronic piano laboratory, or that they
might be invited to participate in school performing groups if they
played an instrument or sang when they were younger. Independent music
teachers may also be in the community, and they can provide a lot of
help to struggling directors.
I also have sadly observed as Leonhard has that music educators
have grown specialized to the point of competition. I remember a bitter
rivalry between the band director and the choir director of my high
school. What didn't help was that the choir director had been
recruiting me ever since middle school. He had wanted me to be a part
of an extracurricular group then, but never at that time nor in high
school could I take choir and band simultaneously. When I began my
studies at Central, I was a Choral Education minor. When I met up with
him during a contest we were hosting, he said he was glad I was studying
"the true musical art" or something to that effect. I had to abuse him
of that notion; in fact, I later changed the minor to a Broad Area
(choral and instrumental) music education major.
It is also very sad that instruction in synthesizer and guitar
is rarely made available in the schools. If teachers should give
contemporary music equal ground with traditional music, then these
instruments, which are a staple of said contemporary music, should be
given more attention. I myself am a great enthusiast of these
instruments, but I find myself studying them outside the scope of my
main coursework. It is very frustrating, too, as I fancy myself
primarily a classicist in my guitar studies and wonder why even chamber
guitar studies are not promoted.
I have also noted that some authors of music education articles
have pointed out that performance is too overemphasized. While I agree
that our culture has shifted from a performing culture by necessity to
primarily a listening one thanks to communications technology, I will
agree with Leonhard that performance must be key. The secret is
properly addressing listening, improvisation, and composing in addition
to performing, in a balanced amount, to promote musical literacy.
I must point out that as I stressed earlier, the musical tastes
of the students must be considered. If it is possible to teach the same
musical concepts with contemporary music the students prefer, then so be
it. I understand that it is important to teach the traditional Western
European music because it is considered foundational, but it is at heart
only a very refined tradition of just one culture. I think the
aforementioned skills of performance, listening, improvisation, and
composition will run much more smoothly if a variety of styles are
considered.
It is possible that students may not fully appreciate the
masters until much later in life. I think it is for a simple reason so
many educators have forgotten: a composer writes music to express her
emotions about her inner self and the world about her. That very thing
will vary widely depending on world history, the age of the composer
when the piece was written (for psychological perspective will change
with growth and experience), economics, social purpose of the music,
socioeconomic status of the composer, mental health or regular mood of
the composer, and other social factors. I have discussed this point
with friends, including Sidney Nesselroad of the CWU voice section of
the Music Department. He seems to believe that music serves such a wide
variety of purposes that it is only logical that it should enjoy the
diversity of expression that it does.
I am therefore suggesting that some music be presented to
students written by composers who were experiencing similar lives that
they now live. I think that this will ease some of the performance
anxiety some students feel, for I know many people of all ages sing and
dance to music, often when they think no one is looking. I honestly
believe that students should feel free to perform without fear of
failure, and I think music they are most familiar with and comfortable
with may help ease the process. I think the "elitist virus" has caused
a lot of these students to abandon music education and an opportunity to
perform. When I was a student at Whitman College in Walla Walla,
Washington, I sometimes went to a little coffee house called Pangea that
held a drum jam session every so often. People were free to bring their
own drums, or use what was provided, and play to their heart's content.
It is a shame when we shower our babies with musical toys and singing
but do things that encourage them to give up performance later in life.
Leonhard also suggests in the article that beginning
instrumental instruction should be provided all through the middle and
high school grades to reclaim students "who have been passed over." I
would add that would be an excellent opportunity for students to take a
second look at instrumental music. I've heard a story or two from
people who said they loved band but hated their middle school/jr. high
school director. In fact, I was able to gain the respect of one such
person who had a bad middle school experience.
Improvisation keeps a jazz program strong, as Leonhard writes,
and it's necessary education for every jazz student. I believe,
however, that it would be an excellent tool for the classical student.
Baroque and Classical era composers such as Bach, Beethoven, and Mozart
were proficient in improvisation. While I do not propose overthrowing
current pedagogical practices, or condemning practices of 19th and 20th
century composers, I do suggest that improvisational study would be
useful for those involved in classical work. I believe it would help
strengthen compositional skills and even help prepare such students for
jazz improvisation, when their perspective has been more formally
shaped. I think it may in turn help chamber musicians to better
appreciate jazz music. I remember CWU Director of Orchestras Paul Cobbs
exclaim to one of my theory classes, "Mozart would have loved jazz
music."
Since Mozart was noted to not be above listening to music of the
common people (he loved to listen to guitarists in taverns), I should
point out that composers would be a great asset in meeting the
aforementioned challenges I have made. Many composers, like their other
art creator counterparts, are looking for new ideas and often do embrace
the variety of music I have described. They can be a great resource to
help educators teach musical principles, and they can remind students
that it is not necessary to be dead to have your music recognized. In
fact, I believe composers and performers alike should be allowed to
visit classrooms to provide role models to students alike. They should
have opportunity to visit even if the educator is a prolific performer
and composer.
I am a strong advocate of general music studies, perhaps because
of my experience in music education. My first elementary music teacher
was a bit wild and free-- and that was the good part. He was able to
show me the vivacity of music that precious few have ever done. The
rest of my formal education was difficult-- there was the elitist piano
instructor, the neurotic and morally superior band directors, and the
theory teacher who thought I wasn't going to make it. They
unfortunately comprised the majority of my teachers.
The rest of my inspiration came from my parents, especially at
the time I dropped out of music when my theory teacher said I wouldn't
cut it at Central. They had encouraged me to sing and encouraged my
piano practice that gently woke them up in the morning when I was young.
They loved my trumpet playing and would cheer me up when I was
discouraged and frustrated being the only tuba player in the high school
band. My father played folk guitar and my mother had been a church
organist. My father played during the evening and would sing us
children to sleep. My mother played at various times during church. So
at that time, I found myself alone, but I was either in the warm company
of a church organ, practicing for church and learning how to play, or my
father's guitar. Later, I was given an old guitar of my mother's. It
was especially comforting to me since my father had gotten so ill with a
spinal disease that it silenced his playing forever after that. He had
composed a melody and a guitar accompaniment to an old children's rhyme
that I quickly picked up, and I vowed someday I would record it for
others to hear. I kept playing and started studying with my first
teacher when I came to Central in group classes. When my mother's
guitar broke, I bought my first full-sized classical guitar and started
immersing myself all the more in private classical study, eventually
with lessons. I am in the chamber ensemble for the first time and
loving it.
So I credit my elementary teacher with my professional attitudes
and outlook on teaching, but I credit my parents for my love of music.
They took care-- and they still do-- to instill it, and it saved me from
a period of doubt. I therefore believe that parents must be a part of
music education. Most scholarly research actually suggests that a
musical environment in the home will merely foster musical literacy, but
I think it may indirectly affect appreciation. The rest is up to us,
the educators.
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lumen
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response 72 of 97:
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Feb 8 05:09 UTC 2000 |
Right. CWU music majors have to learn key instruments in both the band
*and* string ensembles, which is quite a few, but most usually go
towards the direction of their principal instrument.
Playing at football games and pep rallies may be an annoyance for some
instrumentalists, but it keeps support for the program strong. Without
these functions, some programs would cease to exist; many administrators
have been coaches and many high school districts support sports more
than the arts due to their public appeal and public support. Let's face
it-- more people are going to school sports games than they are music
functions.
Many a high school band director bristles at the idea the main politick
is sports; but then I think many ex-coaches who become administrators
get along much better with a wider range of students than band or even
choral directors do.
Despite this fact, there are creative solutions. When I was in high
school, a few of the band students put together a rock band along with
a non-member guitarist (typical, most guitarists are disinterested as
few districts have guitar programs). When we had a concert band
performance that conflicted with a pep band duty, our director let the
rock group handle it.
The reason why band directors require students to be a member of the
concert band in addition to other groups is one of balance. The concert
band MUST be the main focus, or the rest of the program goes out of
whack and the director usually winds up burnt out and in another career.
Think of it like this: the concert band serves as common ground for the
other groups, and generally holds the content that strengthens all the
rest. Concert band is the meat and potatoes. The other groups are
other courses of the meal.
Hey, I didn't like it, either. I didn't study jazz in grade school, and
I didn't study much in college. It's unfortunate that jazz is so
competitive-- I doubt I could pick up much of it now. However, I
managed to do a mixture of things: I *did* study Spanish, and plenty of
other electives. I did wind ensemble and symphony orchestra, and I
switched my focus to vocal studies once I got to Central. Even a
student who doesn't pursue studies past high school can still be in the
choir in college.
Spanish will also become indispensable in my classical guitar studies.
As for other languages, I'm learning them a bit in my vocal studies.
Hey, vocalists learn their foreign languages about as well as most of
the high school students I've seen-- just enough to get the job done,
really.
By the way, not *all* school districts split music into band and
orchestra. A few do have a general music course: think parts music
appreciation, piano lab, etc. I understand most don't, however, and
this is because of lack of money, lack of public interest (believe it or
not, band and orchestra get the most support, maybe for traditional
reasons), and/or lack of teachers.
The biggest thing that will need to happen, of course, is for schools to
realize that a diversity of music needs to be taught. Bands and
orchestras will lose the 'elitist virus' and the tired out focus on the
Western European style alone, and may either incorporate a few
nontraditional instruments (remember Mr. Holland's Opus?), or establish
other resources through a general music teacher.
Go read my paper again =)
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