Are Students Learning Music in Band?
The Elephant in the Room
Music Education at the Tipping Point
These articles will give us a base for our discussions as we begin the semester. I'll ask each of you to write a brief reflection on each reading (no more than 1 page, double spaced), to be submitted via email. Please use the following guidelines for your reflection:
Reflecting on Teaching and Learning
Think about the assigned reading you just completed and ask yourself the following questions. Please limit your response to no more than a single page of double spaced typing.
• What was the author writing about? What was her or his main point or argument? How did the author support her or his assertions?
• Did you agree or disagree with the author? Why?
• How did your personal experience as a musician and/or a teacher influence how you think about this reading?
• How will you use the ideas in this reading as you continue to learn more about teaching, and how could you apply these ideas to your future practice as a music educator?
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ReplyDeleteJohn Dillingham
ReplyDeleteMusic Education at the Tipping Point. -John Kratus
The article was about how times are changing and that the way music education is to be taught needs to change to fix the decline of interest and funding of music education. By integrating Malcom Gladwell’s theoretical book, The Tipping Point, Kratus saw the decline in music education has possibly reached a tipping point.
I agree that music in schools is changing. Funding for the arts is decreasing and general interest also has been declining. Changing the way teachers teach music is essential for music education to survive. I do like the ideas of making the music more relatable to the students and giving them more independence, but I don’t think that the large ensemble should be replaced by only smaller groups. Eliminating the large ensemble might not have been a strong point in the article, but when I read the article, I got the feeling that the ensemble is no longer what music education should be about. Our culture is becoming more independent based, but I see that as a problem. As students mature and grow into the adult world, it is necessary to have people skills and to know how to act in a large groups. Having been in ensembles most of my life, I have felt that they have been quite beneficial to me not just as a musician, but as a person as well.
I hope that when I get to teach in front of my classroom, I will be able to keep my students interested and excited about music. I have always thought that my main goal will be to teach my students to at least have an appreciation for music. They may not want it to be their careers, but they should see the significance that music brings to the world.
John Dillingham
ReplyDeleteThe Elephant in the Room-David A. Williams
This article is about how schools use the larger ensemble, as their main focus in musical outlets for students and that it is outdated. He says how new ideas are generally not even tried because music education is synonymous with large ensembles. He states that, “It is essential that we offer interesting, relevant, and meaningful musical experiences for all students that also allow them to develop lifelong musical skills.” Suggestions for change are in making music into smaller class size, have the learning be more student-centered, give the students more choice and letting them be more creative, reducing the significance of public performance, expanding the instrument repertoire that appeal to and intrigue students, increasing the variety of styles performed by the students, having a stronger aural emphasis than notation emphasis, finding ways to make music more relevant to the students future, finding ways to let students join in on musical involvement at any grade level, and speeding up how students can understand and use music if they chose to pursue it independently. By bringing in technology, music has endless possibilities with creativity as well as thinking of instruments differently.
I can see that changing how music is taught could help increase student’s interest in music. As being a music education student, most of our training is how it has been done for years. We learn about theory, history, the instruments, and performing in ensembles. If change is going to happen, it needs to happen in how teachers are trained. If the large ensemble is not to be the focus in a high school music program, then it shouldn’t be at the college level either. By giving college students an education in using music technology, or class Ukulele, we can then teach our students these methods.
I personally like large ensembles though. Being a part of a 50-100 piece ensemble is fun and exhilarating, and musically satisfactory for me. I realize that all of my students won’t feel the same though. I would like to give my students more options when it comes to their own music making. I hope that in time, I will gather enough knowledge to meet their needs since the implications of music education tend to be negative.
Are Students Learning Music in Band?-Tom Dodson
This article starts with the evolution of teaching performance skills in music education. The need for a stronger musical role from schools emerged and contests helped to solidify the teaching of performance skills. The goals of the ensembles were to always improve in quality and to be a stepping-stone to the college wind ensembles. He says “it was implied that, through fine performances of good literature, students would understand and appreciate music.” The question remained though whether music was educational. The next goal was to increase musical understanding from its students. Where is the balance between learning what music is and performance skills? By getting the students more involved, it engages them in understanding what they are doing in the ensemble. Asking them questions about what another section are doing will help their aural skills. By increasing a students understanding of music is validating music as a strong educational experience.
This article I enjoyed. It takes the large ensemble and explains how to make it more of a valued educational experience for the students. The article listed many suggestions in helping students understand the music. I can see myself implementing some if not many of the suggestions to my students. Having them compare sections, and listening to each other will greatly enhance their aural skills. I’m not expecting my students to become the next Chicago Symphony, but I do want my students to appreciate what they are doing as musicians as well as appreciate the music that they are playing.
Andrew Miller
ReplyDeleteDr. Kratus wrote about the lack of change in music education to keep up with cultural and societal changes. His main point was that without change, music education could and is likely to go the same route that Latin as a subject did. That change involves adapting music education so that it actually meets the needs of today’s students. He says that music education is basically the same as it was in the 19th century and that the core focuses have hardly shifted/kept current. His assertions were supported with data and examples of schools in California and Canada.
I do mostly agree with Dr. Kratus on this article. I do believe that music education has lagged behind and does not do an enough to serve the mass population because of its limits. Also, having taken his class last semester and having a class discussion on this article, he was able to defend his article in person and answer questions that people had. My personal experience as a musician does not affect this reading that much minus that fact that I know how much large ensembles have helped my musicianship and the fact that they could become obsolete is quite sad to me. But putting on my teacher hat I think of what an updated music curriculum could do for the mass population gives me hope for this profession.
It is hard to say how I will use these ideas in the future other than keeping them in the forefront of my mind to try and find the best way to reach the mass population of students who do not choose to music education as it is now. This article really just helps me think that I need to find the best way to serve whatever population I have.
Mike Clemente
ReplyDeleteConway MEJ Article
This author is writing about the unreadiness of students in beginning instrumental classes. She suggests that some of this disconnect comes from inadequate instruction time in elementary general music programs and a communication disconnect between the elementary general teacher and the instrumental teacher. In the article, she gives strategies for over coming such barriers when starting students on instruments. Her argument is mainly supported by the Gordon Music Learning Theory and it's main principle of moving to music and value on audiation skills. She uses that to support her approach to make beginning instrumentalists ready for the instrument and combining the musical skills with the executive skills of playing the instrument.
I think I agree with the author. I believe students need more readiness skills before starting out on an instrument. I myself did not have many of these skills when I started out on my instrument and it is still an ongoing process to be able to master those skills both on and off my instrument. I try to incorporate audiation skills and learning by ear into my teaching as a private instructor as well because I didn't receive that instruction when I first started on the trumpet. I can already see it helping my students and I want to see how far they are able to go with those skills.
Are Students Learning Music in Band?
In this article, the author asks the question wether or not we actually teach "more than performance skills" in school ensembles today. He gives the examples that bands came from a tradition of professional and military ensembles that were used primarily for ceremonial or entertainment purposes. Thus, music educators taught the students the musical skills to be able to perform and entertain. Dodson suggests that even though there was a movement for teaching "more than performance skills", we as music educators really haven't made much of a dent in how school ensembles are run
I definitely agree with this author both from my personal experience as a student and my observations as a student at MSU. During my time spent in high school, my musicality grew and I got better at my instrument, but it was mostly to sound good on the concert. Sometimes there would be a day were my director was in a sour mood the entire rehearsal and gave us a "come to Jesus" speech at the end of rehearsal that scared us into playing better. Did we sound good? Yes, but I think that's a prime example of just teaching performance skills.
I hope that in my teaching, present and future, that I take the time to consciously teach my students musical skills that will make them better overall musicians. It may not make them a better bassoon player in 5 minutes but it will be valuable to them later in their music making.
Mike Clemente
ReplyDeleteThe Elephant in the Room
This article challenges the large ensemble model and says that it is what is holding back US music education. He provides statistics that show average numbers in programs across the country decreasing and paints a grave picture for the future of large ensembles. He says that large ensembles are not only musically unsound but also that they are educationally unsound because the learning is teacher centered, not student centered, and also that the sheer size of the class allows for inadequate assessment and follows faulty educational philosophy.
I feel that the author is partly right. I believe that the large ensemble model is broken. We as the future need to fix it. I think, however, that fixing it does not involve completely abandoning it. Like stated in an earlier article, some music teachers don't want to be expected to teach more than what's required for the next performance (test). Teaching to the test is rampant in the US and it's partly choking off our music education. I think we as teachers owe it to our students to fix the ensemble model and go the extra mile to teach them how to be musicians and not just button pushers. In my teaching I want to integrate some of the things that are said in this article like different instrumentation and smaller ensembles. I want to expand these things from the large ensemble where the students still learn the tested values of cooperation, working as many parts of a whole, and personal skills that the large ensemble offers.
Music Education at the Tipping Point
In this article, Dr. Kratus makes the point that something has got to give in music education. We have reached a point where how our students experience music is so different from how it is traditionally taught in schools that we need to start adapting now. He supports his point of view by presenting facts not only of how some music programs across the country are fading and have faded away, but also that young people today experience music on a much more individualistic level that people even have before.
I believe that Dr. Kratus is correct in saying we need to change but again, I believe this change cam come out of the large ensemble model, not without it. I think that students enjoy their experience playing in small ensembles and having closer interaction with their peers than sitting in a large ensemble all the time. I know that when I was a student, my favorite music making experiences came from playing in a brass quintet with my peers. I was able to really contribute to the ensemble and play musically without the fear and exposure of solo playing.
I will include a lot of Dr. Kratus' ideas into my teaching. I hope to create small ensembles out of the large ensemble model and also create classes that meet the students more on their level with their music. I believe that this gives students both something they are totally comfortable doing, and also something new and something to strive for always.
Brittany Chase
ReplyDeleteIn the article “Are Students Learning Music in Band?” Tom Dodson claims that to engage in the “art of expression” that is music (p27), students must have a well-rounded music education that expands their musical intelligence beyond just performing on their instrument. I completely agree with this sentiment from my own experience as a growing musician. The more I have come to understand about a piece, whether that has been the history or theory behind it, the way the other parts work together, or what idea or effect the composer wanted to achieve, the more successful and expressive I have been in my performance. As I read this article, I thought back to various ensembles of which I have been apart. I related the extent to which my directors focused on extra-performance ideas (history, ear training, audiating, written theory, etc) to my feelings regarding our performances in the ensemble. While there were times that some directors would focus on one of these areas to a fault, when the directors tried to incorporate these skills in balance with playing, I felt that the band grew stronger as a whole. Many of the suggestions in the article seem very helpful in encouraging young musicians to thinking musically. I think the more you can get them singing, clapping rhythms, or talking about what they hear in addition to playing, the stronger musicians they will become. I want to make sure that my students can sing or clap what they hear, especially in other parts, so that they can understand not just what is coming out of their own instrument and but also how the sound of everyone combines to form a beautiful whole.
In John Kratus’ article “Music Education at the Tipping Point,” Dr. Kratus describes how small changes in music education can lead to large transformations. He states that music education is on the tipping point of major change, citing cutbacks in music teachers, decreased funding, and low student enrollment in music classes. He attributes this to a number of reasons, including the fact that today’s music classes are not relevant to the ways many students interact with music. To a large degree I do agree with Dr. Kratus, as much as his facts scare me as I embark on a career in music education. But I see his point made in clearly in many of the Freshman students at MSU I work with who are not music majors. Through a fellowship I have with the resident college of Arts and Humanities (RCAH), I have discovered that there are many musical students out there who’s interests and talents are far different from my music major peers. I feel that their art and talent could have been further nurtured if they had classes in their secondary education that encouraged their musical exploration and expression. Since reading this article by Dr. Kratus in MUS 207, I have really pondered the ways I can use the potentially frightening knowledge to positively influence the way I cater my classes or curriculum. I firmly believe that I can offer secondary general music classes that can reach students on a more personal level. It would take hard work and creativity, but there are many ways to connect the rich musical heritage of classical music’s past with the popular music relevant to students today. Since I graduated my high school, I am happy to report that their new general music teacher has successfully started a keyboard class. I realize that starting such a program takes a lot of funding, but at least there is hope that such a investment will have positive returns.
Brittany Chase
ReplyDeleteDavid A William’s presents the fact that the tradition ensemble format hasn’t changed in a century is “The Elephant in the Room” causing decreasing music enrollment. William’s supports this idea by using various learning theories as to why large music ensembles are actually counter-intuitive to learning and student creativity. In some ways, I can see the truth to his ideas, especially when I think back to the time I was teaching at a high school band camp. While many members of the band were quite talented, I was appalled to find out during a flute sectional I ran that many of the lower seated players couldn’t read music at all. The sting for me was that at least two of these students were juniors in high school. To me, that is a huge concern if the music literacy of a few is ignored because there are stronger players supporting the section. I knew that those “weaker” players were still passionate about music, or else they wouldn’t be there. So I agree with Williams that something has to be done to reach them and nurture them in ways in which they will grow rather than letting them stagnate at the end of a crowded section in a huge band. One idea William’s mentions that I would like to use is creating ensembles or classes directed to the study of particular world music cultures or the study or pop or rock music. I also loved the idea of a composition-based class in order to really nurture creative music making and utilize the wealth of technology available today.
Colleen Conway in her article, “Good Rhythm and Intonation from Day One in Beginning Instrumental Music” describes ways to increase students' skills from the very beginning. She suggests instrumental music teachers and general music teachers communicating about ways to help students. She also emphasizes that preparing to play the instrument by audiating is one of the most important first lessons the students need. I agree with this concept because I know that singing in elementary choir prepared me to start playing an instrument a few years later. Further, I was very fortunate that my band director in middle and high school encouraged us to sing quite a bit. This certainly helped our intonation and balance. We would also count, tap, and clap rhythms which helped ingrain the notation to what it should actually sound and feel like. I liked Conway’s suggestions about teaching both macro and micro beats to students to help them learn subdivision. The call and response exercise also seems quite helpful. I also appreciated the idea of having students play and sing familiar songs in various keys and meters.
Matt Karram
ReplyDeleteAre Students Learning Music in Band?
Tom Dodson writes about the apparent disparity between the stated goals of music education and the actual practices of the traditional ensemble classroom. He argued that large ensembles focus almost entirely on the product of the concert rather than teaching comprehensive musicianship. His point is that Directors have not evolved their practices in order to teach students how to think about music, they only give directions from the stand based on a preconceived musical result.
I agree with the argument as a generality. I have seen large ensemble teachers teach aspects of comprehensive musicianship, but overall, the experience I am most familiar with is teacher centric. I was part of a traditional ensemble program that was top down, and had no input in most class activities. The larger part of my musical comprehension came during college studies. The ensembles I participated outside of my High School, however, were somewhat better about student participation in decision making and were closer to creating the classroom environment that Dodson advocated in this article.
The idea to take away from this article is that the traditional top down model of ensemble directing does not lead to comprehension and lifelong musicianship. If/when I should find myself teaching in a large ensemble setting, I must make sure to incorporate student ideas and facilitate student participation in class. It is important to allow teaching practices to change along with the students' understanding and needs.
Music Education at the Tipping Point
Dr. Kratus points out that the field of Music Education in its traditional form has now reached the point where it is being left behind by the school system. The large ensemble idea has been outpaced by the advances in teaching methods in other subjects. The reason for this is that Music education is largely finding itself stuck in a form that was once relevant to non-school culture, but hardly, if ever, changed to stay relevant. He cites the huge drop in student participation in music despite the great role that music plays in student life outside of school.
Everything that I have seen happening, especially within the recent recession, has pointed to the lack of value that most schools have for traditional music ensembles. Many schools have reduced the size of their music programs or even completely eliminated them. I agree that music educators must make their subject more relevant to student interests and needs. There are many experiences that I wish I could have had in grade school, especially concerning creative musicianship, world music, and vernacular music. These are areas that would attract a much larger student body to study music. My experiences with these were largely self produced and my creative projects were almost treated as annoyances by my ensemble directors.
I will attempt to make my classes relevant to the students' experiences. A large part of why I want to teach is because of all of the areas of music that I see missing from regular programs. I will have to change my plans and adapt to the environment I find myself in, but there are many ways to teach a deeper understanding of music.
Matt Karram
ReplyDeleteThe Elephant in the Room
This article addressed much the same idea that Dr. Kratus' article did. The author argues that the idea that the large ensemble is the core of the school music program is outdated and the notion that any other music class is a side note to the large ensemble is part of what is diminishing the music student population. She cites the "school music" phenomenon and how it is totally disconnected from "real music" that students care about and listen to. She argues that in most cases, schools would be better off eliminating a failed ensemble program and focusing on up to date music classes that involve vernacular music and technology.
I do not agree that ensembles should be wholly eliminated from schools, but I wholeheartedly agree that other areas of music need to be emphasized in schools to broaden the outreach of music to the student body. Ensembles hold a deservedly firm place in music education and do provide valuable experiences and learning opportunities to students that students cannot get anywhere else. That being said, the way that ensembles have been taught in the past is no longer very beneficial to students and should be updated to incorporate new teaching ideas and active student participation.
I am already becoming a strong proponent of music classes for the general "non-band" population and will seek to teach general music classes in addition to large ensembles. I think knowing what students will respond and latch on to is something that will come with experience and experimentation in the schools. I will have to allow my ideas for expanded music curriculum to evolve as I get to know my students.
Good Rhythm and Intonation from Day One in Beginning Instrumental Music
The argument made in this article is that beginning ensemble students can and should be able to play accurate rhythms and pitches very soon after they start in an ensemble class. The author writes about techniques and practices that will allow students to develop aural skills before and alongside technical skills which will lead to early ability to play accurately and in tune. She cites examples from her classes of how the focus on aural skills and rote learning of tunes worked to improve her students' playing very quickly.
Absolutely the ability to hear and sing rhythms and pitches is beneficial to beginning instrumentalists. It is just as beneficial to older instrumentalists. I agree that there should be a focus on natural learning before notation and technique. This will help young students develop musical skills that can transfer to any musical setting in and out of school. Aural learning is the main way that students interact with music outside of the classroom, so it should hold a prominent place in the classroom, as well.
I think the ideas in the article for starting beginners are very good, and they have changed the way I thought about what it would be like to teach a beginning band. I will have to think and learn more about incorporating aural skills into all music teaching.
Dan Miner
ReplyDeleteAre Students Learning Music in Band
The author argued that oftentimes band teachers work towards a performance and often forget or neglect to teach students the musical skills that will serve them not only in a current piece, but future music making as well. She supported this by giving different strategies to incorporate music learning into a band rehearsal. Some of these strategies I think are very good and are almost common sense, however, after observing in different settings the past 3 ½ years, I know that it is not always the case that questions like ?Who is playing melody/harmony?? are asked. I try to incorporate some of those ?identifier? strategies (melody, harmony, moving lines, etc.) into my teaching, however, I think some of the rhythmic exercises could also be very could if used in moderation. If I were to have students to the rhythm activities on every piece we study, it could get old very quickly and then lose the purpose and focus of the activity.
Good Rhythm and Intonation from Day One in Beginning Instrumental Music
Dr. Conway argues the value of a solid musical foundation and the ability to audiate music as an essential aspect to playing an instrument. She suggests that little can be done in terms of instrumental learning without first being able to sing or move to music and that, similar to Gordon?s music learning theory, these will give students a solid and firm foundation on which they can build any other type of musical learning- in this case an instrument. To an extent I agree with Dr. Conway in that singing and moving to music are very important skills and abilities that students must have. However, I would be curious to see if having some foundation and building that in parallel to an instrument still yields the same musical result because I get the impression that Dr. Conway suggests using a lot of time at the beginning of a school year to get all the students on the same musical foundation page before putting instruments in their hands which is why I wondered about learning them parallel. I never specifically had activities in general classes regarding the above except for some singing before I began studying piano and therefore had some concept of music, but I don?t think to the depth that Dr. Conway talks about. While this may be so, she does offer very practical suggestions to help build students musicianship that could even be used at a high school level to spot check students? abilities and skills and see if any catching-up needs to be done.
Dan Miner
ReplyDeleteMusic Education at the Tipping Point
Dr. Kratus?s famous article describes music education at being on the brink of collapse as a result of many factors. He supports this with evidence from California school districts and the rapid decline in music class enrollments in comparison to other art forms? increasing enrollment. He makes another point in saying that our teaching style and what we teach is outdated and that ?school? music and ?home? music for students are on extreme ends of the spectrum which makes us invalid and out-of-touch with them. Later in the article he suggests methods of saving this ?tip? from occurring. I agree with Dr. Kratus in many aspects of his article because there is proof outside of California that the validity of the school music program is definitely being challenged and that we must make it more relatable to our students in order to show the validity. As a teacher I see this as a huge problem because teachers are forced to look through their students eyes. As a musician, it is much harder to see this ?tip? occurring simply because of the world and environment I surround myself in. Therefore, it is essential for me not to be blinded by this so as not to hinder my students and potentially my career. I think that in the future I could easily adapt my teaching practices, styles, and curriculum to appeal to a broader variety of students that don?t want music through a traditional ensemble but would rather study things in a rock band setting, or learn about film music.
The Elephant in the Room
The author in this article shares a very similar thought as Dr. Kratus in that how we teach music and the model for music education must be rethought. He suggests ten different problems that need to be addressed in creating the new model for music. I agree that educators need to expand offerings to create a program that is more ?music education for the masses? rather than ?music for the musicians? in that while we can still have our ensembles to appeal to the traditional musicians, we must come up with and develop classes and other ways to think music for the other 90% of the students in our schools rather than just leave them out because they do not play an instrument. I grew up in a traditional ensemble environment, but I?m sure that ideas for more non-traditional music offering depend on the area and how strong or weak the program already is in the school environment. However, teachers should still be open to the idea of other offerings even if they are in strong ensemble schools. As mentioned, I would love to explore offerings into topics like film music and especially with my piano background I feel that I could very easily come up with a group piano concept that would teach students what they want to learn rather than a more traditional mold of group piano instruction.
Courtney Trantham
ReplyDeleteAre Students Learning in Band?
The author wrote about school band and whether or not it is a satisfactory means to teach music. The article questions why band is the medium in which music is taught to children and discusses the history of the concert band. Then, the article addresses whether a "revolution" is needed in the band classroom in order to achieve the goal of musical understanding we have for students. Finally, the author discusses some ways in which instruction in the band classroom can be modified in order to achieve both goals for the band: musical understanding and a good performance.
I agree with the author's views on how band is often taught. I have taken part in a band class that was product oriented and required little to no musical thought. This way of learning did not prepare most of my peers for playing/performing/intelligently enjoying music after high school. If musical understanding was valued more over the product, I believe it would have been beneficial to both the student's understanding and appreciation of music and the product we were working towards.
My personal experiences in school band prevented me from achieving a higher level of musical thought, which was obvious to me when I first came to MSU. This article was something I had realized years ago through my own struggles to catch up with the musical expectations put on me in lessons and ensembles at MSU. My experiences influenced me to agree with pretty much everything the author said.
I will use the ideas in this reading as I learn more about teaching. The examples of practical incorporation of the author's ideas into the rehearsal setting are especially helpful. I can definitely apply some of these techniques with the sectionals I currently teach and when I am student teaching next semester.
Music Education at the Tipping Point
Dr. Kratus wrote about the divide between music taught in schools and music students experience out of schools. He argued that the often huge difference between these is the cause for declining music enrollment. The author supported his assertions by providing facts. One example is that in a school in California, music enrollment declined by 50%. However, the other Arts classes saw an enrollment increase. The data suggests that enrollment did not decline because of budget cuts and standardized testing requirements, but because music classes no longer interest students.
I agree with the author. Many students to not like band, orchestra or choir because it is not culturally relevant to them. They find the instruments and repertoire boring.
My personal experience as a clarinet teacher in various high schools influenced how I thought about this reading. I have been told by some of my students that band music is boring and that they don't learn anything in the band classroom; they just sit and play music that they don't like for an hour every day.
I will use these ideas as I continue to learn more about teaching and will consider them as I constantly review my own teaching philosophy. I could apply these ideas to my future practice as a music educator by incorporating more culturally relevant material in my ensembles. I could also consider the alternative approaches to music education discussed in the article (songwriting class, composition class, etc) and perhaps propose new classes to be made available to students.
Courtney Trantham
ReplyDeleteThe Elephant in the Room
The author argues that the current music education model (the large ensemble) is outdated and disconnected with student interests. The author supported his argument by pointing out the differences between students' musical interests and music taught in school. The author also argues that modifications need to be considered for the way music is taught in schools.
I agree that the traditional music education curriculum is outdated and needs to be changed. Out of all of the people I was in high school band with, only one person still practices music. He is also a music major. All of my other peers have abandoned their instruments and no longer make music at all. However, there are many students I went to school with who learned alternative music making on their own, such as guitar, drums, or DJing. Almost all of them still actively make music still.
My personal experience as a musician influenced how I thought about this reading. As the author pointed out, I do see value in the large ensemble because I enjoyed it myself. However, I agree that it is not for everyone (or more than a few people) and is severely outdated.
I will consider the ideas in this article as I continue to learn more about teaching and develop my own teaching philosophy. I could apply these ideas in the future as an educator by considering alternative classes that could be made available to students.
Good Rhythm and Intonation from Day One
The author wrote about the importance of having good rhythm and intonation before playing the first note on an instrument. She argued that if ensemble teachers took the time to establish tonal and rhythmic competency prior to teaching technical proficiency on an instrument, the students would learn and a much faster rate and achieve a higher level of music-making. The author proved her point by providing examples of how tonality and rhythm can be taught first and how they can affect performance in the future.
I agree with the author. I believe that technical proficiency should be taught through an existing strong tonal and rhythmic background, not the other way around. I believe this because I developed tonal and rhythmic skills after learning technical proficiency. It was very difficult and unnatural to learn that way.
I will consider these ideas as I continue to learn more about teaching, and try to relate them to other ideas presented to me. I could apply these ideas as a music educator by both collaborating with the elementary general music teacher to develop mutual goals. I could also incorporate movement and rote learning to my beginning band classes.
Conway Article
ReplyDeleteI appreciated the ideas and thoughts Colleen Conway stated in this article and I think she touched on a couple very strong points of consideration. Conway’s position towards music education is one that is in agreement with Gordan’s MLT; she believes that students should posses a high level of musicianship before an instrument is ever placed in their hands. Throughout the article, Colleen references her own experiences as a way to support some of her writings. Overall, I cannot agree more with Colleen and her thoughts towards music education. The first time that I learned what a note was was also the first time I picked up an instrument. I can remember being frustrated because I was having to think about what was on the page and how that translated into what I was supposed to be doing with my fingers (trumpet). I eventually penciled in fingerings above my notes in hopes of keeping pace with my teacher’s lessons, but it was still a big challenge. If I would have had a more developed knowledge about what music was and how it relates to playing in terms of rhythm, key areas, and technique, I think I (and my classmates) would have had a more successful and enjoyable early music career.
Colleen makes me reconsider some of the ways I think about the traditional model of music education in the US. Band is usually not offered until 5th or 6th grade, and the only prior exposure students have had with music usually is a couple classes with a recorder. More music teachers need to push and advocate for a more developed and measured music curriculum at the elementary levels. This will naturally better develop musicianship skills in beginning band students and lead to a more successful teaching/learning experience.
This reading gives me a lot to think about as I move closer and closer to becoming a music teacher. Because of some of my experiences with a poorly designed music program, I hope to implement strategies that keep my program as streamlined and as engaging as possible. This means I will work with my general music colleague and structure a musical development plan that is both seamless and logical as students progress from K-12.
Randy Bolenbaugh
Dodson Article
ReplyDeleteDodson begins the article by reviewing the evolution of the band and how it changed from that of a military function to that of a school-based activity. After school bands arrived, another priority shift occurred which resulted in focus being placed on the performance, rather that the process (education). Dodson then goes on to list some ways in which current music educators can re-incorporate a sense of true education during rehearsal and not just “running the numbers”.
I agree with everything that Dodson says – but I don’t think that most of the other academic communities do. And that’s the problem. The current school system places certain expectations upon a band director and his band. One of those expectations is that they go to festival and compete (and receive a very high score). If the band doesn’t receive high marks, then “the school” looks bad and this can sometimes put the music teacher in an almost threatening situation. My feeling is that if this article were to be passed out to every music educator in the country, most of them would be found positively shaking their heads in agreement with the article. The problem is that they feel they don’t have time to teach anything beyond the notes on the page, which in turn severely (and sadly) limits the development of true musical thought and deep, meaningful musicianship. The market of music education still seems to be largely focused on teaching to the next performance and developing only physical performance skills.
I feel strongly about the content covered in this article. I hope to be the teacher who starts and/or continues a change in the world of music education. I won’t enroll in competitive events if I can’t justify to myself and the band a good, educationally-purposed reason. I won’t go just because the “last guy” went. Think about all of the time and money that could be saved if non-educational competitions were eliminated from a music teacher’s schedule. They could then use that time to develop and culture healthy musicianship in their classroom.
Randy Bolenbaugh
Are Students Learning Music in Band: Dodson
ReplyDeleteDodson was writing about whether or not students are actually learning the way educators like to think they are by participating in band. His main point is that although there is some learning taking place in band, it could be much better and the students could actually get a higher valued education by participating in band if it was done correctly. His assertions were supported by his own examples that he came up with.
I do not disagree with the author on the idea that band COULD be a great place for learning music. With the current way in which most bands are run, the director “teaches” for the concert, I compare this to teachers teaching for the test. Although a student may be learning things from this approach do they actually come away with learning things that they could apply to other situations or do they just know the single instances they were taught. My personal experiences influenced me to agree. This is because I have never wanted to be a director of an ensemble as my full job; I want to be a teacher. If I am going to take the title of teacher I do not just want to be rehearsing for the rest of my life I want to teach. I do not know exactly how I could use this reading in the future other than to keep in mind that band cannot be just about rehearsing, it must have more educational value than that. In order for that to be possible I have to challenge the old school model of what band is and alter it to make it the best learning tool possible.
Good Rhythm And Intonation From Day One
ReplyDeleteConway begins by explaining to the reader that it is indeed possible for beginning students to play with a correct rhythm and intonation. This is possible when teachers prepare students in the proper way. If teachers encourage beginning instrumental students to sing and move to music, the students will have an easier time identifying and knowing how to play a “right” note.
These assertions were supported by the observation of 4th grade beginning instrumental students. The students that had a few basic music skills and could move and sing with rhythm prior to playing an instrument were able to have immediate success playing familiar songs and tunes only weeks later. It is also imperative that teachers stress the importance of audiation during the first music lessons.
I agreed with the author of this article in several ways. I fully support the idea that audiation is one of the first things needed to be explained and taught to beginning instrumentalists. If students can sing a pattern or song, they are more likely to reproduce the pattern or song on their instrument.
When I was learning how to play jazz on trumpet for the first time, my teacher absolutely did not allow any notation. We were expected to be able to sing several different transcriptions, and learn chord changes by ear. This helped improve my improvisation skills immensely.
As I continue to learn more about teaching, the ability to sing and move with rhythm prior to playing an excerpt will be an extremely important skill that I will help my future students develop.
Are Students Learning Music In Band?
This article examines how school bands have evolved over the course of the century. When bands first arrived in schools, they were modeled after professional or military ensembles. These bands became an integrated part of the school’s community, playing at different functions or events throughout the year. Now, times have changed in that school bands fall into the circular motion of marching band rehearsal, competition, concert band rehearsal, festival, and around and around until it is rare that students nowadays are learning any musicianship at all.
The author backs this assertion up by comparing the function of bands earlier in history, and today. It seems the band directors of today become engulfed by the fear of a poor performance, or festival rating. Is their job to teach towards a final performance? Or is it to teach musicality?
I agree with what this author has to say. It is extremely popular for instrumental music directors to become pressured by administrations and the expectations of a community to gravitate towards only teaching towards a concert.
My experiences as a musician have made me very aware of a conductor’s tendencies on the podium to ignore teaching about musicality and focus on teaching towards a performance. Reading this article has made me more aware of the history of ensembles, and how they are evolving today.
I will be sure to use many of the ideas mentioned in this article during my future teaching experiences. As said in the article, it’s very important to get students thinking during rehearsal. Ask the students to listen to the bass line, or melody. Inquire about what instrument has a doubling part, or what instruments play which harmonies.
The Elephant In The Room
ReplyDeleteIn Williams’s article, the idea of a large rehearsing ensemble is put under the microscope as we examine the reasons why so few students enroll in music classes today. The idea of a large performance ensemble is a tradition that has been left unchanged since schools began including music programs. The author suggests that this system is an outdated model, and as future educators we must push forward new ideas and techniques to inspire young minds to recognize the importance of a musical education.
The author notes that there must be more efficient ways to teach students music. In keyboard or computer based classes using music software, the idea of a teacher at the front of the room with rows of students facing the teacher is a classroom-setup that we are all familiar with, since this is how most of todays future teachers were taught.
I agree with many aspects of this article. There have to be other ways to teach different styles of music in our schools. We shouldn’t have to use one template for teaching different genres or styles of music. Perhaps class sizes can be limited, which would allow for an increase in connection between the teacher and student. This can be a problem, however, as many administrations are not willing to hire more music teachers to teach a greater number of smaller class-size courses.
Being educated in the traditional band setup, I was merely another trumpet player playing with a section of 8 other trumpet players, in a band of 40-50 kids. It was hard for me to pay attention in this style of teaching, and I’m sure I was not the only one to have difficulty concentrating in an ensemble of this size. It wasn’t until I began playing and rehearsing in smaller chamber groups or jazz combos that I really began to advance my musicality and education.
Knowing that I had the best educational experience in a smaller group setting, I will be sure to use this technique when teaching future students.
Music Education At The Tipping Point
Kratus explains that in order for music education to survive, it must continue moving forward with the changing times and music, or it will die off. Kratus compares the dynamics of change that need to happen to the way the NYC crime rate has dropped significantly in the 1990s. Change begins with mavens that do something differently and continue to spread ideas to connectors who have contact with people outside the mavens community.
The assertion that music education is at the risk of dying off if we refuse to change and adapt to our current society is supported by the analogy of a stationary shark. If the shark remains still, it will soon starve or become food for the next predator. As the years go by and music education in schools remains unchanged, the school’s community will begin contemplating the importance of having music in the schools at all.
One idea that really stuck out to me was the fact that we need to find a way to keep up with the changing musical culture, but preserve the best of our musical past at the same time. What or who defines what is the best of our musical past?
As in all aspects of life (daily routines, exercise, diet, emotions), music education needs to be refreshed constantly. This means the way we teach, as well as perform the music. The music played in traditional music programs represents only a small slice of the “musical pie” as Kratus states. If we want to expand and evolve music education, we need to find ways to include many more genres of music in our classrooms.
As a future teacher, it is my job to be aware of the music that my students listen to outside of the classroom. I will need to be creative, and think of ways to include this music in my future classrooms in order to keep up with changing times.
Michael Burkett
ReplyDeleteGood Rhythm and Intonation from Day One in Instrumental Music
This article by Colleen Conway discuss the importance of a good music program from top to bottom. She talks about how important the general music programs can be because of the immersion that can take place. Conway argues that students are not prepared enough for their respective ensembles once they arrive at middle and high school. She states that the problems that students have in middle and high school are connected to the lack of develop at the elementary level. She suggests that middle and high school teacher could help the musicianship of their students by using activities that students missed out on in their general music program, like doing Gordon Music Learning Theory. Conway says that doing such activities will help the ensemble down the road with tuning and sight reading. I agree with what Conway discussed in this article. What I agree with is the fact that middle and high school teachers can continue the Gordon activities past the elementary because they can still have an impact on the students. The effect that these activities have will not be seen right away but over time as the students develop. As a musician I did not have an exposure to any sort of Music Learning Theory in elementary or beyond. My experiences with Gordon were good and helped me expand on my audiation skills. As a future music educator the ideas discuss in this article will allow me to have more tools to work with in the class room. Being familiar with Gordon and being able to use it will allow me use the Music Learning Theory exercises as another way to teacher the different elements of music.
Michael Burkett
ReplyDeleteAre Students Learning Music In Band?
This article by Tom Dodson confronts many of the different questions that music educator and non-music educators/citizen have about band programs across the United States. After discussing the “history” of band in the public sector, Dodson discusses the challenge that band directors face. It is widely talked about how band programs are driven by the performance aspect of music. Dodson writes about this and states that programs are only focusing on accurate playing, making sure their students play the write notes. With this Dodson says that programs have lost one of the most important parts of music, knowing the music. What he means by this is that a ensemble plays with expression, blend, and good intonation. Dodson gives a list of suggested exercises that any music educator can do with their ensemble to allow their students to know the music that they are playing. This article was difficult for me to read because at times I agreed and disagreed. For the most part I agree with what Dodson discuss and provides for music educators. I really love some of the examples that gives to help educators with their ensemble, they are exercises that do not take away time from a rehearsal but still have a huge reward in the end. From my own personal experiences I remember doing some of the exercises that are discussed in this article but only before MSBOA band festival. Obviously doing any of these exercises is a good thing but I wish we could have done them all year and even in marching band. I feel that marching bands have completely abandoned musicality and expression. As a future music educator I will take the exercises and examples away from this article to allow myself to teach expression and musicality at a higher level.
Michael Burkett
ReplyDeleteThe Elephant in the Room
David A. Williams' article challenges what music education has become in his opinion. He states that he believes that music education now as be directly connected to the large ensemble, band, orchestra and concert choir. He discuss the problems that face music programs all across the United States, he uses low enrollment rates as his main example. The Elephant in the Room is the large scale ensemble in music classroom across the America. This ensemble was created in the early 1900's and has not been changed since. With this the large scale ensemble is now the first thing that most think of when you discuss Music Education. Williams argues that this connection is the very reason why music programs are failing across the United States today. He states that when a new idea for music education is talked about the first thing that happens is how it could be adapted into the ensemble. Williams talks about the other alternatives for music programs like allowing for new instruments and musical styles to be brought in to the schools. He uses the recent success in Scotland as his evidence for such reasoning. He also suggest changing classroom size, centering the class room around student needs and learning, allowing students to make more critical decisions, reducing/eliminating formal concerts, allowing for new instruments to be introduced into the program and school, introducing new musical styles to students, focusing more on development of students and less on notation, connecting music to their lives and creating lifelong skills, encourage students of any age or level to participate in the music program, and developing student abilities quicker. For the most part I disagree with this article. It is always important to include all types of music and instruments into a program but to completely remove bands, orchestra and concert choir would be a mistake. We should provide all opportunity for students, not just new ones. This article will allow me always keep an open, clear mind to allow for new opportunities for my future students.
Michael Burkett
ReplyDeleteMusic Education at the Tipping Point
In this article John Kratus puts light to a situation that music educators fear. In California, there was a rapid decrease in the amount of students who were enrolled in music programs across the state. What is interesting is the fact that schools saw an increase of students but a decrease in students in the music program, a decrease of 50 percent. Another number that stood out to me was the number of teachers who had left or been fired, 1,053 or 26.7 percent. The main reason that the data from California gives and Kratus confirms is because of No Child Left Behind. This bill passed focused funding away from music and turned it to the core subject areas (English, Math and Science). Kratus always argue that even before this that the Arts were perceived as less valuable. What I found interesting about this was the data that Kratus used to support this, he states that most Americans see the importance of the Arts in their students education. What I think is interesting is the fact that even though they believe this the majority of them do nothing to change these events. I completely agree with this article. I wish this article could have been published in every educational journal or magazine to allow all educators to see the evidence that Kratus provides. The music program that I came from was a target of these cuts soon after I had graduated. What I find so hard to deal with is that some music programs are so small that now we are starting to see programs being cut all together instead of seeing budget cuts. As a future music educator this article will allow me to be able to defend why I choose to a music educator. It is important to not only have the passion but always have evidence and proof to why something is important.
Good Rhythm and Intonation from Day One
ReplyDeleteIn her article Conway talks about strategies for early beginning instrumental lessons so that the first day of reading and playing a specific note on an instrument is preceded by activities that build musical readiness. She stresses the importance of singing and movement as prerequisites to successful instrumental music. Also, the presence of these fundamentals can be very dependent on the success of previous elementary general music teachers.
Conway also elaborates on building executive and audiation skills separately, and the proper time for incorporating music notation. She then provides several exercises for early tone production in the large ensemble setting. I agree with her opinions and rationales as a result of my own experiences. If I am unable to accurately sing a musical phrase it is unlikely that I could accurately play it on tuba.
A majority of my teaching experience has been in a one-on-one setting so I haven’t really had the opportunity to experiment with the type of strategies Conway describes. However, I feel that these ideas can be used in just about any type of musical education.
Are Students Learning Music in Band: Dodson
ReplyDeleteIn his article, Dodson is challenging the traditional concert band classroom as a true learning environment and as a means of providing the highest degree of musical education. Dodson points out the lack of a full musical education found in most school bands. The director and ensemble are so busy preparing for their next performance that little or no time is taken to explore the music deeper; it’s historical context, musical complexity, etc. While the structure of traditional band programs has been shaped through the early history of school bands, progress seems to have stalled. Dodson recognizes in 1989 that despite the push over the previous twenty years to reshape the real purpose of school bands to providing a full musical education, no progress had been made. Yet even twenty years after the publication of this article school bands are still staring down the same barrel.
It’s obvious to me that real change needs to occur for the traditional band class to fulfill the needs of its students. Performance has its place in a musical education but it should not predominate the classroom. Dodson explains the lack of change as a result of overwhelmed band directors and a resistance to change from the communities and school boards. This lack of coordination between the expectations placed on school bands by the community and school and the desire of the music educators should be addressed. If we wish to provide the highest degree of musical education to our students through the ensemble setting of a band we must work to change the perception of school bands to fit our goals. There are other mediums we could use however, and the experimentation and exploration of these non-traditional music classrooms have been met with success in communities around the country. Either way, change must occur or music programs face extinction.
The Elephant in the Room: Williams
Traditional music education classrooms involve large ensembles geared toward public performance; this has been the case for a century. In his article, Williams argues that this medium of education no longer interests or connects with the student population. Williams provides substantial evidence of this including data from Florida’s schools showing an alarming decrease in school music program enrollment. Williams also provides us with some opportunities to think over as we consider possible improvements and changes to the music education structure.
I find myself in agreement with Williams’ assessment of the troubles facing music programs around the nation. In my high school music experience ninety percent of the opportunities available were through large ensembles. It was obvious to me over my four years in the program that while I enjoyed large ensembles thoroughly, it was not connecting with the majority of the student population. Over those four years the number of students participating in band decreased heavily; each year less students found their musical needs fulfilled by the traditional band classroom. My experience helps this article to resonate with me; I have seen the decline in person and know there are many students who are not being reached. Williams is right, we need to seriously reconsider what we are trying to accomplish in our music programs and how we are doing it. I can believe that the context in which we teach should determine what we teach. As Williams said, there are communities out there where the traditional large ensemble is thriving within the school, which is great. In most communities however, it is time to start fresh, and rebuild from the students musical experiences up.
Good Rhythm and Intonation from Day One: Conway
ReplyDeleteIn her article Conway explains, through the structure of Gordon’s Music Learning Theory method, how to teach beginning instrumental students good tone and intonation through audiation. Gordon’s method and subsequently Conway’s article are focused on building a strong musicianship through tonal and rhythmic exercises before introducing instruments. Conway advocates sequencing beginning band classes to provide students with experience in both duple and triple meters and major and minor keys, all through audiation and singing, before introducing notation.
I was really pleased to read this article. Having taken Dr. Taggart’s Elementary General Music class I learned a lot about the Gordon method and had wondered how it would translate into a band setting. I thought much of what Conway suggested could be very helpful for beginning students. In fact I would be interested to see how Gordon’s method looked if taken further; instead of as simply a tool to build a solid musical foundation for instruments, using it in conjunction with standard beginning band repertoire. If using it for the first few weeks of band instruction helped students play with good tone, articulation, and rhythm think of how proficient they would be by high school if they continued to work on those basics in Gordon’s progression. Conway provides an interesting idea that I would not be afraid of testing in my own beginning band classroom.
Music Education at the Tipping Point: Kratus
In his article, Kratus explores the abundant decline of music programs around the nation. Many educators have tried to explain it away as simply a loss of funding due to hard economic times, or a turn from the arts to “core” classes such as math and English in an effort to fulfill the requirements of the No Child Left behind Act. Yet as Kratus digs through the statistics he unveils that this can only be one of many factors, after all when the state of California experienced a rapid decrease in students enrolled in music education classes other elective classes including art and drama gained students.
As you read on Kratus comes to the conclusion that it is due to the inability of the current music education model to properly meet students musical needs. I agree with Kratus’ assessment. As witnessed in the other articles we’ve read this has been an ongoing problem. Music educators have known since the mid eighties that the large ensemble “band” class was failing to reach a majority of students yet in 2007 when this article was published the problem remains. I find it frustrating as a future music educator that this has not been addressed with the urgency it deserves. Each year new music teachers enter the work force after four years of being trained in traditional large ensemble methods, and they continue the pattern teaching in the same setting. There needs to be initiative; colleges and universities, not just individual teachers, need to recognize the danger of continuing this path and start preparing future teachers to rebuild the music education model. With young teachers entering the field and starting new non-traditional classes and ensembles we can rebirth music education and inspire generations of new musicians and music educators. It can be done, but no one seems brave enough. A collaborative effort between all music educators seems to be needed to force change. Perhaps as my generation enters the field we will band together to force change.
The Elephant in the Room
ReplyDeleteDavid Williams discussed the issue of the decreasing number of students involved in band programs as the years go on. He implied that the most likely cause of this issue is the unchanged model of music education through large ensemble performances. Through recorded data from the Florida Department of Education, there has been a steady decrease of students enrolled in band. While other causes such as increased standards in academic excellence and advanced placement classes have hindered many students from spending the extra time in ensembles, the greater issue is the stale music programs. Williams offers many suggestions of how to return interest to music education by challenging the ancient model of education through large ensemble. He challenges teachers to expand classes to involve more world music, new instruments, use of technology, and incorporation of the popular music with the band curriculum. Teachers should challenge themselves and their students to learn about and to create music in a much broader spectrum.
As a college music student, I’ve gained a great deal of appreciation for the variety music education that is provided here at the university. However, from personal experience, some of the changes presented in the article are not entirely realistic. The article presents these ideas to a teacher in a best-case-scenario school where funds are bountiful and times and scheduling don’t matter. There are only so many hours in the day that a music teacher can hold class and there is still that pressure to teach repertoire. It will certainly be a challenge to balance new educational ideas with the expected (by administration) performances. As a future teacher, the ideas presented in the article serve as a challenge to increase personal creativity in order to bring more to the classroom for students and to stimulate more interest in music as a subject and as a part of everyday life. I realize the need to be receptive and to embrace the musical culture of future students as a way to encourage a greater connection in the classroom.
Dodson
ReplyDeleteThis article addresses a revolution in school band from music education to the development of performance skills. The primary purpose is to provide members with the best music education possible, however performance skills became the educational component. Good performance does not guarantee musical understanding; however good performance has become the primary and often sole focus in school band programs. In order to change the purpose of band, drastic and difficult changes would have to take place in regards to the perception of the ensemble by teachers, students, parents, administrators, and the community. A successful band programs teaches students to play an instrument and know music.
I could not agree with this article more completely and feel as though the obsession with festival and competitions inhibits comprehensive music education. While skilled performing is a critical aspect to music and teaches several different skills, it must be supplemented by cognitive, creative, and contextual lessons on music. My personal experience is interesting because I came from a high school choral program that minimally focused on performance and a band program that exclusive concentrated on the festival grade. In choir, I felt I gained a more complete music education but the competition and performance focus of band provided me with my musical motivation. I believe the pendulum has swung too far towards performance skills, however, I think a balanced approach is the most helpful to our students.
Williams
ReplyDeleteOne of the major problems with American K-12 music education is the focus on the traditional large ensemble and the disconnect it has to a modern musical teenage population. Large classrooms are not effective and productive classrooms. The classroom must revolve around student-focused learning not performance. In addition, teachers must embrace alternative music genres and teaching methods. Although these alternative methods can be introduced in a large ensemble, these concepts are most successful as separate enrolled courses. The author supported his assertion through several studies of the decline of music enrollment across the country and the unpopularity of the large-ensemble format. The author provides several methods teachers could use to deviate from the large-ensemble format and make a secondary music program more appealing to students.
In theory, I agree with this article. It is obviously a concern that a student population enveloped in music is relatively uninterested in a school music program. However, I think many of the changes proposed in this article are very difficult to accomplish because of the very strong tradition of large ensembles, limited resources, and an often-stubborn administration. My high school music program attempted to add a music technology class but ran into several obstacles including staff and equipment funding. The simple fact is that large ensembles make the school looks more accomplished and contribute to the community more than a music history class or a world music class. In my opinion, all these alternative teaching and content approaches must start as extra curricular activities. The path to incorporating these concepts into the classroom is much more practical if administrators have already seen its success as an afterschool program.
MEJ Conway Article:
ReplyDeleteThis article is about the inadequate preparation of students for beginning band. The article explains how to prepare students for good rhythm and intonation. It explains that it must start without the instrument and with lots of singing and audiation. She also stresses the importance of learning without notation.
I really enjoyed this article. I feel that it really embodied what is wrong with beginning bands and how to work past that. As a beginning band student, I never learned about audiating rhythm and pitch. It is something I am still working with now. I think if we work with students to develop these skills before asking them to play with good tone, in tune, and correct rhythms on an instrument, we'll get a much better result. Not just a better result for our own sake, but a better result for the students' sake. When they feel more prepared, they will enjoy it more. These are definitely ideas that I want to keep in mind for the classroom.
Dodson Article:
This article talks about the many questions that are brought up about band in and out of music programs. Yet, he talks about the challenges we face in band when we make it only about performance. They focus becomes more about the performance than about music education. This is like teaching for the test in a core subject. It is a problem that has been around for quite a while and will continue to be a struggle for band programs across the US. It is hard to find a focus on the full picture of the musical piece, rather than just the performing of it.
I believe that we need to really strive to be better in this aspect. We must push for deeper learning, not just of the music, but of the context. There is a lot of history behind music and a lot more to be learned than just the notes on the page. Yet, in programs all around, it turns to be more about the notes than about the big picture. I feel that this is part of what is killing, or at least hurting, band programs across the board. We must always remember that we are here for the students, no matter what. We must push our students to do more than just play the page. We must push our students to know more than just a scale or a technical passage. I also feel that we need to implement this into our program from day one and continue it throughout the semester/years. It is not a one time thing or a only before festival thing, it must be an all day everyday thing.
Williams article:
ReplyDeleteThis article discusses the issues with k-12 music. The focus on the ensemble seems to be getting the in way of a music programs success. Williams brings up the fact that so few students participate in "traditional secondary music ensembles" yet so many students love music. There are many things that get in the way of participation in school ensembles that are out of anyone's control, yet there are things that can be done that tend to get ignored. The article goes on to offer many solutions to the "out of date" ensemble structure.
The suggestion of making the classroom more student-centered really stood out to me. I think handing over the control a little more to the students will give them a better sense of ownership, thus a greater chance for participation and dedication. I believe a classroom should be a shared environment, not a one-sided environment. The teacher cannot have full control of a classroom, regardless of what kind of classroom it is. I also really liked the idea of creating a connection between music in the classroom to the students' outside musical lives. This helps them gain a greater appreciation for both sides of music. I think it would also challenge the students to be more critical of the music they listen to outside of the classroom and later on in life. We need to figure out how to break out of the cookie cutter mold that has been set for us and our teaching.
Kratus Article:
Kratus talks about how music education must maintain a balance between the knew and the old, yet the knew must be prevalent for the program to stay alive. He also discusses the changed in music education over the years. It has become "permissible" for schools and communities to drop music programs over the years. He points out the big disconnect between music in he world and music in schools. Something has got to change to create forward motion again in the music education world.
I really appreciated this article. I think we all get so caught up in pointing fingers for the declining music educations programs in schools rather than taking a deep look at what is going on. Budget cuts definitely play a role in the cutting of music programs, yet it is not the only factor. We must really examine our programs and find ways to make it more relevant for the students. The suggestion of adding different instruments, such as the ukulele, to the picture is one way to really peak interest in the program again.We must accept the issue and do something about it rather than just sit by and let it happen again and again. There has been a problem for years and years and still there has been very little change in the general structure of music programs. We must push ourselves to move beyond the ensemble only mindset and find different ways to reach students through music.
Dodson – Are Students Learning Music in Band?
ReplyDeleteWhat was the author writing about? What was her or his main point or argument? How did the author support her or his assertions?
The author was writing about integrating a more holistic view of teaching into the band classroom – I.e., teaching students to audiate, sing, hear rhythms accurately, listen across the ensemble, and learn to think musically and make musical decisions. His main point was that, despite the lack of widespread implementation of these methods, it was possible to do so effectively in a band setting without losing valuable rehearsal time. His assertion was supported by about a page of suggestions for times and places in a rehearsal in which these ideas could be implemented. He gave specific examples for each of the categories that he addressed.
Did you agree or disagree with the author? Why?
I do agree that it’s important to teach our students as complete musicians, rather than as pawns whom we pour music into and expect them to regurgitate at a performance. I especially agreed with the idea that it’s important to teach students how to think musically, because not only do you spend less rehearsal time trying to explain how you want the music to sound, but they are also much more likely to get lifelong enjoyment out of music-making. My concern is in exactly how one would go about this, specifically (this was the one area where I felt that the author made a general statement that teaching kids to think musically was important, without really detailing how one might accomplish that).
How did your personal experience as a musician and/or a teacher influence how you think about this reading?
As I was reading this article (particularly the section with the suggestions for how to introduce the ideas in a rehearsal setting), I found myself saying “Yeah, we did that…and that…and that.” I realized that many of the ideas discussed in this paper had been key components of everyday rehearsals in my own high school experience. I have always thought very highly of my high school band director and the way that she did things (and everything I’ve learned since graduating has only served to reinforce those beliefs). That said, there were some suggestions in this article that the little Lynn Kelsey in my head rolled her eyes at – not every idea presented in the article seemed feasible for implementation, especially at the high school level, either because of time constraints or because I couldn’t see a real-life scenario in which the majority of teenage students would be willing to forgo their “coolness” for learning something about music (I, in high school, would probably have been the exception. Alas.)
How will you use the ideas in this reading as you continue to learn more about teaching, and how could you apply these ideas to your future practice as a music educator?
I will (ideally) take some time to plan out specifically which of these ideas I can implement in a rehearsal setting, as well as to set goals for where I would like my students to be at certain milestones (I.e., “At the midway point of the semester, I expect my students to be able to correctly chant the rhythm of their part of the Holst First Suite”, and sing the melody, as well as identify where they have it).
Using the skills I’ve learned in Dr. Taggart’s Early Childhood class, I would also look at designing or adapting some of the techniques for guiding preparatory audiation for older students – particularly if I were aware that there were kids in the ensemble who weren’t audiating (which I’m sure there will be).
Music Education at the Tipping Point
ReplyDeleteWhat was the author writing about? What was her or his main point or argument? How did the author support her or his assertions?
At the end of the article, Dr. Kratus made a great point that the “sticky” ideas (the ones that were fun and different and worked) were not inherently “cool” in and of themselves, but through the dedication and passionate support of one of two committed teachers, they were able to succeed. Though this was only really a postscript to the article, it grabbed me as also being kind of the point – yes, curriculum does matter, and it’s nice to have some kind of hook to get kids in the door – but no amount of gimmick, electric guitars, rock band, or technological equipment can get kids engaged in a class where the teacher isn’t also engaging. Which begs the question – is it really the content that needs to change? Or is it our approach that needs to be re-evaluated.
Did you agree or disagree with the author? Why?
I agree with Dr. Kratus about so many things, especially this article. We got the chance to discuss this particular article with him last spring in MUS 277, and one of the things I was most struck by was when he said something along the lines of, “We as music educators get into all these arguments about what’s important and what the big issues are and what we should play for festival, and we forget why we’re here in the first place. We’re here because music is fun.” Essentially, Dr. Kratus reminded us that kids don’t really care about solfege or band rep or the enrollment in music classes in the state of California – what interests them in music – and what keeps them coming back, hopefully – is that music is fun. I think that’s one of the most important pieces.
How did your personal experience as a musician and/or a teacher influence how you think about this reading?
I think the “music is fun” thing plays a huge role for me. I’ve always been neck-deep in music, because when I’m “musicing”, I’m having the time of my life. Sometimes I’ll be sitting in class with this huge grin on my face because music is just so much fun. That really hit home with me.
How will you use the ideas in this reading as you continue to learn more about teaching, and how could you apply these ideas to your future practice as a music educator?
I think I already touched on this earlier, with the whole “attitude first” thing. I think that it’s important to preserve the tradition of the concert band in one sense, because it is a truly American art form (band was the first real American music), and because it’s an important piece of our history. That said, I think that there are definitely ways to make band “stickier” and more fun, more engaging to kids. As a teacher, I will make an effort to take days off from full ensemble rehearsal to focus on other musical projects, whether it be a day to mess around with Garage Band and record a song or a day of singing protest songs or a drum circle. I think a big part of making music fun for kids is not doing the same thing every day – having the ability to be spontaneous, and being able to say ‘yes’ when a kid asks if he or she can try something.
I think the most important thing is that idea of saying ‘yes’, as often as you can. Encouraging creativity is a huge deal in music, and being a teacher who can do so will make kids so much more engaged in the classroom.
Williams – The Elephant in the Room
ReplyDeleteWhat was the author writing about? What was her or his main point or argument? How did the author support her or his assertions?
The article addresses the need for music classes in the secondary setting outside of the traditional “ensemble classes”, and emphasizes the need for these classes to be taught differently from the way the ensemble classes are, in a manner that best befits their unique and inherent ideas. For instance, the article mentioned that it would not be as worthwhile to teach a guitar class the way one would teach a band – with everyone in straight rows playing the same song – because it’s not authentic to the area of music being taught.
Did you agree or disagree with the author? Why?
I agree that there is a need for more non-ensemble (or different types of ensemble) classes at the secondary level, and I think that it’s absolutely vital that we try to involve as many kids as we possibly can in school music (because I believe they really, truly need it). At the same time, the realist in me recognizes that even if a music department in a given school district is on board with this idea, convincing the administrators and parents of the same may prove to be impossible. Williams made the point that one of the great hurdles for implementing new ensembles is the fact that music teachers currently in the profession were trained almost exclusively in the traditional ensemble model. What the article didn’t address was the fact that many parents and administrators received equal exposure to that traditional ensemble model and may view it as the only “real” or “good” way for music education to exist in schools.
In short, I think that the theory is great, and that in a perfect world, we could implement and have 100% music participation and graduate tons of well-rounded kids, but realistically, there would be a lot more battles to fight than simply figuring out how to teach “World Music 101”.
How did your personal experience as a musician and/or a teacher influence how you think about this reading?
ReplyDeleteMy own experience has been sort of on both sides of this article. For the most part, my secondary school musical experiences were almost exclusively in a large-ensemble setting, which I happened to love, but I realized that most of my classmates were not there for the content of the class, but rather to make friends and socialize (which is all well and good, but wouldn’t it be great if we could get kids excited about music too?). At the same time that I was in so many large ensembles, though, I also got the chance to participate in several extracurricular ensembles, such as the pit for musicals (which was different and a lot of fun), chamber groups (which, as mentioned in the article, gave me as a student a lot more chance to be a self-directed learner and start making my own musical decisions), and jazz band. All of these experiences, though, were still within the realm of “esoteric school music” – they really didn’t have anything to do with what most of my friends had on their iPods.
I was lucky enough in high school to study privately with a doctoral student here at MSU (and occasionally have a lesson with Professor Lulloff as well), and my private teacher (bless him) always encouraged me to participate in as many studio events as I possibly could, which usually involved a lot of contemporary saxophone music. The world of new music was entirely foreign to me in high school, and despite a brief negative reaction initially, I found myself learning to really enjoy some aspects (and many pieces) of contemporary music-making. I also found that a lot of the contemporary techniques (and the saxophone repertoire is almost exclusively composed of “new music”) had a lot more relevance to the music I was listening to away from academia.
So, in a sense, I had both the large ensemble and the alternate ensemble experience, and I would wish the same for any student of mine.
How will you use the ideas in this reading as you continue to learn more about teaching, and how could you apply these ideas to your future practice as a music educator?
ReplyDeleteI think that one of the biggest fallacies in music education today is in thinking that we have to be in one camp or the other – that our classes must be either a “traditional ensemble” or some other, alternative class. I think that there are ways that the two could be combined, and with a little tweaking and experimentation, be very effective. For instance, one day a month (or every week or every two weeks, or whatever works) in band class could be “drum circle day”, where instead of sitting in the band setup with instruments, everyone sat in a circle and experimented with creating different drum beats as a class (Not only would kids think this is cool, but it would greatly help their ability to count correctly and audiate rhythm).
That being said, I think that there is also a need for strictly non-ensemble music classes, especially classes that are based in music making (rather than music history or theory). It would be my goal as an educator to develop programs in areas like Caribbean or Asian music, electronic music, pop, rock, and songwriting, and other areas that might be of relevance or interest to students. The challenge would be in planning for these classes and making sure that instruction is accessible, useful to students, and true to the intent of the original source. I think that, ideally, I would offer one such course each year, rotating between several different courses in an effort to engage different students.
One thing that I think is also really neglected is the idea of “Independent Study” in music – the “If you build it, they will come” approach. Some of my most valuable musical experiences have been when I was simply sitting in a room with an instrument or a computer or a pencil (to tap on something). I don’t think we can discount the value of “guided musical playtime” – a class that was essentially “You have to turn in projects at x times, but these projects can be whatever you want, as long as you submit a proposal and I approve it”. Ideally, kids could all be working on musical projects, by themselves or in groups, and the instructor would be there for clarification, explanation, and creative inspiration – the Montessouri approach to music.
Are Students Learning Music in Band?
ReplyDeleteIn this article Tom Dodson discusses the role of bands in schools, as well as strategies to build musical intelligence. Defining music as the art of expression in sound, Dodson also states that performance is not merely a display of accurate psychomotor skills. Cognitive activity is a critical component to be integrated with performance preparation. Dodson provides exercises dealing with audiation and active listening to accomplish these goals.
Overall I agree with ideas Dodson expresses. I find the activities he provides to be very helpful as well. My personal experience doesn’t have too much influence on my impression of the article due to my lack of time spent in front of an ensemble. I’ve never had the opportunity to experiment with Dodson’s strategies, nor have I been in a situation requiring them. However, I believe that these procedures would be very beneficial to enable more musical development in the band setting.
Good Rhythm and Intonation from Day One in Beginning Instrumental Music
ReplyDeleteThis article advocates for the use of Gordon’s Music Learning Theory in a beginning band setting. Too quickly students are thrown into a fast-paced curriculum that prepares them mainly for the first concert. Conway however believes that students will benefit much more if they are given time to learn to audiate rhythms and tonalities along with developing proper tone, posture, rhythm, articulation, and intonation before any notation is introduced. These skills are the foundation for participation and creation of music and yet can easily be overlooked in elementary general music classes.
After just finishing Dr. Taggart’s Early Childhood Music Education class, I was excited to read how MLT can still be used and incorporated into instrumental classroom settings. Our middle school band met only for an hour each week and so the importance of notation and pressing the right fingers down was the main focus. It wasn’t until my sophomore year of high school that my private teacher started working with me on audiation and intonation. I agree with Conway in that Gordon’s method can and should be incorporated into instrumental programs. The ability to audiate rhythms, tonalities, and intonation will help students a great deal for years beyond beginning band.
Are Students Learning Music in Band?
ReplyDeleteIn this article Tom Dodson questions how much of an education students are truly receiving in the large ensemble. It is so easy for teachers to be distracted by the need to build repertoire for performances and in the process, deny students of a more rounded musical education. Dodson states that, “Realizing that a good performance does not guarantee musical understanding, and recognizing that a series of momentary successes does not naturally lead to a lifelong involvement with music, members of our profession have suggested that by acquiring musical knowledge along with performance skill, students in ensembles would gain greater musical independence.” He follows up this argument by providing several helpful ideas to incorporate more audiation exercises, critical thinking, and analysis into the rehearsal to expand student learning.
I agree that much more can be added to a large ensemble rehearsal. By helping students to understand the music before even attempting to perform can help improve their musicality and intention. In high school, our teacher worked hard to expand our understanding of the repertoire that we had. He would play the music as we walked into class, gave us simple assignments on the history of the song or bio of the composer, and would pass around the score and ask questions on the form, themes, and instrumentation. We had days of sitting next to an instrument completely unrelated to our own part and other days singing basslines and melodies. The exercises were very beneficial to our personal growth as musicians and our understanding of the notes on our stands. I hope to carry on some of these exercises as well as many other practices to enhance musical learning.
The Elephant in the Room
ReplyDeleteWilliams identifies the large music ensemble as being an outdated model and appropriately labels it as the elephant in the room when talking about music education. Williams cites data collected from research studies from Florida high schools, indicating that enrollment in music classes was not only very low, but continuing to decline. The main point of the article was about updating the classroom model for music education and different opportunities that follow as a result.
As with the other authors, I completely agree with David Williams. The traditional large ensemble and the traditional music education model need to be re-built from the ground up. Many say that there are still A LOT of benefits to be gained from the large ensemble, so educators eventually keep the basic model (95%) and add in a really cool, hip-hoppin’ modern technology component. And…. Voila! We think this is going to revolutionize everything and enrollment will skyrocket, musical superstars will emerge, and a complete reversal of trends will occur. However, as I’ve seen, this is not the case and such a small change does not yield these very ideal situations.
When I was in high school, I remember our band director requesting the funding to add two speakers and a projector to the band rehearsal space. We were so excited for this new equipment and I was mature enough to know that the director had hoped this would return the band to its glory days of triple-digit enrollment and great music making. Looking back, however, it’s easy to see why this didn’t move the program in the way that he had hoped. If we as music educators want to change the way music is taught, it’s going to have to be an uncomfortable change. We HAVE to throw away all traditional conventions and start fresh, resulting in a new program that is dictated strictly by what is happening now in the world of music. We need to learn to teach small bands with guitars, drum kits, synthesizers, etc.; we need to learn to teach our students how to write/transcribe musical material; we need to learn to teach music production and music editing. This outlines a dramatic shift in music education, and it won’t be a change exclusive to music teacher; rather, the change will also need to be accepted by administration and other faculty.
Music Education at the Tipping Point
ReplyDeleteDr. Kratus describes that music education is at a tipping point of sorts. He supports his claim by references studies concerning the enrollment numbers of student in music classes in California. While California’s school population has risen, the population of kids enrolled in music classes declined. The article’s main focus and point is that of the tipping point and how disconnected in-school music is compared to out-of-school music.
Dr. Kratus sends a message that resonates with many people, including me. I agree with everything that he says because he’s absolutely right in his examples of how the world of music education is becoming more and more disconnected from the world of music. These two worlds should not be separate entities: unrelated and unconnected; rather, they should be deeply interconnected: changing as the other changes and evolving to best meet the needs of the other. As a result of this relationship, the world of music education will transform to meet the educational, creative, and musical needs of both the student and the teacher. An engine that functions in this design will work FOR the advocacy of in-school music and the importance it serves in developing a well-rounded, successful student leaving high school. Getting to this utopian world of music education won’t be easy, though.
Dr. Kratus also touches on a very important point: many collegiate music school aren’t changing to meet the needs of incoming students, therefor they produce teachers who only know how to teach what they’ve learned. The tragedy is that graduating music teachers have been steeped in an outdated system which no longer works. So, when it comes time for that teacher to step outside of his or her comfort zone, the attempt is thwarted by fears of the unknown or fears that he or she might get fired. If teachers are to be expected to change the world of music education, then colleges need to rise to the occasion and model the change they wish for their teachers to carry out. If we re-appropriate Gladwell’s terminology in a more global sense, here’s what I believe: Mavens = great minds at major colleges and universities, Connectors = administrative faculty and major music companies/producers, Salesman = music teachers. I realize this is also a case of the chicken and the egg, but I think it works to demonstrate an opportunity at the collegiate level for music education.
Kratus
ReplyDeleteIn this article Dr. Kratus explains that music education is in trouble because the ideology and practice has not changed with the cultural and social change.music is in danger of failing as an education subject, similar to Latin, if we, as music educators, are not able to change and adapt to meet our students needs. I think Dr. Kratus address several interesting and critical points in this article. Perhaps the most interesting static to me is the decline of music education in the school system coupled with a population that, at least in theory, believes the arts in education are very important. Dr. Kratus points out that 93 percent of people regard the arts as critical to educational system. I believe this disconnect stems from the way the arts, specifically music, are consumed. The general population still aknowledges the arts are a vital part of our society and school system but music education must adapt to changing forms of consumption. It is important to notice the thriving music programs but also notice that many thriving programs are not in lower income and minority school systems. It is clear to me that as our student have become more diverse both as individuals and in their taste in music, music education has become more homogenous. We rarely play anything outside the 'standard' repetoire except for those rare pop concerts, musical theatre arrangements, or cheesy gospel piecesat the end of a concert. We must diversify. Our students should see a cultural connection to the repetoire we chose, the type of ensembles we create, and the performance opportunities we provide. I am not saying we need to scrap Beethoven or Stravinsky, but we need to provide our students with an array of musical experiences so that they can create value formozart and bach though comparison of art forms they connect to more easily. I agree with Dr. Kratus and truely believe that despite the obstacles of the economy and national pressure, we are responsible for reshaping music education and making it a vibrant part of the educational system once again.
Conway
ReplyDeleteIn this article, the authors addresses a need for good rhythm and intonation on the first day, before the development of executive skills. Conway argues that too often beginning band teachers focus on the technical skills of the instrument before the musical or audiation aspects. Before a student plays an instrument, he/she must be comfortable with singing in tune and audiating the pitch before it is played.
Having joined band midway through highschool, after everyone had began on their instruments, I never experieced a typical 'first day of band' However, I feel as though Conway addresses a valid point. We are teachers responsible for teaching music, and being able to hold an instrument and make a sound is NOT music. Musicianship is the most intriging and important aspect of music eduction so I see no reason for a beginning band teacher to start with exclusivly technical skills. This type of education requires strong communication between the elementary and secondary teachers and a band teacher who has the tools to effectivly teach musicianship without instruments. Conway's suggestions are more easily preached than practiced, but I believe it is our responsibility to make our students musicians and therefore a successful beginning band must begin with musicianship.
Tom Dodson, “Are Students Learning Music in Band?”
ReplyDeleteDodson argues that it is equally important for students to develop both technique and musicality in high school band class. Traditionally, bands focused more heavily on technique, but now there is a greater need for developing musical skills. I agree with Dodson that there should be a great emphasis on musical skills, and thought he including some helpful examples. However, none of his examples suggested discussing interpretation, imagery, or verbal descriptions of musical style. In order to play and understand musicality, students have to understand how music can serve as an emotional and expressive outlet. Students must become attached to the music in order to develop a curiosity about truly understanding it. Dodson’s examples and argument will help students understand the music more deeply. However, I strongly believe that as teachers, we have to introduce ideas that will make students want to understand the music, and Dodson misses that step.
Sarah Tomlinson
Dr. Kratus' article is about how music education has fallen behind and is declining in interest in schools even though the general population believes music education is essential. This is because not much has changed in the way we teach music since the 19th century. Kratus believes that music education is on the edge of being completely left behind in schools. He thinks we need to start serving the needs of kids today because the times are changing. I agree with Dr. Kratus in that we need to change something about how music education is taught. As educators, we need to make our subject appeal to the students of today, not of 20 or 30 years ago. Now, most kids have access to music 24 hours a day whether through an ipod, television, or a computer. We need to find a way to incorporate new technology into the classroom and try to make music making more exciting for children. I really like the idea of offering new ensembles for children to experiment and expand their musical world with. I love the idea of the ukulele orchestra and, depending on where I end up teaching, I would love to try this with my students and see if it can make students enjoy music making by themselves or as a large ensemble and make them become more active learners and participants. We need to change the way music is experienced by the students to match how they will be experiencing music in the outside world. Music is more of an individual thing now because of ipods so we need to somehow keep the individuality going in our large ensembles if we continue with that method of teaching music. Professor Madden told us that a large ensemble is filled with individuals with their own individual needs and each student is like a plate spinning on a stick and that we have to keep each plate spinning and not let them fall. I love this analogy and I hope that I can keep this in mind when I am trying to find new ways to teach to the individual and to the large group.
ReplyDeleteDavid A. Williams “The Elephant in the Room”
ReplyDeleteThis article made me think back to high school and reflect on which of my musical experiences taught me my most valuable musical lessons. My private flute lessons were my most important education, because they greatly honed my technical, musical, and expressive skills. My flute teacher in high school demanded solid technique, but put the most emphasis on emotionally attaching to the music. My emotional attachment made practicing and performing much more meaningful. After my private flute lessons, both my AP Music Theory class and my youth orchestra expanded my musical depth. My Music Theory teacher was phenomenal because she was very organized and strict, yet knew ran they class with the idea that everyone there should be and was in love with music. I remember the day we learned secondary dominants, and she said that they were “the spice of my life!” She gave us a much deeper understanding of musical knowledge and gave us motivation to continue learning more. Neither my private flute lessons nor my music theory class were the standard large ensemble music class. My youth orchestra was a large ensemble, but it was not a part of my school system. Only one of my three most influential high school music experiences was within my school district, and even that class was not a large ensemble. By the time I was a junior in high school, I already thought my large ensemble at school was just a waste of time that I could’ve spent practicing. Students are not getting meaningful experience from large ensembles. The high level students are bored and the low level students do not care. We have to find a better way to engage all students.
John Kratus, “Music Education at the Tipping Point”
DeleteKratus’s article uses great research examples and strong arguments to point out that the current system of music education is falling out of favor very quickly. He writes about many ideas to explain why it is falling out of favor, such as the fact that most young people are more interested in playing guitar rather than oboe, he does not say much about why the system has not changed. However, I believe that one of the most valuable aspects of this article is Kratus’ attempt to understand why this radical decline in school music enrollment and interest is decreasing. Many other music education articles have argued that the reason we have not changed the system yet is because teachers and administration are afraid of change. While I agree that fear is always an influential factor in trying to create change, I also believe there must be a more meaningful, a more genuine reason. Kratus argues that current music educators feel an obligation to continue the musical traditions of the past. Yet how do we maintain tradition and still move forward? I think that music classes, whether they be large ensembles, music theory, music appreciation, or group lessons, need to show how our current music all stemmed from our past music. Once, one of the music teachers at my high school told me that Bach was the first jazz be bopper. This seems impossible, but I realized in college that he was right; Bach uses leading tones resolutions, modified scales over chord changes, and chromatic pitches just as a jazz musician improvises in a be bop style over chord changes. Which is cool! Bach was hip! I believe that incorporating more of these connections into every music class can help engage students, teach tradition, and push music in a modern direction.
Dodson,
ReplyDeleteThis article followed the title pretty closely. The suggestion is essentially that Bands in and of themselves are not efficient or even effective music learning sights. The author suggests that the music classes should incorporate other lessons that include components that contribute more directly to music understanding.
While I agree with nearly every suggestion that Mr. Dodson brings, I'm not a hundred percent sure I agree with the principles at the beginning of the article. "Does the band exist for the benefit of the students or do the students participate for the good of the band?Is the band's performance more important than student learning? What is the relationship between the nature and role of the school band." It is a good thing that these are murky. The answers to these questions can be different for the teacher and the students in the most effective programs.
My own education put a lens on this article of music selection. As a student in High School band, there was a stark difference between "school music" and "good music" even within the instrumental realm. Tchaikovsky and Led Zeppelin were both "good music" and Robert Smith was "school Music." it was the "good music that made me want to pursue music education, not the school music. Indeed, if I was only exposed to school music, I don't think I'd be here.
I definitely fully intend to utilize all of Mr. Dodson's suggestions as effectively as I can. Furthermore I recognize the importance of being conscience of actual student learning, rather than the sound of the band.
The Elephant in the Room by David A. Williams
ReplyDeleteThis article illustrates that the many factors that are leading to declining enrollment in music courses. One of these factors was the large ensemble which is holding less interest for teenagers. Williams states that we are trying to ignore the elephant in the room (the large ensemble system) because it has worked for so long that no one wants to try and change it. We try to add things to the current model rather than introducing completely new offerings like multicultural music. As music educators, Williams believes we need to break away from the structured, neatly rowed classroom and figure out a way to get the teacher out from the front of the classroom and the students as active participants.
I agree and disagree with Williams. I agree that more music classes need to be offered to teenagers such as guitar or keyboard because these instruments are becoming very popular and would draw in a whole new crowd of students. I disagree with the fact that we need to do away with the large ensemble. I personally loved playing in a large ensemble in my high school. I felt at home sitting with all my friends in one room working to make ourselves and our ensemble as a whole sound better. We all had one common goal and it felt great to be part of a team. Some students are individuals so guitar and keyboard might be the class for them, but for students like me, I wouldn't have been in music if I didn't have the opportunity to play in a large ensemble and to be part of that team.
As an educator, I will try to offer classes other than the large ensemble but still keep in mind that there are many benefits behind the large ensemble structure. I want to be the teacher that teaches to the individuals interest while still teaching to the whole.
Are Students Learning Music in Band? by Tom Dodson
ReplyDeleteDodson talks about the questions we need to ask ourselves about our current structure for teaching band/music to teenagers. He believes that we are basically "teaching to the test" by just rehearsing several pieces for an upcoming concert or competition. But, is this actually teaching kids music? Sure they play the notes and the rhythms, but are they actually understanding what is happening musically? Dodson writes that we need to incorporate both performance skills as well as musical knowledge into the everyday band rehearsal/class.
I agree that we need to do more than just prepare the band for the next performance. Sure that gets the job done of putting on a good show but I don't feel like students have actually learned much about the music other than putting the correct fingerings down in the right place. In my high school, we always had a midterm and a final and it was all music theory and ear training. My band director would sing a rhythm and we would have to write it down or play an interval on the piano and we would have to figure it out. We also had a written test with rhythm, intervals, cadences, keys, etc. Everyone in my band knew the basics of music theory and I think that took us beyond technique and helped us gain entrance into a deeper musical experience. During rehearsals, we also did many of the exercises outlined in this article and I feel like they really advanced my understanding of the music. I hope to be able to apply these exercises successfully into my rehearsals so that my students will be able to get the most out of their musical experiences.
Good Rhythm and Intonation from Day One in Beginning Instrumental Music by Colleen Conway
ReplyDeleteConway writes in her article that students are thrown into the world of notation too soon which can later hinder their musical abilities. "...students cannot learn to read what they have not moved to, responded to, sung to, improvised to, and audiated." She suggests that students learn to feel the macro AND micro beats because sometimes, students have a hard time when it comes to learning to feel subdivisions, but if they start learning these subdivisions from day one, students will develop this skill along with others very quickly and from the start.
I like the idea of not having notation for the first concert that a group performs but I'm not sure if I would feel comfortable teaching that way because I am inexperienced with that style. I think it would be great though to get students moving to the music from day one and singing rhythms in both duple and triple feel with the students feeling the subdivisions. I remember the day I learned 6/8 time. It baffled me. It would have been nice to not see that for the first time 2 years into my musical career. Sometimes I feel like notation gets in the way of the music making. I know that I play more musically when I am playing a piece from memory and it is a great feeling. I will definitely try to teach students to audiate and produce a good sound on their instruments before introducing notation.
“Are Students Learning Music in Band?” by Tom Dodson
ReplyDeleteTom Dodson’s “Are Students Learning Music in Band?” was written in 1989 and reflects on the quality of the music education experience of a student in band. The author first discusses the many roles that the band undertakes. There are military bands, community bands, collegiate bands, professional bands, etc. The band world has been evolving and this is evident through the more recent compositions that have been written specifically for band – as opposed to orchestral pieces that were transcribed for wind ensemble. Band is moving more into its own genre. Dodson then moves to question bands and the quality of learning that takes place. Many public school bands become focused on their next performance, with teachers feeling overwhelmed at the thought of adding more to their plate. However, are students learning music in band? Dodson suggests that there are ways to teach for the next performance while providing ways to make sure everyone is engaged. For example, teachers could ask questions that make the students think more analytically. A teacher could also ask the students to listen for something specific, which not only gives them something to keep them engaged, but also will overall make them more sensitive listeners. I agree with Dodson on his points in this article. I think that today, students are getting faster and it’s important for teachers to find ways to push them and keep everyone engaged. From personal experience, whenever a teacher used these strategies in a rehearsal, I not only found myself to be less bored, but I also felt like I knew the piece better. I really like the suggestions that Dodson makes about giving the students things to listen for and providing guiding questions to keep them engaged. I hope to implement these strategies into my own teaching.
“Good Rhythm and Intonation from Day One in Beginning Instrumental Music” by Colleen Conway
ReplyDeleteIn this article, Conway discusses the importance of having well developed skills in rhythm and intonation before moving further with a student. She makes the point that a student should be able to replicate rhythms, move to them, and subdivide at an earlier age. They should also have better aural skills and be able to sing back pitches, allowing for better intonation.
I agree with Conway in this article. I think that honing these skills earlier will allow for more success in the future. I think this would also give more control to the students over the music they are making. If a student does not possess these skills, then the sounds they make will almost be more of an accident. It’s one thing to tell a young trumpeter to hold down the first finger to play an F; it’s another thing to have them be able to audiate it before worrying about the fingers. If students could develop a stronger sense of internal rhythm and audiation, this will give them a greater sense of control over the music they eventually make with their instruments.
I always thought that I was a stronger musician because of possessing these skills early on. My mom and I would sing a lot together and she would always encourage me to dance, well, attempt to dance. When I first began in instrumental music in fourth grade, I felt like I had an advantage because of that. I have personally taught some students that seem like they’re guessing on their instruments. I have found myself spending some of their lesson times to practice exercises and discuss ways on their own to strengthen their rhythmic and aural skills. I think this is very important and will be something that I will continue to place value in when I start teaching.
“Music Education at the Tipping Point” by John Kratus
ReplyDeleteIn this article, John Kratus makes a point about the changes that are happening in music education. He begins the article by quoting Woody Allen in comparing relationships to sharks: “They have to keep moving forward or they die”. Kratus points out that this is similar to music education; if music education doesn’t move forward, it will die. Society is moving forward and yet, music education has nearly frozen. It is suggested that the resistance for music education to be radical is out of fear of losing programs. Music educators need to consider this and find ways to use this to their advantage. Many students are no longer simply interested in playing in a concert ensemble every day. They need more.
I agree with Kratus. I think that music educators need to keep their programs moving forward. I think that this should challenge teachers to embrace the current needs of students while still exposing them to the traditional teachings we have always valued. Implementing the new is important, though. There are constantly new advances in music technology that educators should be keeping up with. This year, I got to go to the music conference that we held at the Kellogg Center, “New Directions in Music Education”. One of my favorite sessions was one that was presented by Brian Franco titled “Music Making in the 21st Century: Implementing and Fostering a Need for Innovative Music Curriculum”. Franco is a young teacher who was faced with the challenge of recreating a curriculum for his Music Appreciation class. He was able to implement a lot of cool ideas, such as having his students create a music video, write a TV theme song, go through the process of an album production, and put on a live concert. Here’s his site, which I recommend checking out! http://web.me.com/weedsportmi/Weedsport_Music_Industry_I/Home.html
“The Elephant in the Room” by David A. Williams
ReplyDeleteThe article reflects on the effectiveness of the large classroom setting bands have had for many years. Williams states that this large classroom setup is a downfall for music education. He compares the large ensemble to the elephant, saying that it is an issue that educators continue to ignore. This makes the learning more impersonal and centers more focus on the teacher rather than giving more personal attention to the students. With fewer students, the focus could be more individualized and the students could have more control. Williams argues that the traditional large scale ensemble is becoming less appealing to students and that enrollment has also declined.
To some extent I agree with Williams, though not completely. I can compare a request for a smaller classroom size to playing in a chamber ensemble. I have played in a brass quintet every year since my sophomore year in high school. There are tremendous benefits to a chamber ensemble like that. With a smaller group, you carry more responsibility and have to make more musical decisions on your own. The teacher is still there, in my case as a coach, but the musical responsibilities were more on the students. On the other hand, there are some benefits from playing in the traditional large ensemble. Overall, I don’t think the large ensemble is something that should completely be scratched. In my own teaching, I will keep this in mind. I think it would be beneficial to incorporate smaller chamber groups and such.
Williams: Mr. Williams is convinced that what originated as a standard and effective way to teach music nearly a century ago has become a sandbag to music education as is exhibited by the enrollment in music classes in the United States and the disparity between the music of the large ensemble and the popular music in the United States today. The author begins by writing about the downfalls of the large ensemble highlighting the foolishness of continuing the model and proceeds to suggest alternatives.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do not disagree with Mr. Williams entirely, the aspects of his thesis with which I am unconvinced I disagree with flatly. Mr. Williams suggests that it is our ensemble’s lack of relevance that should disqualify them from the school system when in fact, I would suggest it is such a concept that makes them a necessity. If students aren’t exposed to this kind of music by a teacher than from whom would they learn real baroque, classical, and romantic music? Mr. Williams is suggesting that we forget about several centuries of western musical achievement all in the name of relevance. Music is not the only thing that is clinging to life within schools. I do believe that things other than the large ensemble should exist and I do believe that they should be taken seriously, but I do not believe that large ensemble “traditional” music should come at its expense. No student wants to learn calculus and trigonometry is quickly losing relevance but nobody seriously suggests collapsing math departments altogether. The same goes for athletic departments that cling to non-money sports such as wrestling or track and field.
My personal experience was shaped thus: In high school I took a class called “Guitar I” with a wrestling buddy of mine. In that class we had theory lectures, we learned to read melodies with notation, we learned rote songs without notation, we strummed chords to accompany one another and we ended the class with quartets. It was a very popular elective and I and my wrestling buddy also took “Guitar II” which had a similar but tangibly more advanced curriculum. While it was apparent that I left the classes with way more skills than my wrestling comrade, nobody left the class with nothing. In fact, everybody learned quite a bit. This class existed in the same room as one of the best high school orchestras in Michigan and was taught by the director. This teacher also taught a music technology class (recording) before he was unfortunately fired.
What I take away from this is that what this author suggests exist and it can exist alongside classical music. That is the kind of system I dream of working in.
Kratus:
ReplyDeleteIn this article, Dr. Kratus suggests that the times we live in, which are characterized by fast changes, a free flow of information, and an obsession with the individual have necessitated a fundamental and widespread change in music education. He goes on to say that this change has already begun and is unavoidable where it has not. The main issue leading to these changes has been the metamorphosis of music around the world and in the US contrasted with its relatively stagnant tendencies in schools. He also suggest that this change occurs on all levels through college in terms of music performance and production in schools.
While I agree with Dr. Kratus on the crux of this article, there are a few things that he takes a little too far. First, he overestimates the power of the internet. Social networking has sparked revolutions around the world, but in the US it has served to do little more than "keep in touch with people who should have been out of our lives 15 years ago" says Diablo Cody (the director of the recent film Young Adult). It also underscores the importance of real "classical" music. There is a huge difference between "classical" music and "school" music. Where classical encompasses baroque, classical, romantic, impressionist, expressionist, modern, and some post modern philosophies of music making, "school music" focuses on satisfying relatively arbitrary curriculum goals. On the subject that music education needs to gain relevance, embrace technology, and teach music more akin to the music that we listen to, Dr. Kratus is absolutely right.
My own music education was mired with the climate of change, but not with change itself. I participated in the traditional band and grew less interested in the music every year (starting in 6th grade) and probably would have quit if I hadn't joined Orchestra and gotten to play what I perceived to be real large ensemble music on a regular basis. I also participated in a jazz band to which the same applied. I was very uninterested in the school charts and very intrigued by the yellowing pages of what I believed was "real jazz." I also took a guitar class where I quickly grew very interested in rock and role and started to learn songs by rote on a regular basis. "School music" did not exist in the guitar world which perplexed me greatly.