BLOGS

This page holds all blogs for Teaching and Learning Music, 1802A.

Rose and Countryman - Repositioning the Elements

This article brought up some really interesting points. I think there was definitely a theme to it, and that was freedom. Students should have the freedom to enjoy music how they want, and curricular consultants should put less value on the traditional forms of what is ‘high’ and ‘low’ art.

I definitely agree with parts of it. I agree that there’s a lot of gatekeeping in the music community, especially around post-secondary education, and that students should not be pigeonholed into one particular style of music to be successful. For many of us, it’s not classical solos that made us love music. It can be rock, or pop, or jazz (which arguably has more of a place in the post-secondary musical world than anywhere else, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it is an often-overlooked discipline). Students should have the freedom to choose to study the music they love. That’s not to say they shouldn’t be exposed to other types of music – I think that’s an important part of music education. But if a kid wants to study certain techniques that don’t particularly apply to classical music, let them, and don’t shame them or tell them they’re less for it.

In addition, I think it’s a really troubling idea that such exclusivity is so present in the teaching community. People are (hopefully) teaching because they love their subject, and should be allowed to teach it in a way that is comfortable for them and their students. To be shamed for that or told that your teaching isn’t good enough is horribly hurtful.

I do, however, don’t think that we should necessarily stop teaching the elements of classical music, even for its historical value. No matter what, music as we know it started with those elements, and it is important to know what you came from, even if it’s not what you’re practicing. Not to mention, it probably is what you’re practicing in some respect. Knowing what timbre is, knowing how texture operates – these are important concepts not just for classical musicians. Having a knowledge of the basics of composition and music is not a bad thing. As long as they are taught in an open way, and in a way that makes it clear how much they apply to other styles of music, I think it’s not harmful to students to understand how modern music is made.

I think this article should be taken with a grain of salt. It definitely makes some really good points about how the way the elements are taught promotes exclusivity, but I think it was a little extreme at times. The elements of music can be taught in a non-harmful way without completely revolutionizing the system (at least the curricular system –it sounds like the social system could use a bit of a reboot). But all in all, I agreed with more than I disagreed with!

Works Cited

Rose, L. S., & Countryman, J. (2013). Repositioning ‘the elements’: How students talk about music. Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education 12(3): 45–64.

E. S. Tobias on Convergence and Contemporary Culture - Continuing the conversation Q2

I think the really fascinating element of participatory culture is that it is this innate desire to be a part of something. Music is so community-oriented that this doesn't come as a surprise, necessarily, but a point of interest, and my key to understanding the educator's role.

If we look at non-institutional musical organizations (community choirs and orchestras, non-classical bands and chamber groups, etc.) we see this beautiful trend of 'come for the music, stay for the friendships'. That is one of the joys of music, really. You get to express yourself in this wonderful way, make connections, and often discover things about yourself and others that you can't in any other environment.

Participatory culture allows not only for your 'average Joe', if you will, to engage in activities they love, but it allows them to engage in ways that they can be creative within and that they can be proud of. Participatory culture is the gateway into a lifetime of expression and joy, regardless of the creative discipline or genre, not to mention it is so much more appealing for students to examine that which they already have a desire to explore.

So the educator's role is to encourage participatory culture and integrate it into the classroom! Not just with music. Your English student has a book series they particularly love? Have them adapt it to a different medium. Your science student is fascinated by this one style of experiment? Allow them to try it for a project! Make sure students understand that it is a completely valuable form of exploration and that it is just as much learning as any lesson is - it just happens to be learning by practice rather than by theory.

Workshop Reflection

The workshop was so much fun! I loved getting the chance to work with my friends, but also to see things from the point of view of teachers and graduate students.

I went into it a little nervous. And quite tired - after all, I’m not usually awake at 9:00, let alone 7:30. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to focus. But as soon as we started tuning, things were looking up.

I had never played ukulele before. I figured it was just an easy thing to start with to get us going, but I actually found what Dr. Kruse was saying about how it has a historical significance and is an important part of Hawai’ian culture really fascinating.

For some background, I generally hate composition. Like really, really hate it. It’s just painful. Maybe it’s the vulnerability, maybe it’s just not my thing. But when Dr. Kruse told us, at the start of the morning, that we were going to be in groups writing songs, my heart sank. I was looking forward to the jam session and everything, but I was dreading the composition part all morning.

The jam session was great, by the way, and it was a really awesome way of helping us learn in a way that felt applicable to the world and increased overall interest.

My group had myself, two of my floormates (Scott and Taylor), a retired teacher returning to the field who had never taught music before (Joan), and a PhD student (Kelly). My floormates and I definitely looked to Kelly and Joan to take on a leadership role, which they did, but there was also room for us to contribute and we took advantage of it. We all threw in lyrics or chords at some point, and eventually came up with a song about how we wished Pluto was still classified as a planet. It was incredibly fun, and it felt like a safe environment for us all to offer ideas and collaborate. Even the performance element was comfortable. No judgement anywhere to be found.

It was a wonderful exercise in collaboration, vulnerability, creativity, and a great new skill to acquire. I’d love to do this kind of thing again, even at 9:00 in the morning.

The Secret Garden of Studio Teaching

In the article, one of the concepts in the ‘pedagogical implications of isolation’ section was that studio teachers in post-secondary institutions are largely not educators by trade, and this has a trickle-down effect that means not only do their students prioritize performance but those who become teachers are focused more on performance than learning. This can be really problematic, and it’s an easy fix, which is making students and teachers aware of it. Just a simple statement of ‘yes, we prioritize performance in a university setting sometimes, but keep in mind learning is the most important, and performance is a method through which we learn.’ That’s all it takes! Another portion of the article and something that I’ve felt and experienced was the idea that studios have cultures within them, and these shape both students and teachers (although the teacher has much more of a capability to set the tone). You can definitely feel the difference between your own studio and another even just watching a studio recital, but it’s also largely present in conversations. I feel lucky to be in the studio I am, because the culture suits me well. But I certainly also hear of studios that have many opposing or simply different traits to my own. What works for some people won’t work for others, both in social culture and in learning needs (which are highly influenced by social culture in the first place!). This can also be detrimental, though, if you’re in a studio that doesn’t work for you. I was told going in that it’s important to keep in mind, particularly in music, that not every style will work for you and you need to find the ones that do, but it can get very lonely (and very political) if you’re just in the wrong place for what you need.

One of the things Torin mentioned that I found interesting was the idea that you need to move students forward after about 4 years so their education doesn’t become stagnant. I hadn’t heard this before, probably because my private lessons have always been with self-employed professionals who need to keep students they already have to maintain a living. But I have noticed it here, where most masters students aren’t with the studio prof they did their undergrad with, and I have always been encouraged to take on educational opportunities with other teachers and profs.

Teacher Interview Synopsis

I know we aren't supposed to post links, but my interview was extra-long because I interviewed three of my former teachers, so it seemed the right thing to do. Here it is!

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nWjxXFhccYTEvvB_VIThAXNMHNqT7Zun8Si5-pxTPiE/edit?usp=sharing

Formal, Non-formal, and Informal Learning

Formal learning, by my definition, is learning that takes place in a structured environment, where students know what they are expected to learn. Every step of the way is carefully planned and directed by an instructor of some kind, often includes technical notation, and is focused on one direct purpose (learning how to trill on your instrument, learning how to read music, etc.). The most common way this is presented in secondary classrooms is in lessons, whether individual or group, but another way this can manifest itself and the way it is presented more often in elementary school classrooms is structured activities like bucket drumming (sense of rhythm) and musical rhyming games (lyricism). It generally focuses on a main learning goal and tends to be skill-driven.

Non-formal learning is less structured, but not completely lacking in structure. The process and environment tend to be a bit more relaxed and tends to have a more social element to it. The student has the power and is directing their own learning. The learning is conscious, but can either be incidental or intentional, and focuses on the balance of personal and social effects of the activity. It may have a leader, but it is not necessary, and uses a variety of media (notation, aural learning, and more). This can manifest itself in a classroom or teaching environment during groupwork, like our activity with the stamp music. The students ultimately decide what they’re doing with it. It can also be seen in a community setting. Self-directed learning in the community often seems to stem from adult learners, like in community choirs where each member has a say in the choice of music, the choreography (or whether there should be any at all) and the performance schedule and outfits. The director can monitor, but must also take a few steps back and let the learners make decisions about their own learning. This is structured learning that all members have set themselves up for, but what they do with the learning environment is up to them.

Informal learning starts in an informal setting! No lesson or meeting, no advanced planning. It happens fairly incidentally and the student is in total control of their own learning. There is no set process for this style, since the beauty of it is that it’s not preplanned. There are so many ways this can happen in a learning environment. It’s like when someone starts singing something and another learner just starts harmonizing, perhaps for the first time, or when a student picks up a piece of music and decides to play it. It is not directed by an instructor - it must be directed by the learner. It’s really stunning to watch when this happens.

E. S. Tobias on Convergence and Contemporary Culture - Moving towards convergence Q1

The eternal question of the music educator - something's gotta give, so what'll it be? What changes can be made that feel both gradual and refreshing?

I must clarify that I am not currently nor have I ever been running a music education program, so I can only base my critiques and ideas on the programs I am familiar with (namely, my high school music program).

I think there is a change that needs to occur in rep selection, but even as I say it I know I'm being hypocritical, because I really have a hard time with many modern school-level arrangements. I find a lot of contemporary music is arranged too simply or too, um ordinarily (?) to be engaging, or at least it was for me as a high-schooler. That said, rep selection could be a lot more varied, to allow for more engagement in ensemble settings. After all, no one will know or like every single piece their ensemble does, but when you do know a piece, it feels amazing to re-enact it, and even make those little changes that you wish were in the recording.

In a classroom setting, apply participatory culture to assignments! Have students parodize a song they know, or create a satyrical song to poke fun at another element of pop culture that they're interested in. Get them composing what they like and creating as a part of the community they want to be a part of!

What must we as music educators be willing to change, then? Curriculum, for one. We must also sacrifice some of our old classic favourite tunes for contemporary ones that students will enjoy.