1800-B
Music Education Readings
Re positioning 'The Elements': How Students Talk About Music
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.
After reading this article i enjoyed how it stated that the elements are a Eurocentric way of looking at music because i had never thought of our western music education system through a post colonialism lens such as that. I agree in saying that use of the elements is constrictive to the music making process as well as analysis. I also believe the elements promotes exclusivity towards other genres of music that use ways of pedagogy other than the elements such as classic Indian music, African dance music and even popular rock music.
It is quite heartbreaking to discover that only 5.7% of students enroll in grade 12 music courses. I find this disheartening because it was a course I had taken and enjoyed quite thoroughly as it increased my overall average while I was applying to university and gave me a sense of expression during the time i was in class. I find it sad that even though a lot of people listen to music and can tell you things they like about music and in some ways can experience it better than some practicing musicians they choose not to partake in classes that could help develop their skills.
Something I found interesting in this article was The rehearsal model presented in page 50. I can recall memories of the three R’s of repeating, re-enacting, and re-experiencing in all of my music classes at school. It seems to me that music education has tried to remove the emotional aspects of music from the listener in favor of a more rational approach similar to that of maths or sciences which I think is not very representative of how music naturally is or how we experience it in our day to day lives.
I agree with this article in how they say popular music is not prevalent in music education. In all my years of studying music the only time popular music was included was in my education was actually last weeks theory lecture which included one of Ed Sheeran’s songs “perfect.” This seems counterintuitive because it would seem to me like the best way to teach someone is to relate it to something they enjoy. In an interview within this article teachers talk of how they are scared to stray from the classical music curriculum they have been told to teach young learners even though the students much prefer popular music such as film scores or video game soundtracks which are equally as challenging if not more so than the classical curriculum . I think that maybe it is time that we begin to question if this method is really working for music education if only 5.7% of secondary school students choose to participate in this education. I think we should do as the article suggests and question the dominant culture. This is somewhat similar to what professor Benedict said when we should question commonly accepted practices to better understand the benefits of them.
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.
After reading this article i enjoyed how it stated that the elements are a Eurocentric way of looking at music because i had never thought of our western music education system through a post colonialism lens such as that. I agree in saying that use of the elements is constrictive to the music making process as well as analysis. I also believe the elements promotes exclusivity towards other genres of music that use ways of pedagogy other than the elements such as classic Indian music, African dance music and even popular rock music.
It is quite heartbreaking to discover that only 5.7% of students enroll in grade 12 music courses. I find this disheartening because it was a course I had taken and enjoyed quite thoroughly as it increased my overall average while I was applying to university and gave me a sense of expression during the time i was in class. I find it sad that even though a lot of people listen to music and can tell you things they like about music and in some ways can experience it better than some practicing musicians they choose not to partake in classes that could help develop their skills.
Something I found interesting in this article was The rehearsal model presented in page 50. I can recall memories of the three R’s of repeating, re-enacting, and re-experiencing in all of my music classes at school. It seems to me that music education has tried to remove the emotional aspects of music from the listener in favor of a more rational approach similar to that of maths or sciences which I think is not very representative of how music naturally is or how we experience it in our day to day lives.
I agree with this article in how they say popular music is not prevalent in music education. In all my years of studying music the only time popular music was included was in my education was actually last weeks theory lecture which included one of Ed Sheeran’s songs “perfect.” This seems counterintuitive because it would seem to me like the best way to teach someone is to relate it to something they enjoy. In an interview within this article teachers talk of how they are scared to stray from the classical music curriculum they have been told to teach young learners even though the students much prefer popular music such as film scores or video game soundtracks which are equally as challenging if not more so than the classical curriculum . I think that maybe it is time that we begin to question if this method is really working for music education if only 5.7% of secondary school students choose to participate in this education. I think we should do as the article suggests and question the dominant culture. This is somewhat similar to what professor Benedict said when we should question commonly accepted practices to better understand the benefits of them.
Hi Nathan,
Thank you for your thoughtful response. It’s really interesting you see you embracing such challenging ideas so enthusiastically. I wonder, did anything frustrate you from the article or did you find yourself disagreeing with anything? What would you say to the authors? I also found it interesting that one of the reasons you listed for enjoying your high school music class was that it raised your grade point average. Do you think that is an important reason that students should remain enrolled in music? What else might be done differently to encourage students’ continued participation in music in schools?
Best,
Eric
Thank you for your thoughtful response. It’s really interesting you see you embracing such challenging ideas so enthusiastically. I wonder, did anything frustrate you from the article or did you find yourself disagreeing with anything? What would you say to the authors? I also found it interesting that one of the reasons you listed for enjoying your high school music class was that it raised your grade point average. Do you think that is an important reason that students should remain enrolled in music? What else might be done differently to encourage students’ continued participation in music in schools?
Best,
Eric
Fumbling Towards Vulnerability: Moving Out of the Familiar for Music Education's Sake
Dawe, L. (2016). Fumbling Towards Vulnerability: Moving Out of the Familiar for Music Education’s Sake, Canadian Music Educator, (57)2, 22-24.
I found Leslie Dawe’s article quite informative about how she felt as a music student and now presently as she feels about being an educator. I think it’s strange how she refers to her music education as very black and white because if something as expressive as music can be taught to someone in a way that makes them think music is “black and white” then there must be some pedagogy that is fundamentally wrong.
When I think of teachers, Vulnerable is the last word that comes to mine. Bossy, nurturing, or even confident would be words that describe my past teachers, yet the way she uses the word is not how she is feeling when teaching it’s how she is feeling while trying to change her padagogy to one that supports creativity and enforces activity and participation.
I love that Leslie’s new approach to teaching is called the follow your dream program because it allows all students to apply what they have learned in a more collaborative and creative way that brings about enjoyment for these students. With that in mind it is shocking that Leslie says that only a small portion of students beyond grade 8 continue to enroll in music courses because her approach is in her opinion is better for the children than the more traditionalist approach.
When Leslie talked about how she flunked her audition in Jazz Band it reminded me of the jazz ensembles i’ve been a part of. I really enjoyed jazz band because I remember how the pieces were intuitive and “groovy.” There was this feeling in the air that all that mattered was if it felt good to play not whatever was written had to be played to a tee. With that in mind I believe that jazz band can bring about that follow your dream approach without sacrificing a need to teach the elements to students.
Lastly I think That Leslie is absolutely right about not throwing away the traditions of music education's past. There is a reason that traditional notation and the elements of music have existed for so long, it is because they are an effective way to show young learners the basics of music and give them a firm foundation of which to learn more advanced musical concepts from. However that is not to say that it cannot be improved upon, much like Leslie is saying music teachers need to find a way for music to be relatable to as many people as possible because everyone listens to music, so why shouldn’t they know how to play music too.
Dawe, L. (2016). Fumbling Towards Vulnerability: Moving Out of the Familiar for Music Education’s Sake, Canadian Music Educator, (57)2, 22-24.
I found Leslie Dawe’s article quite informative about how she felt as a music student and now presently as she feels about being an educator. I think it’s strange how she refers to her music education as very black and white because if something as expressive as music can be taught to someone in a way that makes them think music is “black and white” then there must be some pedagogy that is fundamentally wrong.
When I think of teachers, Vulnerable is the last word that comes to mine. Bossy, nurturing, or even confident would be words that describe my past teachers, yet the way she uses the word is not how she is feeling when teaching it’s how she is feeling while trying to change her padagogy to one that supports creativity and enforces activity and participation.
I love that Leslie’s new approach to teaching is called the follow your dream program because it allows all students to apply what they have learned in a more collaborative and creative way that brings about enjoyment for these students. With that in mind it is shocking that Leslie says that only a small portion of students beyond grade 8 continue to enroll in music courses because her approach is in her opinion is better for the children than the more traditionalist approach.
When Leslie talked about how she flunked her audition in Jazz Band it reminded me of the jazz ensembles i’ve been a part of. I really enjoyed jazz band because I remember how the pieces were intuitive and “groovy.” There was this feeling in the air that all that mattered was if it felt good to play not whatever was written had to be played to a tee. With that in mind I believe that jazz band can bring about that follow your dream approach without sacrificing a need to teach the elements to students.
Lastly I think That Leslie is absolutely right about not throwing away the traditions of music education's past. There is a reason that traditional notation and the elements of music have existed for so long, it is because they are an effective way to show young learners the basics of music and give them a firm foundation of which to learn more advanced musical concepts from. However that is not to say that it cannot be improved upon, much like Leslie is saying music teachers need to find a way for music to be relatable to as many people as possible because everyone listens to music, so why shouldn’t they know how to play music too.
Hi Nathan,
Thank you for your thoughtful response. Very interesting perception in distinguishing the vulnerability of teaching from the vulnerability of shifting pedagogical approach! I wonder if the small percentage of students enrolling in music beyond grade 8 has less to do with the author’s approach and more to do with the kinds of pedagogy continuing students will encounter with future teachers. Last, I think you’ve made an important observation about traditional notation and other components of music education by acknowledging that they are valuable but must remain open to improvement. Of course, not that we would be expected to improve notation itself (or any other traditional practice), but rather the way in which we incorporate it into our teaching and allow it to support our pedagogy as opposed to comprise it entirely.
Don’t forget to include questions for the author!
Best,
Eric
Thank you for your thoughtful response. Very interesting perception in distinguishing the vulnerability of teaching from the vulnerability of shifting pedagogical approach! I wonder if the small percentage of students enrolling in music beyond grade 8 has less to do with the author’s approach and more to do with the kinds of pedagogy continuing students will encounter with future teachers. Last, I think you’ve made an important observation about traditional notation and other components of music education by acknowledging that they are valuable but must remain open to improvement. Of course, not that we would be expected to improve notation itself (or any other traditional practice), but rather the way in which we incorporate it into our teaching and allow it to support our pedagogy as opposed to comprise it entirely.
Don’t forget to include questions for the author!
Best,
Eric
Wasiak, E. (2017) Unmasking the Hidden Curriculum in Canadian Music Education Canadian Music Educator.
I think that Ed is correct in assuming that “music programs are among the best vehicles for teaching positive life lessons.”
I think it is true that music is reflective of a particular culture history or way of life so it makes sense that one would need to understand the society in which the music comes from to fully appreciate what the music is trying to express. Even though this is true I don’t believe that music has much to do with social justice and social issues. Music is the means of expressing human life which is what links it to other things bu music in itself is not a part of social justice or secret life lessons about racial hierarchy or democracy. This article seems to be grasping straws that as a teacher your job is to teach students not your subject, but he then says that teaching music and social justice go hand in hand which seems contradictory
When considering Ed’s bullet points I think that anyone is allowed to learn music in canadian schools, we include anyone willing to participate and those who have a firmer grasp of the basic elements of music are privileged and will generally do better than those students who do not know the elements as well. I have been taught by men and women but all of them have come of european descent which Is admittedly unsettling thinking back in hindsight since I have had many music teachers and guest conductors none of whom i remember being of non european descent. Most music that is taught in post secondary school is what we first years like to call “dead white man music.” which is mostly western music from germany and Italy and some of France written from composers like Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, Tallis, and Haydn who are all european. The way we learn this music is by focusing on the elements of music which also come from a very whitewashed background. I don’t think we explicitly say that non white music is bad music but implicitly it is something never discussed or learned about because it is foreign to our way of music education in which european music is favoured to be the best.
I think that Ed is correct in assuming that “music programs are among the best vehicles for teaching positive life lessons.” I believe that great life lessons can be learned in the music room but I cannot think that Music is promoting eurocentrism because music is music,however it is difficult to not see how influenced music has become by western culture.
I think that Ed is correct in assuming that “music programs are among the best vehicles for teaching positive life lessons.”
I think it is true that music is reflective of a particular culture history or way of life so it makes sense that one would need to understand the society in which the music comes from to fully appreciate what the music is trying to express. Even though this is true I don’t believe that music has much to do with social justice and social issues. Music is the means of expressing human life which is what links it to other things bu music in itself is not a part of social justice or secret life lessons about racial hierarchy or democracy. This article seems to be grasping straws that as a teacher your job is to teach students not your subject, but he then says that teaching music and social justice go hand in hand which seems contradictory
When considering Ed’s bullet points I think that anyone is allowed to learn music in canadian schools, we include anyone willing to participate and those who have a firmer grasp of the basic elements of music are privileged and will generally do better than those students who do not know the elements as well. I have been taught by men and women but all of them have come of european descent which Is admittedly unsettling thinking back in hindsight since I have had many music teachers and guest conductors none of whom i remember being of non european descent. Most music that is taught in post secondary school is what we first years like to call “dead white man music.” which is mostly western music from germany and Italy and some of France written from composers like Chopin, Beethoven, Mozart, Tallis, and Haydn who are all european. The way we learn this music is by focusing on the elements of music which also come from a very whitewashed background. I don’t think we explicitly say that non white music is bad music but implicitly it is something never discussed or learned about because it is foreign to our way of music education in which european music is favoured to be the best.
I think that Ed is correct in assuming that “music programs are among the best vehicles for teaching positive life lessons.” I believe that great life lessons can be learned in the music room but I cannot think that Music is promoting eurocentrism because music is music,however it is difficult to not see how influenced music has become by western culture.
Hourigan, R. (2009). The Invisible Student: Understanding Social Identity Construction within Performing Ensembles. Music Educators Journal, 95(4), 34-38. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/30219236
I find Hourigan’s thoughts and ideas about Invisible students quite interesting because I can remember students in many of my ensembles who seldom talked with others and just came in to play some music and then left, I have also been one of these invisible students in a few ensembles and I don't find it’s because I lack social abilities but it does really strike true when she states there are missed opportunities as I had joined the ensemble later than everyone else which contributed to my isolation. Another thing that interested me from this article was that it was a somewhat disabled student who was invisible. I find this interesting because it seems to me that the article is insinuating that it's not a common thing to be invisible even though i believe that there is at least one invisible member of every ensemble. By saying that Jason has a disability I think the audience begins to pair the term of an invisible person to feelings they have for students who might have a disability. I don’t know whether Hourigan intended for this cross reference to be made so that the audience would feel sympathy towards invisible students as they do for those who have disabilities or not but I think it has that effect.
Something from this article that surprised me was the big brother or big sister system. Where Hourigan assigned one freshmen to a senior and that senior would help show the freshman the ropes of highschool and the expectations of the band as well as to introduce the freshmen to the rest of the ensemble. I find this surprising because hourigan said it worked well but i have never seen a system like this implemented in any of the schools i've been to but reading it seems like a genius idea which promotes inclusivity and solidarity. It seems to me as though it would not work very well because the upper years would have formed cliques with others in their grade and would chose to shirk off the responsibilities of being the big brother or big sister.
I was not particularly frustrated by the article as most of the points that are made make sense and support the invisible student. The only complaint that I would make is that in the suggestions Hourigan says to pair your invisible student up with a student who is proficient in the class. I think that this would be unfair to the student who is excelling in class by making them practice with the invisible student who is not well versed in their instrument it may lead to negative feelings towards the invisible student as they have poor social skills. I realize that some people may be frustrated that the term invisible student exists but speaking from experience sometimes you are in an ensemble not because you want to get along with other students or you want to make friends but because of the love you have for music.
I would like to ask the author if they have developed any other ways to connect different grades in an ensemble as I find it the most challenging gap to cross because of the age difference as well as the difference of skill level between all four grades in high school. I would also like to ask if there were any other examples of invisible students you can remember who didn’t have a disability and if they struggled in the same way jason did or if their situation was less severe but still noticeable?
I find Hourigan’s thoughts and ideas about Invisible students quite interesting because I can remember students in many of my ensembles who seldom talked with others and just came in to play some music and then left, I have also been one of these invisible students in a few ensembles and I don't find it’s because I lack social abilities but it does really strike true when she states there are missed opportunities as I had joined the ensemble later than everyone else which contributed to my isolation. Another thing that interested me from this article was that it was a somewhat disabled student who was invisible. I find this interesting because it seems to me that the article is insinuating that it's not a common thing to be invisible even though i believe that there is at least one invisible member of every ensemble. By saying that Jason has a disability I think the audience begins to pair the term of an invisible person to feelings they have for students who might have a disability. I don’t know whether Hourigan intended for this cross reference to be made so that the audience would feel sympathy towards invisible students as they do for those who have disabilities or not but I think it has that effect.
Something from this article that surprised me was the big brother or big sister system. Where Hourigan assigned one freshmen to a senior and that senior would help show the freshman the ropes of highschool and the expectations of the band as well as to introduce the freshmen to the rest of the ensemble. I find this surprising because hourigan said it worked well but i have never seen a system like this implemented in any of the schools i've been to but reading it seems like a genius idea which promotes inclusivity and solidarity. It seems to me as though it would not work very well because the upper years would have formed cliques with others in their grade and would chose to shirk off the responsibilities of being the big brother or big sister.
I was not particularly frustrated by the article as most of the points that are made make sense and support the invisible student. The only complaint that I would make is that in the suggestions Hourigan says to pair your invisible student up with a student who is proficient in the class. I think that this would be unfair to the student who is excelling in class by making them practice with the invisible student who is not well versed in their instrument it may lead to negative feelings towards the invisible student as they have poor social skills. I realize that some people may be frustrated that the term invisible student exists but speaking from experience sometimes you are in an ensemble not because you want to get along with other students or you want to make friends but because of the love you have for music.
I would like to ask the author if they have developed any other ways to connect different grades in an ensemble as I find it the most challenging gap to cross because of the age difference as well as the difference of skill level between all four grades in high school. I would also like to ask if there were any other examples of invisible students you can remember who didn’t have a disability and if they struggled in the same way jason did or if their situation was less severe but still noticeable?
Series, D. Think Everything’s “Normal?” Then It’s Time To Reconsider And Promote A New Narrative Of Disability. Retrieved from Series, D. Think Everything’s “Normal?” Then It’s Time To Reconsider And Promote A New Narrative Of Disability. Retrieved from http://organizingchange.org/think-everythings-normal-then-its-time-to-reconsider-and-promote-a-new-narrative-of-disability/
It is interesting to me how the author uses deaf people when talking about disabilities and that deaf people think of themselves in a language minority rather than suffering from a disability which is strange to me because i think of being deaf as missing one of your senses which i would call a disability but to those who are deaf it is merely just a different way of living not a limiting way of living. When I think of being normal acting like others does foten come to my mind because being normal is not used when alone because you can compare relatively. This first section the author uses when speaking about how people try to fit in with the dominant worldview reminds me of my anthropology course last semester in which there is a term called the ethnocentric fallacy in which you cannot judge other cultures from the perspective of your own because you believe that your worldview is the correct one which I think basically sums up this culture of normalcy by assuming the dominant worldview is the normal way to live.
It surprised me the way the author included overcome a disability because I have heard that saying before. It is quite disturbing that the way people talk about disabilities in a negative way when those who have the disabilities don’t their disability as something to overcome, it is something they live with. Unfortunately like the article says we who do not have to deal with the problems of disabilities often assume that it is worse than living the so called normal life that we live. It is painful to read that those who have disabilities don’t have problems because of the disability itself but rather because of the oppression and ostracism they receive because of something that is more often than not out of their control.
I am not sure that I agree with the stance the author has on the medical field. When the article talks about Mia Mingus being forced to wear a brace it sounds awful and perverse but surely she would have been worse off if she was told the brace didn’t matter and could walk as she wanted as a child in which she has no authority over her life choices. It is one thing to talk about how the behaviour of normalcy is unjust and society should change but the medicine is most certainly not a place where society should change just because people get their feelings hurt by the doctors who tell them that they have mental or physical problems. If someone was blind and then had laser eye surgery to be able to see there would be a slim chance that person would think that correcting their vision was a way to take their freedom away, However if some people who have mental illness begin treatment then believe that their illness is no longer a problem and blame it on society for trying to change them that is most definitely not a problem of culture normalcy.
A few questions I have for the author would be; What do you consider the societal norms and how would you choose to challenge them, which norms if any do you think make sense to follow and have people strive to be like. Do you think that those with disabilities will agree with the solutions you have put forth and have you consulted with those who have the disabilities your addressing while having written this article.
It is interesting to me how the author uses deaf people when talking about disabilities and that deaf people think of themselves in a language minority rather than suffering from a disability which is strange to me because i think of being deaf as missing one of your senses which i would call a disability but to those who are deaf it is merely just a different way of living not a limiting way of living. When I think of being normal acting like others does foten come to my mind because being normal is not used when alone because you can compare relatively. This first section the author uses when speaking about how people try to fit in with the dominant worldview reminds me of my anthropology course last semester in which there is a term called the ethnocentric fallacy in which you cannot judge other cultures from the perspective of your own because you believe that your worldview is the correct one which I think basically sums up this culture of normalcy by assuming the dominant worldview is the normal way to live.
It surprised me the way the author included overcome a disability because I have heard that saying before. It is quite disturbing that the way people talk about disabilities in a negative way when those who have the disabilities don’t their disability as something to overcome, it is something they live with. Unfortunately like the article says we who do not have to deal with the problems of disabilities often assume that it is worse than living the so called normal life that we live. It is painful to read that those who have disabilities don’t have problems because of the disability itself but rather because of the oppression and ostracism they receive because of something that is more often than not out of their control.
I am not sure that I agree with the stance the author has on the medical field. When the article talks about Mia Mingus being forced to wear a brace it sounds awful and perverse but surely she would have been worse off if she was told the brace didn’t matter and could walk as she wanted as a child in which she has no authority over her life choices. It is one thing to talk about how the behaviour of normalcy is unjust and society should change but the medicine is most certainly not a place where society should change just because people get their feelings hurt by the doctors who tell them that they have mental or physical problems. If someone was blind and then had laser eye surgery to be able to see there would be a slim chance that person would think that correcting their vision was a way to take their freedom away, However if some people who have mental illness begin treatment then believe that their illness is no longer a problem and blame it on society for trying to change them that is most definitely not a problem of culture normalcy.
A few questions I have for the author would be; What do you consider the societal norms and how would you choose to challenge them, which norms if any do you think make sense to follow and have people strive to be like. Do you think that those with disabilities will agree with the solutions you have put forth and have you consulted with those who have the disabilities your addressing while having written this article.
Williams, D. A. (2014). Another Perspective The iPad Is a REAL Musical Instrument. Music Educators Journal, 101(1), 93-98.
I found David's definition of a musical instrument interesting in which he says a musical instrument is “a device used to produce music.” This is very broad and can be used to describe almost anything if you use that object to make music such as wine glasses or pots and pans or like cannons in Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture. I don’t think it matters what kind of instrument you are using as long as you are learning how to music from it. Music is an expressive art and as such can be manifested in many different ways that don’t have to include the “classical ways.”
It surprised me how much time and effort was put into this iPad performance ensemble named touch. The way David describes it makes it seem to me that this group practices more than I do! I was not aware of how many apps there are to make music on an iPad and that they all had limitations and strengths. It is also surprising that these students involved in the touch ensemble seem to know more about how music works than other musicians who have learned on a classical instrument or a more contemporary one like guitar.
It is frustrating to hear that there are music teachers who do not believe in this pedagogy simply because David is using electronic instruments instead of the historically popular instruments such as clarinet and trumpet. I can’t fathom that there are teachers in the music world who believe that teaching a specific instrument is more important than teaching a music student in such a way that they would enjoy and want to pursue music for the rest of their lives.
I would like to ask the author a few question. Firstly, do you still conduct bands and or choirs on top of this iPad ensemble. Is the iPad ensemble an extra curricular for these students or have you developed a class specifically for learning with iPads, and if it is outside of class how can you be sure that you are giving the appropriate amount of time spending on learning fundamentals of the iPad as opposed to just playing with it? Have you ever considered taking out all the classical instruments of your school and replacing them with newer more electronic instruments (not necessarily iPads.) What is the age range of touch and how long have they been a group?
I found David's definition of a musical instrument interesting in which he says a musical instrument is “a device used to produce music.” This is very broad and can be used to describe almost anything if you use that object to make music such as wine glasses or pots and pans or like cannons in Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture. I don’t think it matters what kind of instrument you are using as long as you are learning how to music from it. Music is an expressive art and as such can be manifested in many different ways that don’t have to include the “classical ways.”
It surprised me how much time and effort was put into this iPad performance ensemble named touch. The way David describes it makes it seem to me that this group practices more than I do! I was not aware of how many apps there are to make music on an iPad and that they all had limitations and strengths. It is also surprising that these students involved in the touch ensemble seem to know more about how music works than other musicians who have learned on a classical instrument or a more contemporary one like guitar.
It is frustrating to hear that there are music teachers who do not believe in this pedagogy simply because David is using electronic instruments instead of the historically popular instruments such as clarinet and trumpet. I can’t fathom that there are teachers in the music world who believe that teaching a specific instrument is more important than teaching a music student in such a way that they would enjoy and want to pursue music for the rest of their lives.
I would like to ask the author a few question. Firstly, do you still conduct bands and or choirs on top of this iPad ensemble. Is the iPad ensemble an extra curricular for these students or have you developed a class specifically for learning with iPads, and if it is outside of class how can you be sure that you are giving the appropriate amount of time spending on learning fundamentals of the iPad as opposed to just playing with it? Have you ever considered taking out all the classical instruments of your school and replacing them with newer more electronic instruments (not necessarily iPads.) What is the age range of touch and how long have they been a group?
Tobias, E. S. (2013). Toward Convergence Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and Participatory Culture. Music Educators Journal, 99(4), 29-36.
I found it interesting how Tobias stated that “ Although not required for participatory culture to occur, technology and digital media play important roles in how people network, collaborate, create, and interact with music.” Because It ties in to how the I pad and other such objects that have been discussed in class can assist in the future of music education because it is more of an interactive tool. The first scenario listed in this article is quite reminiscent of the workshop that was conducted in class on Wednesday which I believe was very successful as I learned how to play the drums from no knowledge of it beforehand. Therefore it would make sense to me that these methods are fairly effective, Also he mentions the musical futures project which is the group that conducted the workshop.
I was unaware how large the remixing community was and that there were so many different programs one can use to remix tracks. When I think of remixing it usually involves a lot of different wubs and dubs and less musical thinking, so it surprised me when Tobias wrote that ” Orchestras, such as the Berlin and Brooklyn Philharmonics, hosted remix contests of Mahler's Symphony No. 1 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, respectively.”
Scenario was very surprising as i think this seems much too advanced for a classroom setting as most children have no concept of musical harmony in grades k-10 and even in grades 11 and 12 their knowledge of music is not at a point where arranging is possible. It frustrates me because I believe there is a difference in making music on purpose or by accident. Yes it is possible to stumble across harmonies that sound good to the ear while arranging or remixing but if the goal of this task is to have the student learn then there must be education on some level to this idea. Explaining harmonic concepts or answering questions students have while working on the project would be a sound example to me. When Tobias says that “ The opportunities for students to improvise over chord progressions, generate harmonic and melodic content within implied keys, reorchestrate existing instrumental parts, or build tension and release with their own rhythmic material while interacting with stems offer rich potential for musical expression, thinking, and learning” It sound like a fantastic idea but how will the students learn these skills by merely trial and error. Many artists that perform these kinds of remixes normally have several years of musical experience as well as a vast knowledge of musical theory.
iI have a few thoughts and questions for the author. I wonder how you plan on teaching your children the foundations of music. One of our considerations in figure 2 mentions what it means to be musically educated in the 21st century, I would like to know your stance on this? Do you believe one needs to know theory before composing or theory is merely a tool of analysis and not necessary for music making. Do you believe it is more important to have a large quantity of musicians or students in enrolled in music education or to have a higher quality of musicians who may be a small number but are proficient in their musicking?
I found it interesting how Tobias stated that “ Although not required for participatory culture to occur, technology and digital media play important roles in how people network, collaborate, create, and interact with music.” Because It ties in to how the I pad and other such objects that have been discussed in class can assist in the future of music education because it is more of an interactive tool. The first scenario listed in this article is quite reminiscent of the workshop that was conducted in class on Wednesday which I believe was very successful as I learned how to play the drums from no knowledge of it beforehand. Therefore it would make sense to me that these methods are fairly effective, Also he mentions the musical futures project which is the group that conducted the workshop.
I was unaware how large the remixing community was and that there were so many different programs one can use to remix tracks. When I think of remixing it usually involves a lot of different wubs and dubs and less musical thinking, so it surprised me when Tobias wrote that ” Orchestras, such as the Berlin and Brooklyn Philharmonics, hosted remix contests of Mahler's Symphony No. 1 and Beethoven's Symphony No. 9, respectively.”
Scenario was very surprising as i think this seems much too advanced for a classroom setting as most children have no concept of musical harmony in grades k-10 and even in grades 11 and 12 their knowledge of music is not at a point where arranging is possible. It frustrates me because I believe there is a difference in making music on purpose or by accident. Yes it is possible to stumble across harmonies that sound good to the ear while arranging or remixing but if the goal of this task is to have the student learn then there must be education on some level to this idea. Explaining harmonic concepts or answering questions students have while working on the project would be a sound example to me. When Tobias says that “ The opportunities for students to improvise over chord progressions, generate harmonic and melodic content within implied keys, reorchestrate existing instrumental parts, or build tension and release with their own rhythmic material while interacting with stems offer rich potential for musical expression, thinking, and learning” It sound like a fantastic idea but how will the students learn these skills by merely trial and error. Many artists that perform these kinds of remixes normally have several years of musical experience as well as a vast knowledge of musical theory.
iI have a few thoughts and questions for the author. I wonder how you plan on teaching your children the foundations of music. One of our considerations in figure 2 mentions what it means to be musically educated in the 21st century, I would like to know your stance on this? Do you believe one needs to know theory before composing or theory is merely a tool of analysis and not necessary for music making. Do you believe it is more important to have a large quantity of musicians or students in enrolled in music education or to have a higher quality of musicians who may be a small number but are proficient in their musicking?