Reynolds, H. Robert. "Repertoire Is the Curriculum." Music Educators Journal 87.1 (2000): 31. Web.
H. Robert Reynolds describes the importance of repertoire in the music curriculum in a way that is irrefutable. Repertoire does not make up the entire curriculum, but it is an important part of a holistic music education. In the article, Reynolds lists ways to become familiar with more music, whether it be through standard repertoire lists or new music. Attending concerts, networking with colleagues, and keeping lists are among the most important steps to knowing as much music as possible.
It is difficult for me to be distrustful of H. Robert Reynolds because his reputation in our profession is legendary. He provides some very useful ways to learn more music, but there seems to be a larger, overarching theme of this article. It seems as if Reynolds is saying that staying active in the music community and never ceasing to be curious is the ultimate tool for learning about literature.
1. How can I determine a quality piece from one that may have no value?
2. What are some resources to assist in finding quality music specifically for younger ensembles?
3. What role do transcriptions and arrangements play in the wind music world?
Music Literature and Repertoire (Selected Readings)
The readings included in this list all assist the educator in either the process of finding music, or by listing pieces that have been proven to be important and educational to students who study them. The steps involved in the process of finding music include determining the musical needs of your concert season, determining the playing skills of your ensemble, evaluating music, and matching the music to your purposes. After laying out the steps, lists are provided for educators to begin going through that process.
I really appreciate the knowledge on how to find good music, but what is really helpful for me is to see lists of pieces that have been played enough to earn the respect of educators and performers. These lists are very telling of what is appropriate vs. inappropriate. A variety of different ensembles have played those pieces, so I know that my ensemble will be able to approach the pieces on the list, despite our diversity.
1. Does it sometimes make sense to program for the audience if the piece is not helping students grow?
2. What should a concert program look like in terms of difficulty for the students?
3. How do I decide what grade level is appropriate for an ensemble? Should they be able to read it easily so they can dig into the musicality quicker?
Tuesday, October 27, 2015
Monday, October 26, 2015
10/26
Fant, Greg. "Motivational Ideas for the Musical Ensemble." Music Educators Journal 81.5 (1995): 17. Web.
Fant's article is about student motivation in music ensembles. Initially, he presents common reasonings for students participating in music in school, whether it be for the music or for social reasons. Questioning reasonings for doing certain things should be a part of everybody's thought process. Fant discusses a few different types of motivation that can be utilized in a classroom, including incentive motivation, fear motivation, and intrinsic motivation, or growth motivation.
Motivation is an extremely important to me as a teacher and a student of music. In different activities I find myself motivated for different reasons. Whenever I take part in something with a growth mindset, I am more driven to do well for my own benefit than if I am extrinsically motivated. This is not to say that extrinsic motivation is not effective. It can be very beneficial, but growth motivation is a stronger form of motivation for an individual and will last more long term than other forms of motivation.
1. How can I know when students need a certain type of motivation to accomplish a task?
2. Even though extrinsic motivators can be effective, does that mean they should be used?
3. How can an educator encourage a constant desire for growth motivation in students?
Kenny, William. "Rehearsal Traps." The Instrumentalist (1996): 13-18. Web.
Kenny lists and describes certain traps that directors fall into in their teaching. These traps include the dynamics, superconductor, tuning, talking, drilling, repertoire, and other traps. It seems as if the more teaching experience you have, the less likely you are to fall into these traps, assuming that you haven't become set in a routine. Getting caught in these traps can mean that your students are not getting the most out of their music experience. Too often music becomes about the conductor, but the conductor is truly the least important person in the room.
I like this article a lot because I think every educator, and every human being for that matter, has their own "traps" that they consistently find themselves falling into. For an educator, falling into these traps means the downfall of our students. The traps presented in this article are just a few examples of falling into a routine that is not conducive to student growth and can actually cause a lot of unhappiness in the educator.
1. How do these traps come to be a problem? From past experience? Past directors?
2. What are some ideas for getting out of these traps?
3. It always seems like music educators fall into these traps more than other educators. Is this true? If so, why is that?
Fant's article is about student motivation in music ensembles. Initially, he presents common reasonings for students participating in music in school, whether it be for the music or for social reasons. Questioning reasonings for doing certain things should be a part of everybody's thought process. Fant discusses a few different types of motivation that can be utilized in a classroom, including incentive motivation, fear motivation, and intrinsic motivation, or growth motivation.
Motivation is an extremely important to me as a teacher and a student of music. In different activities I find myself motivated for different reasons. Whenever I take part in something with a growth mindset, I am more driven to do well for my own benefit than if I am extrinsically motivated. This is not to say that extrinsic motivation is not effective. It can be very beneficial, but growth motivation is a stronger form of motivation for an individual and will last more long term than other forms of motivation.
1. How can I know when students need a certain type of motivation to accomplish a task?
2. Even though extrinsic motivators can be effective, does that mean they should be used?
3. How can an educator encourage a constant desire for growth motivation in students?
Kenny, William. "Rehearsal Traps." The Instrumentalist (1996): 13-18. Web.
Kenny lists and describes certain traps that directors fall into in their teaching. These traps include the dynamics, superconductor, tuning, talking, drilling, repertoire, and other traps. It seems as if the more teaching experience you have, the less likely you are to fall into these traps, assuming that you haven't become set in a routine. Getting caught in these traps can mean that your students are not getting the most out of their music experience. Too often music becomes about the conductor, but the conductor is truly the least important person in the room.
I like this article a lot because I think every educator, and every human being for that matter, has their own "traps" that they consistently find themselves falling into. For an educator, falling into these traps means the downfall of our students. The traps presented in this article are just a few examples of falling into a routine that is not conducive to student growth and can actually cause a lot of unhappiness in the educator.
1. How do these traps come to be a problem? From past experience? Past directors?
2. What are some ideas for getting out of these traps?
3. It always seems like music educators fall into these traps more than other educators. Is this true? If so, why is that?
Monday, October 19, 2015
10/19
Caldwell, Bruce. "Do We Need Chairs?" The Instrumentalist (1985): 96-97. Web.
This article discusses the utilization of the "chair" system in school music ensembles. Caldwell reveals the downfalls of that system and presents a new solution to be used by current music teachers called the rotation system. This system gives all students the opportunity to play every part. In the traditional method, the "better" players will always play first part while the less skilled players will always play second or third part. This makes it difficult for those playing second and third part to improve at the same rate as those playing first part.
I really like this method! It is my belief that we should do anything we can to educate all students equally and give everybody the same opportunities. This method also allows for peer teaching, because the more skilled players have the responsibility to help guide the less skilled players. The students don't have to rely on the teacher to learn if they can learn from each other.
1. Are there any notable programs that utilize the rotation system or something similar?
2. What other methods can be used to break away from the chair system?
3. Could this method cause issues with the more skilled players (playing easier parts) or less skilled players (playing parts that are "too hard" for them)?
Gordon, Debra G. "Classroom Management (Problems and Solutions)." The Music Educators Journal (2001): 17-20. Web.
Gordon's article presents the reader with methods that can be used to strengthen their classroom management skills, or rather, eliminate the need for classroom management. She states that preparedness is a great way to avoid lulls and removes the need for teacher intervention. One way to stay on top of things is to score study before rehearsals. Going into a rehearsal planning to improvise what you'll rehearse will not lead to effective time management and the students will take advantage of that. If an instance occurs in which a student acts inappropriately, the teacher must be consistent from case to case about how the situation is dealt with.
Classroom management is somewhat of a scary thing to me. When I think about my future as a teacher I do not often consider the possibility that my students will not be perfect humans. This is a problem. This article helps bring me into reality by providing real situations and solutions to classroom management issues. I appreciate the generalizations that Gordon makes in this article. Each instance of classroom management will be different, so generalizations are more helpful than specific scenarios.
1. How much of the stress of teaching comes from classroom management?
2. Preparation can't always defend against classroom management issues if students aren't paying attention at all. How can we initially engage students and keep them interested?
3. Does classroom management become easier as students get used to a teacher?
Manfredo, Joseph. "Effective Time Management in Ensemble Rehearsals." Music Educators Journal (2006): 42-46. Web.
This article provides insight into the process of creating effective and dynamic ensemble rehearsals. Simply playing warm-ups then repertoire for the entire class is not an effective way for students to learn concepts or understand music, they will just be better at playing specific pieces. Manfredo outlines alternate techniques for rehearsing an ensemble effectively, including the Rule of Three, proper preparation, verbal correction, and more.
I came from an ensemble that spent an overwhelming amount of rehearsal time on repertoire. That ensemble is evidence that students need a greater understanding of concepts rather than literature. Manfredo's argument resonates strongly with me for that reason. I strongly believe that concepts found in literature should be regularly isolated and rehearsed in ways that don't necessarily relate directly to the piece that it is from.
1. How can this method of rehearsing be used in a class period that only lasts 45 minutes?
2. This method would keep most students more engaged than normal, but what about the students who just want to play the music? How can we engage them equally?
3. What ratio of class time should be spent directly rehearsing the concert program? Does it change as the concert time approaches?
"Is This Working?" Audio blog post. This American Life., 17 Oct. 2014. Web.
This podcast talks about classroom management, discipline, and ethnic tendencies regarding those topics. It begins with a few teachers discussing how they would approach a specific situation in which a student refuses to take off his hat in class. A large portion of the podcast talks about Lyons Community School in New York. This school offers alternative methods of dealing with classroom management. This school "Lyonizes" students to become well behaved and conscious students.
This podcast is very informative and encouraging! It is uplifting to hear stories like those from Lyons Community School. It gives me courage and hope that no student is too far gone to be able to exist successfully in a school setting. The stories that are told in the podcast are so inspiring to me.
1. How common are stories like this in America? Other countries?
2. Do things like this happen often in Colorado?
3. Where can I find more resources like this podcast on similar topics?
This article discusses the utilization of the "chair" system in school music ensembles. Caldwell reveals the downfalls of that system and presents a new solution to be used by current music teachers called the rotation system. This system gives all students the opportunity to play every part. In the traditional method, the "better" players will always play first part while the less skilled players will always play second or third part. This makes it difficult for those playing second and third part to improve at the same rate as those playing first part.
I really like this method! It is my belief that we should do anything we can to educate all students equally and give everybody the same opportunities. This method also allows for peer teaching, because the more skilled players have the responsibility to help guide the less skilled players. The students don't have to rely on the teacher to learn if they can learn from each other.
1. Are there any notable programs that utilize the rotation system or something similar?
2. What other methods can be used to break away from the chair system?
3. Could this method cause issues with the more skilled players (playing easier parts) or less skilled players (playing parts that are "too hard" for them)?
Gordon, Debra G. "Classroom Management (Problems and Solutions)." The Music Educators Journal (2001): 17-20. Web.
Gordon's article presents the reader with methods that can be used to strengthen their classroom management skills, or rather, eliminate the need for classroom management. She states that preparedness is a great way to avoid lulls and removes the need for teacher intervention. One way to stay on top of things is to score study before rehearsals. Going into a rehearsal planning to improvise what you'll rehearse will not lead to effective time management and the students will take advantage of that. If an instance occurs in which a student acts inappropriately, the teacher must be consistent from case to case about how the situation is dealt with.
Classroom management is somewhat of a scary thing to me. When I think about my future as a teacher I do not often consider the possibility that my students will not be perfect humans. This is a problem. This article helps bring me into reality by providing real situations and solutions to classroom management issues. I appreciate the generalizations that Gordon makes in this article. Each instance of classroom management will be different, so generalizations are more helpful than specific scenarios.
1. How much of the stress of teaching comes from classroom management?
2. Preparation can't always defend against classroom management issues if students aren't paying attention at all. How can we initially engage students and keep them interested?
3. Does classroom management become easier as students get used to a teacher?
Manfredo, Joseph. "Effective Time Management in Ensemble Rehearsals." Music Educators Journal (2006): 42-46. Web.
This article provides insight into the process of creating effective and dynamic ensemble rehearsals. Simply playing warm-ups then repertoire for the entire class is not an effective way for students to learn concepts or understand music, they will just be better at playing specific pieces. Manfredo outlines alternate techniques for rehearsing an ensemble effectively, including the Rule of Three, proper preparation, verbal correction, and more.
I came from an ensemble that spent an overwhelming amount of rehearsal time on repertoire. That ensemble is evidence that students need a greater understanding of concepts rather than literature. Manfredo's argument resonates strongly with me for that reason. I strongly believe that concepts found in literature should be regularly isolated and rehearsed in ways that don't necessarily relate directly to the piece that it is from.
1. How can this method of rehearsing be used in a class period that only lasts 45 minutes?
2. This method would keep most students more engaged than normal, but what about the students who just want to play the music? How can we engage them equally?
3. What ratio of class time should be spent directly rehearsing the concert program? Does it change as the concert time approaches?
"Is This Working?" Audio blog post. This American Life., 17 Oct. 2014. Web.
This podcast talks about classroom management, discipline, and ethnic tendencies regarding those topics. It begins with a few teachers discussing how they would approach a specific situation in which a student refuses to take off his hat in class. A large portion of the podcast talks about Lyons Community School in New York. This school offers alternative methods of dealing with classroom management. This school "Lyonizes" students to become well behaved and conscious students.
This podcast is very informative and encouraging! It is uplifting to hear stories like those from Lyons Community School. It gives me courage and hope that no student is too far gone to be able to exist successfully in a school setting. The stories that are told in the podcast are so inspiring to me.
1. How common are stories like this in America? Other countries?
2. Do things like this happen often in Colorado?
3. Where can I find more resources like this podcast on similar topics?
Sunday, October 11, 2015
10/12
Liperote, K. A. "Audiation for Beginning Instrumentalists: Listen, Speak, Read, Write." Music Educators Journal 93.1 (2006): 46-52. Web.
This article discusses the importance of learning by ear versus by rote. Liperote recognizes the importance of both but states that the order in which we teach these skills is incorrect. Similar to learning a language as a child, students should first listen to play their instrument by ear. Teaching students to rely on what they hear from themselves and others instead of from the notation is a valuable skill that is significantly more difficult to teach later in life.
I absolutely agree with Liperote on the importance of audiation and its place within the music classroom. I particularly enjoyed the connections that were made to elementary music methodologies such as Kodaly, Dalcroze, and Orff. Those connections helped relate the article to my personal experience in elementary methods. I wish I were able to see more evidence of this approach occurring in schools in my area.
1. Is it difficult to explain to an administrator that reading music is not of the utmost importance?
2. Is there a successful (yet likely hypothetical) curriculum that exists that does not involve reading music notation?
3. What potential problems stem from students not learning how to read music notation early on?
Johnson, E. "Practical Tools to Foster Harmonic Understanding." Music Educators Journal 99.3 (2013): 63-68. Web.
This article describes several tactics for teaching an elevated knowledge about harmony in primarily secondary level students. These strategies include arpeggiated singing, chunking, and students singing together. The article also includes additional applications of harmonic understanding that were not discussed within the sections describing each strategy, such as a way to address standards and increase students' understanding in other areas of music.
I believe all of the methods discussed by Dr. Johnson have the potential to be extremely effective and beneficial to the students. They are quantifiable ways to see impressive results and that seems to be a rare thing in music. The examples that were included throughout the article were very helpful in my understanding of each concept, because simply reading about a topic can make it difficult to receive all the necessary information. The synthesis of information that occurred with those examples and also with the mention of the Zone of Proximal Development really helped tie all the information together.
1. Can other learning methods like ZPD be applied to any of the other concepts?
2. Why is it easier for beginning singers using solfege to start on la for minor melodies?
3. Chunking seems like it could play a huge role in a secondary music program. In what ways could this concept be included besides as homework?
The Transformative Power of Classical Music. Perf. Benjamin Zander. Ted.com. Ted Talks, Feb. 2008. Web.
Benjamin Zander tells stories and shows his audience that classical music is not just enjoyed by 3% of the population as some figure suggests. Classical music has an application to everybody's life. He begins his talk by talking about the progression of a child's musical knowledge as they age and how it simply comes down to phrasing and understanding where music is going. He then displays this with a Chopin prelude, explains how the piece is "sad" from a compositional standpoint, and invites the audience to connect the piece with someone that they admire that is no longer with them.
Benjamin Zander's ability to engage an audience is incredible. There is something about him that is so approach, relatable, and enjoyable. I have loved this video for years and I get something new from it every time I revisit it. He makes classical music seem less like a heavy topic and more relatable to the "average" person. His enthusiasm makes everybody in the audience want to participate in his talk and that is something that I greatly admire.
1. Can a demonstration like this take place in a classroom?
2. If so, does it happen like it did in this video or does it take place over time? Like throughout an entire curriculum?
3. Even with such an amazing talk, I'm not convinced that the entire audience will take what they learned with them throughout their lives, and Zander is extremely engaging. If I am not as engaging as him, how can I expect my students to carry that enthusiasm with them?
This article discusses the importance of learning by ear versus by rote. Liperote recognizes the importance of both but states that the order in which we teach these skills is incorrect. Similar to learning a language as a child, students should first listen to play their instrument by ear. Teaching students to rely on what they hear from themselves and others instead of from the notation is a valuable skill that is significantly more difficult to teach later in life.
I absolutely agree with Liperote on the importance of audiation and its place within the music classroom. I particularly enjoyed the connections that were made to elementary music methodologies such as Kodaly, Dalcroze, and Orff. Those connections helped relate the article to my personal experience in elementary methods. I wish I were able to see more evidence of this approach occurring in schools in my area.
1. Is it difficult to explain to an administrator that reading music is not of the utmost importance?
2. Is there a successful (yet likely hypothetical) curriculum that exists that does not involve reading music notation?
3. What potential problems stem from students not learning how to read music notation early on?
Johnson, E. "Practical Tools to Foster Harmonic Understanding." Music Educators Journal 99.3 (2013): 63-68. Web.
This article describes several tactics for teaching an elevated knowledge about harmony in primarily secondary level students. These strategies include arpeggiated singing, chunking, and students singing together. The article also includes additional applications of harmonic understanding that were not discussed within the sections describing each strategy, such as a way to address standards and increase students' understanding in other areas of music.
I believe all of the methods discussed by Dr. Johnson have the potential to be extremely effective and beneficial to the students. They are quantifiable ways to see impressive results and that seems to be a rare thing in music. The examples that were included throughout the article were very helpful in my understanding of each concept, because simply reading about a topic can make it difficult to receive all the necessary information. The synthesis of information that occurred with those examples and also with the mention of the Zone of Proximal Development really helped tie all the information together.
1. Can other learning methods like ZPD be applied to any of the other concepts?
2. Why is it easier for beginning singers using solfege to start on la for minor melodies?
3. Chunking seems like it could play a huge role in a secondary music program. In what ways could this concept be included besides as homework?
The Transformative Power of Classical Music. Perf. Benjamin Zander. Ted.com. Ted Talks, Feb. 2008. Web.
Benjamin Zander tells stories and shows his audience that classical music is not just enjoyed by 3% of the population as some figure suggests. Classical music has an application to everybody's life. He begins his talk by talking about the progression of a child's musical knowledge as they age and how it simply comes down to phrasing and understanding where music is going. He then displays this with a Chopin prelude, explains how the piece is "sad" from a compositional standpoint, and invites the audience to connect the piece with someone that they admire that is no longer with them.
Benjamin Zander's ability to engage an audience is incredible. There is something about him that is so approach, relatable, and enjoyable. I have loved this video for years and I get something new from it every time I revisit it. He makes classical music seem less like a heavy topic and more relatable to the "average" person. His enthusiasm makes everybody in the audience want to participate in his talk and that is something that I greatly admire.
1. Can a demonstration like this take place in a classroom?
2. If so, does it happen like it did in this video or does it take place over time? Like throughout an entire curriculum?
3. Even with such an amazing talk, I'm not convinced that the entire audience will take what they learned with them throughout their lives, and Zander is extremely engaging. If I am not as engaging as him, how can I expect my students to carry that enthusiasm with them?
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
10/7
Kerstetter, K. Tod. "Turning Notes Into Phrases." The Instrumentalist (1998): 14-17. Web.
Kerstetter breaks down the abstract process of playing with musicality into three categories; phrase endings and beginnings, marking breaths, and playing with good fundamental technique. Within these three categories he discusses how they differ in varied settings (chamber, ensemble, solo). He cites that this is juxtaposes his music education, in which he was often told to play "more musically" to which he responded by simply playing louder and faster.
Kerstetter's article could prove useful in a secondary or collegiate music classroom. The information could be transmitted from the teacher to the student or directly to the student if the teacher presents the article to be read on an individual level. Although the article seems slightly narrow in terms of Kerstetter's opinion on musicality, students can still learn and grow as musicians from reading it. If I gave this article to a student, I would add a disclaimer stating that there other ways to be musical that are equally correct.
1. At what grade level can this content begin to be understood? Can it be 6th grade or even earlier?
2. If I were to weave the exact content from this article into my band's curriculum, do you think the students would be able to reach their musical potential or would they fall short?
3. There is little mention of emotional, historical, and cultural understanding of music in this article. Can I expect my students to be truly musical if they don't understand what they're playing on a deeper level?
Kerstetter breaks down the abstract process of playing with musicality into three categories; phrase endings and beginnings, marking breaths, and playing with good fundamental technique. Within these three categories he discusses how they differ in varied settings (chamber, ensemble, solo). He cites that this is juxtaposes his music education, in which he was often told to play "more musically" to which he responded by simply playing louder and faster.
Kerstetter's article could prove useful in a secondary or collegiate music classroom. The information could be transmitted from the teacher to the student or directly to the student if the teacher presents the article to be read on an individual level. Although the article seems slightly narrow in terms of Kerstetter's opinion on musicality, students can still learn and grow as musicians from reading it. If I gave this article to a student, I would add a disclaimer stating that there other ways to be musical that are equally correct.
1. At what grade level can this content begin to be understood? Can it be 6th grade or even earlier?
2. If I were to weave the exact content from this article into my band's curriculum, do you think the students would be able to reach their musical potential or would they fall short?
3. There is little mention of emotional, historical, and cultural understanding of music in this article. Can I expect my students to be truly musical if they don't understand what they're playing on a deeper level?
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