MMCP – Manhattanville Music Curriculum Project

By: Bro Inc. ™

History

• Encouraged and sponsored by the Arts and Humanities Program of the United States Office of Education.

• Run by Manhattanville College from 1965 to 1970.

• MMCP expanded to other schools in New York and across the United States.

Rationale

• MMCP is an alternative educational model to music education as a response to the declining interest in school music which is often noted in students as they grow older.

• MMCP believes presenting music as changing and evolving rather than “static” like western art music increases the interest in new creation.

• When students act as musicians and not spectators, they discover comprehensive meaning on many levels of understanding.

Learning Objectives

• MMCP learning objectives are to develop positive musical behaviors in students.

• Cognitive – Students using knowledge to solve problems.

• Attitudinal – Students excited about their own creative musical potential and their aesthetic sensitivity to music.

• Skill – Dexterous movement behaviours in performing vocally, or on instruments. Translative notational skill to perform music and Aural music listening behaviours.

• Aesthetic – Students understanding intrinsic meaning in music.

Focus

• Discovery - Learning by creating is the most exciting way to retain, understand, and learn music.

• Concepts & Skills - Going through the task-oriented process of deciding how to create music using concepts from all styles and periods.

• Music of Today - Students should understand and create the music of their contemporary environment.

• Totality - Students gain a complete understanding of music by; composing, performing, conducting, listening, enjoying, sharing, and reacting.

Sequence

• MMCP uses a spiral curriculum that sequentially introduces new concepts in action-oriented cycles that are developmentally appropriate.

• Strategy - Teacher presents a framework for introducing a musical problem (often in the form of a question) that inspires creative thought. The problem must be well-defined, well-diversified, and able to be solved creatively by all students.

• Composing & Rehearsing - Students solve the musical problem in group composition projects by developing a musical hypothesis and testing it using aural logic. Critical thought should be used in solving the problem, and all students are encouraged to experiment.

• Performance - After groups rehearse their compositions, a performance typically takes place to share ideas. From the experimenting process in designing their composition, the students have developed necessary musical skills needed to perform.

• Critical Evaluation - Students may have an oral discussion after the performance to discuss and evaluate themselves. They may also record the performance for critical analysis at a later time.

• Listening - Students listen to music for pleasure or as a resource to discover new ideas.

• The teacher's role in this sequence is the creator of the musical problem yet an unobtrusive observer. Students should view the teacher as a resource rather than an evaluator. A teacher does not impose judgement on students' creations, but rather acts as the "facilitator of discovery."

Sequence (Continuation)