MUSIC EDUCATION

Michelle & Teri

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFfL11Lpjck

Classroom percussion

Body Percussion

Styles of Jazz

Listening Journal

“I don’t know, but it has sax and violins!”

“Is this opera appropriate for kids?”

Broad Aims

Arts Ed.: to enable students to understand and value arts expressions throughout life

Band: to enable students to communicate effectively through instrumental music and to understand and value a variety of musical expressions throughout life.

Choral: to enable students to experience the joy of singing and to understand and value a variety of musical expressions throughout life.

Importance of Music

Music encourages students to: Respect the uniqueness and creativity of

themselves and others Increase their ability to express themselves

through languages other than spoken or written language

Understand the contributions of the arts and artists to societies and cultures, past and present

Gain a lasting appreciation of art forms experienced as participant and as audience

Recognize the many connections between the arts and daily life.

Instructional Strategies

Generally performance-oriented (with voice or instruments)

Composition, journal writing/discussion, portfolios, listening, inquiry

Appeal of Music

Different from any other subject in the way it is taught and the way students learn

Allows students to be creative, become soloists or to have the chance to be a part of an ensemble

Provides students opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise (band/choir trips, concerts, recitals, scholarships for post-secondary, festivals, etc…)

Students may discover a skill they didn’t think or know they had

Students are able to work and grow together as a whole to achieve success.

Non-appeal of Music

Ratio of students to teachers is very high (could have more than 80 students in a band/choir with one teacher to conduct)

Teachers may not like that music takes time or students away from their classes

Students may not want to take a music class if they feel they don’t have a good voice/play an instrument well or at all

There is a stigma attached to being part of the music program at the school (band geek, nerd, etc…)

Some students just don’t have room in their schedule because they are focused more on the ‘academic’ courses

Status of Music

Usually at the bottom of the list compared to ‘academic’ subjects

The arts are viewed by most people as a ‘frill’ and not as legitimate as other subjects such as math or science

Music and the arts should be a bigger priority in schools because it encourages students to use their imagination, which fosters creativity

Think about this: what jobs do not require creative thinking (i.e. problem solving, thinking outside the box, designing, etc…)?

Imagine: life without music.