It is hard to argue with the statement that music inspires us, though in my last post I discussed some conditions that music must meet to be inspirational. Today, I would like to share with you some of the science behind being inspired. What state does our brain like to be in for it to … Continue reading MIOSM: The Creative Mind and Being Inspired
Music Education
A practical guide to planning, teaching, and assessing music instruction.
MIOSM: How Does Music Inspire?
The National Association for Music Education (NAfME) leads a music education awareness campaign each year during the month of March. This year's campaign is themed "Music Inspires." The month long celebration of music in schools typically includes stepped-up performance schedules for school ensembles, special events, and classroom activities designed to increase awareness of the presence … Continue reading MIOSM: How Does Music Inspire?
When Teaching Music Appreciation, Keep It Simple
I've always had a love for classical music. I'm not sure why, but for as long as I can remember, and my family tells me it goes back further than that, I have pulled myself away from distractions and settled in to enjoy a symphony, concerto, or sonata. With this background, it is not surprising … Continue reading When Teaching Music Appreciation, Keep It Simple
Why Scary Classical Music is Scary
Sounds can be among the scariest stimuli that we humans face. We are comforted by being able to see what has just frightened us. When we cannot see the source of our discomfort, the dread within us intensifies. Anyone who has been alone in an old house immediately knows what I'm talking about. The night … Continue reading Why Scary Classical Music is Scary
The Problem With Using Math to Teach Rhythm
As I write this, I'm looking at a page from a popular band method book. There is one of those boxes at the top of the page that directs students' attention to an important concept or new learning. There is a pair of eighth notes followed by an equals sign followed by a quarter note. … Continue reading The Problem With Using Math to Teach Rhythm
More On Rhythm Syllables: French Time Names
Elsewhere in this blog, I have written about the strengths and weaknesses of some of the rhythm syllables systems in use. (See my post "A Review of Rhythm Syllables Systems.") These included Gordon, Eastman, Takadimi, Kodaly, and Orff rhythm teaching systems. Of these, I prefer the Gordon and Eastman systems, because both the ictus and … Continue reading More On Rhythm Syllables: French Time Names
Understanding Polyrhythms
Polyrhythms are defined in the Merriam-Webster dictionary as "the simultaneous combination of contrasting rhythms in music." In the Harvard Dictionary of Music, one learns that a polyrhythm is "the simultaneous use of strikingly contrasted rhythms in different parts of the musical fabric." In Western art music, the term is most often used not in reference … Continue reading Understanding Polyrhythms
Questions and Learning
Questioning is an essential tool in teaching. In traditional classrooms, a teacher asks students questions, and the students answer them, and memorize the answers in order to gain knowledge. In contemporary classrooms, students take on a more active role by both asking and answering questions in a discussion format. Socratic circles and Paideia seminars are two … Continue reading Questions and Learning
How Do Creativity and Structure Go Together?
Developing creative and expressive thinking is, I believe, at the heart and soul of music education. These two things, creative thinking and expression, are included in the core arts standards, in most arts curricula, and in most defenses of supporting the arts in education. Yet being creative is often misunderstood, and misleading and even harmful … Continue reading How Do Creativity and Structure Go Together?
The Audience is Part of the Performance Experience
Over the last three years, watching NBC produce "live" musical theater, first with The Sound of Music, then Peter Pan, and most recently with The Wiz, it seemed there was something missing from the live aspect of the broadcasts. Live performances of any kind are preferable to recorded ones largely due to the energy an audience brings, and to … Continue reading The Audience is Part of the Performance Experience
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