Who among us hasn't slaved over practicing scales to prepare for an audition or private lesson? Chances are also good that we have demanded that our own students practice scales, often in the same spirit as a parent makes a child eat broccoli or brussel sprouts. "They're good for you" we tell them. In the … Continue reading A Better Way With Scales
Vocal Music
A Multi-sensory Approach to Teaching Music
I’d like to start today by making two observations about learning. First, learning is a life-long process. Second, learning is multi-sensory. These two observations are related, and highly relevant to music education. Let me explain why. Learning is not restricted to what students do while they are in a classroom in school. We humans begin … Continue reading A Multi-sensory Approach to Teaching Music
A Small Refresher in Musical Terms
Unless I make an effort to read scores, there are some musical terms that I am apt to forget because either I just don’t come across them that often in music I am apt to be teaching to my students, or because the definition has become distorted by common misuse. Today, I thought it would … Continue reading A Small Refresher in Musical Terms
Expressive Intent and Student Opinion
Expressive intent is an important element in the new core arts standards for music. Under the standards, students determine the expressive intent of the composer, and how the composer uses musical elements to achieve that intent. Students also determine how they will use musical elements to express both the composer's and their own intent. When … Continue reading Expressive Intent and Student Opinion
Rhythm, Beat, and Groove: What’s the Difference?
It all seems simple in the early grades. Beat is the steady pulse of the music, and rhythm is the changing durations of what is being sung or played. Using movement, students learn the difference between beat and rhythm by walking the beat while clapping the rhythm. Because they are not doing the same thing … Continue reading Rhythm, Beat, and Groove: What’s the Difference?
Putting the “Play” Back Into Playing (Or Singing) Music
If educators really want to know how students learn best, they should observe 3- and 4-year-old children. Over the last several weeks, one of the activities my 4-year-old class did was to improvise melodies for the rhyme, "Jack Be Nimble." The children were asked to sing the words, using their singing voice. Naturally, some children … Continue reading Putting the “Play” Back Into Playing (Or Singing) Music
Songs for Martin Luther King, Jr.
In another week's time, American schools will take a day on January 19th to honor Martin Luther King and his work toward achieving equality for African Americans in American society. The holiday is celebrated as a federal holiday on the third Monday of January each year. The holiday was first celebrated in 1986. At first, … Continue reading Songs for Martin Luther King, Jr.
Teaching About Music The Way We Teach Music
For the most part, music rehearsals have three parts that extend over a period of weeks. The first part is learning how the music is supposed to go, the second part is learning to perform the music correctly, correcting errors where they occur and trying to avoid errors during trials, and the third part is performing it correctly repeatedly … Continue reading Teaching About Music The Way We Teach Music
What Is The Context?
Most ideas and words can easily be misunderstood without context. Take the word chair. If I sit on the chair, he'll expel me from the committee. If you were thinking of a piece of furniture, my sentence didn't make much sense. You had to know I was talking about the chair of a committee; a person. … Continue reading What Is The Context?
How Are We Doing Preparing Students for Careers in Music?
Preparing studnets for careers in music is appropriately done in electives rather than in required general music classes. The latter will typically have a small percentage of students who intend to or are even considering a career in music, so focusing on career preparation in general music quickly results in a relevancy problem for most … Continue reading How Are We Doing Preparing Students for Careers in Music?
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