Reflection Post Week 5 - Social Aspects of a Musical Performance

For my musical performance social analysis, I need to go back a bit farther than one year.  I have been teaching virtually for 14 months, and have not participated in an organized music performance for over a year.  The social situation I chose was my students' performance for the Black Diamond Community Christmas Luncheon in December 2012.  My chorus was invited by the social director to perform for 30 minutes at the annual Christmas Luncheon.  The music was generally short Christmas carols and other tunes from our Winter Concert.  We were introduced as "Special Entertainment" but were essentially background music while the attendees had their buffet lunch.

The performers were 18 high school students in my top choir that functions as a chamber choir and show choir.  We came in our concert attire (guys in tuxedoes, girls in black dresses).  There was a stage in the room in which we performed, and the students stood on the stage in two arcs.  Since most of the music was from our winter concert, they had everything memorized.  We had one microphone and one piano provided to us.  The microphone was used to amplify the choir and for soloists to sing.  Because we were essentially background music, the students did not interact with the audience at all, until the last section of the performance which was a Christmas sing-a-long.  The social director has specifically asked us to include a sing-a-long in our program.  All of the people in the audience were in their seats by this time.

Black Diamond is the most upper class community in my county.  The audience was made up of mostly older (60+) wealthy men and women who were members of the Black Diamond community and golf association.  There were about 150 people at the luncheon, and they would applaud politely after each song.  There was no printed program for this event, I would announce each song prior to the choir singing.  The audience members were dressed up, but not formal, as this was a specially ticketed lunch event.  Many of the audience members were happy to participate in the sing-a-long.  As the performance progressed, more people had gone through the buffet line and were sitting down, eating their lunch and watching.  By the time we reached the sing-a-long part of the performance, everyone in the audience was watching us.  They really seemed to appreciate our performance, and I received many compliments from audience members, particularly on how the students were dressed.  I think a lot of them have the image of a typical modern teenager, and they seemed to like seeing the students dressed in concert black attire.

Reflection Post Week 4 - The Landfill Orchestra

In the short video of The Landfill Harmonic Orchestra, several girls make profound statements.  One girl talks about the butterflies in her stomach as she listens to the violin, and another says that "My life without music would be worthless."  These are important words for us as music teachers to remember.  Music plays an important part in many people's (perhaps everyone's, to a point) lives.  We are surrounded by music.  We hear it on TV, in movies, in stores, on the radio, everywhere.  Sometimes we don't even notice it.  On a deeper level, though, music means much more to many people.  I have had many students over the years talk to me about how Chorus class was the only reason they came to school.  This is something that the public and administrators needs to hear more often.  If they come to school for music class, our hope (and charge as music teachers) is that they will put forth effort in their other classes, and gain the tools they need for success.  Students find comfort in music, they connect to it (whether popular music or otherwise) on a level that is more than intellectual, it is emotional.  Music provides an escape, a way to express emotion, and a way to be creative.  These connections to music go beyond the school years.  People still connect to music in many ways throughout their lives.  Unfortunately, life sometimes gets in the way and people (politicians, administrators, parents, etc.) forget how important music is (or was) to them.

Some of the best ways for music teachers to inform the community about the importance of music is through demonstration.  Performing in the community gives the students a chance to show off their skills, and the community to see the value in music education.  Every holiday season, countless school music groups perform for countless community organizations (women's clubs, VFW, civic associations, nursing homes, etc).  During those performances, it is important that the audience hears from the students themselves about how music has impacted their lives.  The more the students talk and the less the director talks, the better.  The nice thing about those types of community performances is that you never know who is in the audience.  Lots of times, very powerful people are sitting there, and it is much harder to cut funding to a program when you see for yourself the positive impact music has on the lives of the students and on the community. 

A wonderful way for music teachers and students to reach out into the community to educate non-musicians is through an activity called an "Instrument Petting Zoo."  In these activities, young students from the elementary schools visit the high school band/orchestra room and the older students give demonstrations on their instruments.  After the demonstrations, the young kids are able to pick up, examine, and even play the instruments.  This is sometimes the first experience with a real musical instrument for these young children.  One of the most powerful effect of these events is that the parents of the young children see how much they love playing and exploring the instruments.  The parents are more likely to advocate for a strong music program in their own schools simply because they see how much their children enjoy music!  I would also think that inviting parents to experiment with the instruments would be fun, too!  There are always non-musical parents that probably played an instrument in school and haven't thought about it since.  Maybe an event like this is just the spark needed to turn them into an advocate for music education!

The news media is a valuable tool in the music educator's "bag of tricks" to help educate non-musicians on the importance of music.  Inviting newspaper and TV news coverage of anything and everything the students are doing is a great way to expose more people to the importance of music.  As with the community performances, the more the students talk about the impact of music in their lives, the better.  The music teachers can talk ad nauseam about how important music is, showing research, quoting experts, etc.  The real impact comes from those personal student stories.  Student stories put a real face on the issue of music education.  We have always been lucky in my county because our local newspaper takes time each summer to highlight each high school's band camp.  They are also very cooperative in sending a photographer and reporter to any event to which they are invited.  Visibility is key.  I don't think that the public is inherently against music education in the schools.  The more they see that the music programs are doing wonderful things, the more willing they will be to support them.  I have seen this first hand!

As is evident in this post, I am a firm believer in getting non-musicians (parents, school board, etc) to remember their own love and connection to music.  The hope is that by thinking about how music has impacted their own lives, they will be more willing to support the inclusion of music in the school.  We can quote study after study when we advocate for music education, but if we don't work to have the community feel that connection to music they've had in the past, we will not get very far.

Reflection Post Week 3 - Making a Case for Music Education

The study of music in the schools (at all levels) can have a huge impact on the lives of students.  In addition to a better understanding of performance, pedagogy, musical terminology, and expression, there are many non-musical benefits to music study in the schools.  For my rationale, I went right to the "top," The National Association for Music Education.  The NAfME supports music in all schools at all levels.  They indicate four significant non-musical benefits for including music in the schools.

1.  Creativity - in addition to musical creativity, the creative skills learned in the music classroom allow students to think "outside the box" as they solve problems in other areas of study, as well as in their daily lives.  Music study supports imagination and appreciation for the world around us.  I would even venture to add curiosity to the post on creativity.

2.   Communication - Music is a universal language.  The performance and study of music allows students to find new ways to communicate their joys, fears, triumphs, and failures.  Many students, after studying and/or performing music, find it easier to express themselves in their everyday life.

3.  Critical Assessment - Music utilizes many different parts of the brain, such as the cognitive and affective sides.  Because music stimulates multiple parts of the brain, it becomes easier for students to use them in other disciplines.

4.  Commitment - Musicians are constantly on deadlines.  They have upcoming concerts, rehearsals, recitals, etc.  Performing music requires a tremendous amount of commitment.  Students must live up to their commitments in order to be successful musicians.  This will teach them the importance of honoring their commitments outside the music room.

I am having a hard time finding rationale or resources stating that music education is not essential in music classrooms.  I will attempt to provide four reasons and some rationale that could be argued if this debate were to be sparked.


1.  Music classes take time away from other academic courses - When students take an abundance of music classes, they do not have room in their schedules for more rigorous academic courses, such as advanced math or science classes.  Research has shown that students who take the minimum graduation requirements in math are not prepared for collegiate mathematics.  (ACT National Curriculum study, 2009)

2.  Music classes are expensive - It takes a lot of money to supply a band or orchestra with all of the music, instruments, uniforms, and travel needed to be successful.  With school budgets declining everywhere, it seems that money budgeted for music might be better spent on technology or remediation materials for a larger portion of the school population.

3.  Not all music teachers are effective - The positive aspects of music education are only achieved if the music teacher in the classroom is efficient and effective.  Too often, music teachers are not providing an educational experience that creates the positive non-musical outcomes (or musical outcomes for that matter) that are used to defend music in the schools.

4.  Not all students are interested in music - Because not every student in the school is interested in music, and there are other ways for students to receive their required fine arts credit graduation requirement, music class seems like a misappropriation of resources.  Without the music teacher on campus, it is possible to hire another remedial reading or math teacher to help students who are struggling to meet the requirements of the standardized tests set forth by the state (FCAT in Florida).

Reflection Post Week 3 - How Would You Teach Tchaikovsky?

Something I do in my classes all the time is an activity where the students will listen to a particular piece of music, and just simply write about how it makes them feel.  They are instructed not to write about their feelings on the interpretation, tuning, diction, etc.  I sometimes give them an image to help spur their imagination.  For example, I use Eric Whitacre's wind composition Equus.  I tell them that the title of the piece means "horse."  From there, they can write whatever they want.  They can tell a story, write "stream of consciousness" style, or make a list of feelings and ideas that pop into their head.

For a piece like the Tchaickovsky, with no purely visual representation in the title (like in Equss), I would start the class with a conversation about what makes music sound sad, or angry, or happy.  Since this is a music appreciation class, I would try to avoid the use of musical terms such as minor key, dynamics, etc.  I would probably play short excerpts of obviously sad or angry (or happy) music and ask the students to discuss what they hear, and why they feel the way they feel while listening to the music.  We would also discuss the impact of watching a performance vs simply listening.  I would then move on to the "main event."

This particular piece has that wonderful oboe solo at the beginning.  Prior to listening, we could discuss the importance and effectiveness of solos in particular music.  What can solos represent?  What do solos add to a piece of music?  I would then tell them I will play the music for them twice.  I would first play simply the recording, without the video.  I would ask them to describe how the music makes them feel.  Are they affected by the solo?  Do they have an overwhelming emotion one way or another as they listen?  I would then ask them to listen a second time, but this time watching the video.  How does seeing the performance affect their reaction?  Does seeing the oboe player make the solo have more impact?  What about the conductor?  I would then ask the students to compare their experience with just listening to their experience with watching and listening.  We could then have a brief discussion about not only their experiences with both watching and listening, but the similarities and differences they entailed.

I think that the video vs audio experience would be an interesting slant on the assignment as given.  I hadn't really ever thought about this as an option in my listening exercises in my classroom, but I think there are a lot of discussion points to be made by experiencing the music in this way.  Unfortunately in my job at Florida Virtual School, I won't have the opportunity to implement this idea, but I hope that some day, I will.  I really think there are a lot of great aesthetic education possibilities in this lesson.  

 

Reflection Post Week 3 - Aesthetic Experience

It was interesting listening to the lecture on music and aesthetic experience.  I find that, as a trained musician, it is hard to go to a concert and appreciate the music for what it is.  I am continually analyzing the intonation, interpretation, vowel shapes, blend, diction, and countless other technical inconsistencies (or triumphs).  It's very hard to just sit back, listen, and enjoy myself. It's possible, but I have to force myself to turn off my "music brain."

This assignment could not have come at a better time.  I spent a great deal of time last night (May 16th) looking at Jupiter and Saturn through my friend's new telescope.  As I read about aesthetic experiences, this really seemed to match the description.

First, there was no real practical purpose for me looking up at the planets last night.  It's just something we decided to do, and the weather last night was spectacular.  The skies were crystal clear, and the evening was cool and crisp.  

This was the first time I had seen the planets through a really powerful telescope.  Obviously I've seen pictures in textbooks and on the internet, but this was a very unique and powerful experience.  I was truly amazed and in awe of what I was seeing.  Here, in the driveway of a friend, I was looking at celestial bodies millions of miles away.  One the one hand, I was amazed at how clear the telescope was, and how much we could see from down here.  On the other hand, I was speechless at the beauty of the planets and how incredible the entire experience was.

During and after the planet gazing, I found myself thinking about what the first astronomers that used telescopes must have thought when they looked up and saw these celestial bodies in the darkness of the sky above them.  Thinking even farther back, the prehistoric and ancient people thought that, because of their unusual movement compared to other stars, they must have something to do with the gods.  It's amazing how far we have come.

During my observation of Jupiter and Saturn, my focus was entirely on looking as closely as I could to see the features of the planets.  I was not distracted by anyone or anything while I looked through the viewfinder.  The aspects of the aesthetic experience described in the text on pages 74-75 explain a lot of what I experienced.  I experienced pleasure, significant feelings, intellectual appreciation, focus of attention, and an appreciation for life and the experience.

For someone like me, looking at the planets through a telescope was a very unique and profound experience.  I would equate it to viewing a beautiful work of art.  As a matter of fact, I consider the stars and planets to be part of nature's art (in addition to all of the magnificent features of Earth).  I am not interested in the scientific study of the solar system.  I much prefer to appreciate it for the complex, beautiful, and amazing part of life that it is.  It is similar to art or music lovers that visit museums or attend concerts simply for the aesthetic experience. 

Relection Post Week 1

Philip Alperson and Noël Carroll wrote an article for the Journal of Aesthetic Education in 2008 discussing the impacts of music on morality and society.  In it, they give many examples of how music influences behavior.  For example, music is used in the churches and military to control the actions of the followers (Muslim call to prayer or the military reveille bugle wake-up call).  Other examples include the use of music to celebrate weddings, births, holidays, etc.  Alperson and Carroll also explain that music has the ability to enhance relationships (love songs) and offer healing (both physical and emotional) through music therapy and funeral music, including celebratory tunes such as “When the Saints Go Marching In.”  They also describe how music can influence destructive behavior, such as the rock music of the 1960s and the drug culture.  

The authors discuss how the actual construction of the music can elicit emotional (and perhaps moral/immoral) responses.  From the rhythm, to instrumentation, to tone, to dynamics, the music that is heard can have a strong influence on behavior.  Additionally, they write about how music has a measurable effect on brain function which can affect mood and development.  

The authors don’t really present an argument for or against the idea that music can influence morality, but rather show many examples of how music has influence over our daily lives.  The argument that Plato makes regarding the impact music has on morality is strongly supported in this article, not only through examples, but through quoted research on how music physically affects the brain.  This is where I found that the article lines up with Plato’s philosophy.  Back in Ancient Greece, they might not have had the ability to measure the activity of the brain, but Plato was obviously on to something!

Ian Inglis’s 2006 article for The Journal of Popular Culture discusses the impacts of censorship of music and freedom of speech.  He writes that the current debates of the early 21^st Century are not new and discusses the censorship that took place on The Ed Sullivan Show during the 1960s.  His examples include the censorship of Bob Dylan, The Doors, and The Rolling Stones.  Just hours before Bob Dylan’s appearance on the show, CBS told him he would not be allowed to perform his chosen song, “Talkin’ John Birch Society Blues,” due to its content and satirizing of the extreme right-wing organization.  Dylan refused to change the song and never appeared on the show.  After agreeing to alter a drug reference in their lyrics to their hit, “Light My Fire,” The Doors sang the offending line as written during the live performance, even though they had changed the lyrics during the rehearsal.  Management was furious and The Doors never appeared on Ed Sullivan again.  By contrast (and with some controversy and denial) The Rolling Stones removed a sexual innuendo from one of their performances as demanded by Ed Sullivan and the producers of the show.  It had been their fifth appearance on the show, and the decision to give in seems to have been a commercial one, because The Ed Sullivan Show provided bands with considerable national exposure.

Inglis goes on to discuss that each performer’s actions ended up being beneficial to their careers.  Dylan and The Doors were seen as pioneers of the 1960s counter-culture, and The Rolling Stones were able to gain more popularity from being on the show again.  Popular music is often at the center of debates over how much influence music has on a population.  The attempts to censor the musicians show that the producers of The Ed Sullivan Show felt that it was their responsibility to keep morally questionable material off the airwaves.  These conflicts between musicians and the “establishment” continue today, and are a strong indication that if Plato was not correct in his ideas that music can have an effect on morality, the general population of today still subscribes to his philosophy.

Bibliography

Alperson, P. & Carroll, N. (2008). Music, Mind, and Morality: Arousing the Body Politic . Journal of Aesthetic Education , 42(1), 1-15.

Inglis, I. (2006). The Ed Sullivan Show and the (Censored) Sounds of the Sixties. The Journal of Popular Culture, 39(4), 558-575.