“A Hong Kong Odyssey” Review

“A Hong Kong Odyssey” Review

                I do not believe the “Hong Kong Odyssey” was worth the time and money needed. Yes, the students who were involved had an exceptional experience, but a similar experience might have been had a little closer to home. Surely the director could have found a trip that presented a manageable hurdle for students and the boosters while still maintaining the excitement of a “big trip.” Area “tours” that are common for university ensembles might provide a good blueprint for the band. This type of trip is much lower in cost and has the added benefit of promoting the program in the area. A packaged trip to theme park like the Disney tours would have been exciting while still providing a musical experience. My own high school went to a concert band festival in Estes Park, CO every other year. The cost per student was manageable, the judge’s scores were a point for achievement striving, and the beautiful setting was motivating. Trips certainly can be a positive for ensembles and have the added benefit of recruiting for future years.

            The other negative point about the “Hong Kong Odyssey” was the lack of all-school involvement. The herculean effort put forth by the community only impacted a small number of student on a single occasion. Perhaps efforts would have been better used to establish other musical offerings for the non-band students. Fundraising might be done to provide a trip to hear a world class orchestra or see an opera. The Minnesota Opera offers trips to see productions for students at a very low price. I took a group of general music students to see “Madam Butterfly” and it was a thoroughly engaging experience and one not predicated on the elective choice of the students. Perhaps funds might have been used to bring a performer to the school. Since the original idea was for band students, the project might be to bring in a guest to work with the band and then present an all-school concert in collaboration with the guest. This might have the added benefit of recruiting students for the band program provided the performance is of excellent quality. I had a colleague bring in a Japanese Taiko ensemble to work with percussionists. In addition to the percussion concert open to the public that weekend, the group gave an informance about Taiko for the entire middle school. The grant money used was beneficial not only to percussionists but to all middle school students as well!

            Considering the size of the town and the small fraction of students impacted, the other options I noted above would all be better ways to impact students. Perhaps the director might choose the “Taiko” route and include band students in a rehearsal and performance way while including all students in a listening and responding manner. The director might also consider applying for a grant from an area arts council rather than relying on money raised by students and the booster organization. 

Final Reflection for Historical and Philosophical Foundations of Music Education

Over the duration of the course, I have learned a number of things of interest to my teaching. Certain specifics concerning philosophy, aesthetics, sociology, social psychology, and psychology have stood out as relevant to my personal teaching situation. They, as well as a few other specifics, will be considered here. Though this reflection does not cover all I learned, it does consider many of the major points throughout the course and their relation to my teaching.

      My learning about philosophy has stressed the importance of sticking to a particular school of thought. To this point, most “Philosophy of Education” writings I have completed to this point have dealt with specifics and ignored the important metaphysical and epistemological ideas that form a bedrock of philosophy. I found that my teaching tends more towards an empiricist viewpoint. In practice I was certainly more eclectic and discussions with classmates have made me consider the various viewpoints. Pragmatism certainly holds a number of strengths, but lacks a strong trust in perceivable truth. As a teacher, I rely on the advice and opinions of experts and tend towards practicality. Thoughtfully considering philosophy will improve teaching and I must continue to revisit my philosophy over time to ensure a strong bond between belief and practice.

      My learning about aesthetics has been very useful in broadening my thinking in music. Generally, I have been more concerned with the kinesthetic and cognitive aspects of music education. Working with middle schools strings often feels far removed from any sort of aesthetic experience. While this focus has helped to build strong players from a technical standpoint, it neglects one of the things that makes music education valuable. Music can educate one about inner feelings in a way not done by other subjects. Students need to be given opportunities to explore the aesthetic values of music. In the future I plan to include more listening opportunities for students and engage string players in developing the aesthetic qualities of the music they perform. Students need to thoughtfully engage in aesthetic experience with music and I need to include aesthetic value in my music advocacy efforts.

      My learning about sociology has been a good reminder of the social factors involved in music education. I strongly believe in the importance of nurture over nature in developing the musical child. There are some important genetic factors involved in musicality, but there is no way I can control the genetic makeup of a child. I can nurture them through education and I can work to educate parents about the importance of a musical home. The learning in this course has also been a good reminder of SES and its impact on musical tastes and the availability of music for students. I need to try to remove those barriers when possible and that includes more than just providing instruments for needy students. The “trappings” of classical music need to be stripped away and students need opportunity to engage with all types of music over the course of time. Finding ways to move beyond the social and cultural values typically found in string education to include all students is a struggle I must continue to consider. The importance of socialization and enculturation need to be acknowledged and the effects, both positive and negative, of technology must be addressed. A lack of close listening to music brought on by its mass availability means music educators must give students opportunity to listen and respond to music (response is a national core standard after all).

      My learning about social psychology has been a good reminder of factors like conformity, cooperation vs. competition, and creativity. The strong desire of adolescents to “fit in” can be a force in music education. I use conformity to get students to follow classroom rules and respond in proper ways to instruction. Students know what is expected and most students conform in a way that helps instruction. Conformity has been useful in retention as most students follow their peers by enrolling in orchestra each year. Of course, this could also work the other way if students begin to quit, but a culture of continuing has been in place for several years now. The next step would be to improve the opinion of orchestra school wide for recruitment’s sake. Orchestra is not necessarily looked upon as a “cool” activity and steps might be taken to improve the opinion of those students not in orchestra by increasing visibility of the program and programming songs that appeal to students. My program does not include much competition outside of auditions for concert master. I encourage cooperation with “team” oriented language and attendance at state festivals. Some students desire more competition and it can be a driving force, but it often leaves some students as the “losers.” For marching band, we try to frame success or lack of success not as an “us vs. them” mentality but as a competition with our own performance. A focus on getting better helps to mitigate the negative aspects of competition. Creativity was explored at greater depth in a previous course, but this class has been a good reminder of some of the basics of creativity. I try to get students to utilize both convergent and divergent thinking from time to time and engage students in improvisation and composition projects. I’ve used constraints to help students be creative in the past. They often perform better with fewer options. Improvisation normally occurs within a particular domain. Having students exercise creativity while in a system is authentic while providing guidance for creative decision making. I still struggle with getting high school jazz band members to improvise, but will certainly continue in my efforts.

      My learning about psychology has included behaviorist verses cognitive viewpoints, a review of Piaget’s stage theory, and information processing. Developing lessons based upon behaviorist or cognitivist viewpoints will result in a very different approach. I tend to focus on the cognitive data storage viewpoint rather than the stimulus-response viewpoint. As students learn in my class they add new information to storage and build around particular concepts. I want my students to have well developed concepts such as tone, intonation, and bowing. I follow the reception learning model by delivering instruction in a particular order and manner. Piaget’s stage theory is a good reminder of the way students process the world. Certain activities are inappropriate for younger students. In particular, it is important to know when a student has developed the ability to conserve. For music, student’s comprehension of music generally follows the order: volume, timbre, tempo, duration, pitch, and harmony. While I don’t teach the youngest students, I do collaborate with the other district music staff to develop a district curriculum. I also work to introduce concepts to orchestra beginners that fits their developmental level. Some have not begun the formal operational stage and cannot deal in abstraction. As students are learning they are cognitively processing the information. Scanning and holding programs are important as I need to help students focus on the relevant information. As a teacher, I can verbally emphasize the important elements were are learning in the music so students can scan for those particular elements and work towards committing them to memory. I also use certain retrieval cues to help students in retaining important information. Orchestra students use phrases like “Mississippi river” to help them learn common rhythmic patterns. I also learned about motivation. My prior understanding focused on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation with a strong leaning towards intrinsic for its long term benefits.

During this course I also had an opportunity to discuss ways to design a performance that included information for the audience about the music and the music program generally, and learning for students beyond just the notes. I considered a cross-curricular performance designed with the social studies teacher we had designed in the past. While I don’t currently teach general music, there are ways to provide information and learning for performance that go beyond simple entertainment. For my orchestra concerts, I explain the pedagogical emphasis of the music as well as provide some things to listen for during the song. This gives the parents insight into the repertoire selection and helps them understand that I don’t usually pick songs based on their musical appeal. I might also include opportunities for students to share why they appreciate the music program. Having students write short testimonials and read them between songs would be an interesting way to educate parents about the value of music for their students. Most importantly, we need to consider how to ensure our performances are not merely for entertainment. Finding new ways to educate students about more than just the notes and educate an audience about the music they will hear or the group on stage has value.

Each of these areas discussed has a broad scope and carries a great deal of importance for music education. I have considered the implications of readings and discussions as much as possible during this course. However, more reflection can be done to consider historical, philosophical, psychological, and other factors that influence music education. Other courses in the UF MMMUE program have provided depth to these topics and more can be done in the future. 

Concepts for Orchestra

The following concepts are related to the orchestra ensemble. Each concepts is related to the performance of an orchestral instrument within the ensemble. Concepts are presented in a reception method rather than having students discover concepts on their own.

1.    Intonation – the concept of playing in tune within the ensemble

a.       Students develop the concept of intonation over the course of their orchestral instruction. Early efforts in proper intonation begin with correct posture and a close listening to their sound. Most beginners are too cognitively invested in the physical action of playing to hear if they are in tune. To that end, I give students finger tapes as visual and kinesthetic aids. Their concept of intonation has more to do with being “on the tape” than actually hearing pitch. Entering their second year of playing, students begin to tune their own instruments to a drone pitch. This activity starts their close listening and develops the concept of intonation as least in regards to open strings being in tune with a drone. As students continue their instruction drone pitches are further used to tune chords as well as individual notes. A “bottom up” concept of tuning the ensemble is added to the intonation “tree.” Students spend time tuning individual chords and warmup activities with finger patterns use repetition to give students time to tune. Entering their later years of instruction, students begin to understand the intonation of intervals like 5ths and 3rds. They also begin to consider the vibration of the instrument that occurs during a well intonated note.

2.    Bowing

a.       Students begin their understanding of bowing with simple up and down strokes. Symbols for bow directions are learned and the execution of correct bowings is taught directly. As students mature, they add different bowing concepts liked a “hooked” bow and a variety of on an off the string bow strokes. Warmup activates and lesson books reinforce bowing. Heading into high school, students begin to consider the strengths and weaknesses of up and down strokes. Students experiment with different directions and utilize different parts of the bow for musical reasons. Once in high school, students are included in bowing decisions and consider the reasons for a particular bowing. Tricky passages are tried with several bowing possibilities and students collaborate to decide on the “best” solution.

3.    Tone

a.       Students begin their instruction simply trying to get sound on their instrument. I remind students to not use too much pressure on the bow and to avoid squeezing their bow hold which hinders good tone. Much like proper intonation, good posture is an important part of good tone. Throughout instruction, students are given listening examples of good tone on their instrument. An aural model is important for students to know good tone. Listening helps students form criterial attributes and generalize about good tone on their instruments. Mechanical factors like rosin and a straight bow are taught in the second and third year of instruction and reviewed throughout their learning. Warmup activities involving slow bows and a focus on tone also aid in the development of this important concept.

44.     Posture

a.       As noted above, posture is important for a number of other concepts and should be well established for students to have success in orchestra. Beginners are given a very specific list of criteria for correct posture. Visual aids like pictures and demonstrations by the teacher help students develop their understanding of correct posture. Students are verbally reminded and sometimes physically adjusted to develop posture. As students get older, they are taught about the importance of tension. Tension in any part has an adverse effect on tone and can cause pain in the player. Students are encouraged to consider tension and move while they are playing (a gentle sway) to ensure a lack of tension. Video performances by professionals help students develop a mental image of both tone and posture. Students cannot adequately consider these concepts without having an “ideal” that they might strive towards. 

Behavioral Objectives for a Beginning Guitar Course

The following behavioral objectives are designed for a beginning guitar course at the high school level. The students are developing skills related to the reading and performing of chord symbols on a lead sheet (Music notation that includes chord symbols and lyrics). The song used contains chords previously learned by the student and no additional symbols that might cause confusion (coda, repeat signs, etc.).

1.    Given a simple lead sheet, the student can identify the chords needed to play the song.

2.    Given a simple lead sheet, the student can perform the chords needed to play the song.

3.    Given a simple lead sheet, the student can identify the number of beats or measures each chord is played before changing to a new chord.

4.    Given a simple lead sheet, the student can perform the song with a steady beat at 60 b.p.m.

Since the goals involved are behavioral, the student must demonstrate a change in their behavior to satisfy the objectives. In a one on one setting, the student could identify the chords and number of beats per chord verbally and then perform the song at the stated performance level. A rubric could be designed to measure the level the student has attained. However, each of these skills builds upon the last, there is no performance of the song at 60 b.p.m. without the ability to meet the previous behaviors. A single performance test with an accompanying rubric would adequately measure the students’ learning if they have attained all the behavioral objectives. If the student cannot adequately perform the song, then further assessment in a one on one setting should be done to ascertain their deficiency. An inability to identify chords or determine the number of beats each chord is played would result in a poor performance. An inability to perform the chords physically would also result in a poor performance.

The stated goals also align to the National Core Arts Standards. Anchor standard five involves the development and refining of artistic work which would be involved in playing a song from a lead sheet. Anchor standard seven involves perceiving and analyzing artistic work involved in identifying chord symbols and beats in written music. This connection to standards is critical in the development of behavioral objectives and a well-developed curriculum. The specificity and relative simplicity of the objectives also reflects the level of detail and time constraints of a single class period or rehearsal. Wider objectives would be too vague and involved to be useful in this setting. 

Behaviorist and Cognitivist approaches to Teaching Performance

            Using a behaviorist approach to teach the first 16 measures of the Beethoven “Pathetique” sonata would include an expectation that particular stimuli would elicit a particular response. First, I would present the music to a student who already has strong associations between the written pitches and how they should be performed. The student must read the music and respond by playing the correct pitches and rhythms. I would also expect a certain level of stimulus generalization with phrases and patterns that the student has seen before. The sixteenth-note motion is not uncommon in a classical sonata and the student should generalize their response to the musical stimuli. If they have not encountered such figures before they would then begin to develop the proper response to the music during repeated practice.

            Written fingerings should also illicit a mediational process whereby the student utilizes a series of stimulus-response bonds they have developed for piano fingerings. The written fingerings are appropriate for the music so this process would be beneficial more than detrimental. While mediational processes may be detrimental to finding more creative solutions, the teacher can guide the student to the best solution.

            In the process of practicing, the student should strengthen their stimulus-response better connecting the visual stimulus of the music to the proper performance expected. Further behaviorist ideas might be used to provide motivation to practice through external means. Creating a stimulus-response bond between practicing and an external reward should help further the behaviorist approach to teaching this piece. The teacher should closely monitor the learning of this piece so that proper stimulus-response bonds are developed. Improper bonds will result in poor performance and a likely delay in attaining mastery of the music. Since the learning of a piece is simply the attainment of a high degree of stimulus-response, the goal for performance is proper execution.

            Using the cognitivist approach to teach the first 16 measures of the Beethoven “Pathetique” sonata would include the assimilation of new stimuli into already created categories and processes. The music being learned contains a variety of material that should be added to “cognitive data storage.” As the student learns the music they should put particular physical actions, phrases, and other aspect of the music into their proper place. This placement will also aid in the learning of the music as prior learning informs new learning. The new music may be easily forgotten if the student fails to include the specificity of the new knowledge in its proper place. Prior learning about fingerings, phrasing, melodic structure, accompaniment figures, and other aspects of the music will be critical. It is for this reasons that the structure of the overall curriculum should be purposeful as each piece builds upon the learning that preceded it. This approach of careful organization fits best with Ausubel’s “reception learning.” If a more “discovery learning” style is desired, the student is more active in organizing material. This alternate approach would also likely lead to a more individualized creation of categories and processes. This approach is often seen with popular musicians and has its benefits and drawbacks.

            In the process of practicing, a cognitivist approach would value a more thoughtful approach to practice. While practice is necessary, it is not simply to match stimuli to the proper response. Instead, practice is the acquisition of skills and knowledge and its application to proper places in the brain. If the student struggles with the multiple voices in the sonata being played simultaneously, they should spend time slowly putting them together until the correct processes have been developed and filed in the brain. The developmental approach may be intrinsically motivating as students notice their incremental improvement. The overall goal, then is the development and categorization of the experience of playing the Beethoven into correct processes and categories. 

Creativity

1.    Using the “Jazz Philharmonic” text, students in 6^th grade orchestra will learn the song “Groovin’ for the First Time” and develop the ability to improvise a simple jazz solo over a blues progression. The text includes several warmup activities that walk students through the D dorian scale and call and response rhythmic echoes to introduce a swing beat. Students will practice melody, called the “head”, and learn the jazz combo tradition of head-solos-head. Students will also use the warmup activities to introduce the scale and rhythm patterns best suited to “Groovin’ for the First Time.” Learning to improvise within the tradition of jazz and using a limited set of pitches and rhythm patterns may promote better creativity than simply trying to “make things up.” In the past, students have felt comfortable improvising using these restrictions. Some students do end up straying outside the guidelines and that behavior is encouraged. All attempts as creative improvisation are applauded in an effort to encourage creativity; students that are corrected in their improvisations are often not sure what they did wrong and give up trying. The song and warmup patterns are taught over the course of a week and students have opportunities are various points to try improvisation. Some students try early on in the process while others take longer. All students feel comfortable in a “mass improvisation” moment where they are not afraid of peer judgement. Conformity in that case is a strong deterrent to creativity and much work must be done to encourage students to try.

2.    6^th grade orchestra students will compose a 12 bar blues melody using the D dorian scale. Related to the activity above, students will continue their learning by composing a melody. Similar to their improvised melody, students will choose rhythmic and melodic patterns to create a musical product. Students who may struggle with improvising a melody in the moment may find more success in this activity. Students who worry about peer judgement may also prefer composing since they do not need to perform in front of their peers. My own experience has been that composing a melody using a particular set of rules such as a 12 bar blues with the dorian mode will help develop the ability to improvise. Composing gives students a chance to think through and edit their ideas in a way improvising does not. Students will complete their composed melody using Noteflight, a web based program. This gives students a chance to hear their composition during the process and make edits based on aural feedback. Students will submit their finished product and willing students will perform their composed melodies over the chords of “Grooovin’ for the First Time.”

3.     Students in 5^th grade orchestra will improvise a “call and response” rhythm pattern using open strings. Students have rehearsed “call and response” rhythm patterns since their very first lessons. The teacher plays a one measure rhythm on an open string while the students echo that rhythm back. The first attempts are plucked on an individual string, but students in 5^th grade can repeat rhythm patterns with the bow on up to three open strings. Students also have experience echoing patterns that use the first finger, but their success in not as high. Once students are comfortable with the “call and response” activity, they are encouraged to take on the role of teacher. Students choose a rhythm pattern, often one they have heard the teacher play, and the class echoes back. Prior experience with this as the responders has given students a variety of rhythmic ideas from which to choose. Some students may also improvise a more complex rhythm, but the pattern must not exceed four beats. If the pattern is too long, it presents an opportunity to reinforce beat and counting. Not all students want to take on the role of teacher by themselves so students are given the option to teach with a partner. However, they must decide beforehand what rhythm they will play for clarity’s sake. This activity will take place over the course of many weeks with only one or two students taking on the role of teacher per day. Repetition gives less confident students an opportunity to think about their options and perhaps choose a pattern played by a peer that they liked.

4.    Creativity is a combination on convergent and divergent thinking and, as such, it does not always need to be something entirely original. 7^th and 8^th grade orchestra student have been playing long enough to know bowing directions and the value of particular bowings (down bows on string beats, up bows on pickups, up bow crescendo, etc.). As an anticipatory set, students will be reminded of the relative strengths and weaknesses of bow directions and complete an example as a group. Students will then be given a short bowing “problem” that has more than one solution. Students must think creatively to develop a solution and defend their solution with why they picked their bowing. This assignment demonstrates the student’s fluency, flexibility, and originality in regards to orchestra bowing.

5.    Students may also be creative in their interpretation of a musical passage. To that end, 7^th and 8^th grade students will be given an eight bar phrase written for their instrument with no expressive markings included. The students will play through their excerpt to learn the notes and rhythms and then decide on a particular semi-programmatic interpretation. Student may choose from a list of possible moods or scenes. They may also choose their own for the purpose of interpretation. Students will then practice their phrase using dynamics, tempo, and other expressive qualities to interpret the music effectively. Students will record their excerpt in a practice room with a verbal description of the mood or scene and a performance of the phrase for later teacher evaluation. Students will be expected to demonstrate an ability to make effective expressive decisions and rationalize their decision.

Conformity

Conformity can be a powerful tool in teaching. Of course, conformity is something that occurs naturally for people; we want to have our sense of reality confirmed by those around us. Adolescents are particularly eager to conform to their peers as they develop their own self and search for acceptance. Harnessing this desire for conformity can have positive effects for music education

      First, having students conform to the rules and expectations of the classroom can aid in the teaching and learning of music. Students that do not conform in this way can become a distraction and limit the amount of time available to actual learning in the classroom. In my orchestra classroom, I use a “rest position” when giving directions or teaching information directly. Students all know what to do physically when I say “rest position” and they conform to this expectation. This allows me to introduce a new war-up without students trying to play it before I am done explaining. It also gives a visual cue to me that students are listening. I also explain to my students that “rest position” is a sign of respect to me, their peers, and the orchestra as a group. “Rest position” confirms their role as students in the classroom. Those students that do not conform to this expectation feel a sense of non-conformity that is powerful. As an 8^th year teacher in my district, all of my orchestras know this expectation and follow it well.

      For awarding grades or recognizing good student work, it is important that recognition is regarded favorably in the eyes of students. I experienced this first hand as my 6^th grade middle school culture was one that did not celebrate the high achievers. As a result I was not motivated to complete work and received poor grades. In 7th grade my family moved to a new school district where the students with the best grades were “popular” and my grades and desire to work improved. For music, it is important that rewards not be seen as “cheesy” or dumb. My 4^th grade students have been motivated by a “recorder karate” style of achievement. Students receive a belt for each skills test they complete. The skills tests are songs in their book that require certain skills that build upon one another. The students attach their “belts” to the tailpiece as a visual symbol of their achievement. This same recognition would not work with my 8^th grade or high school students. Often, they don’t want to stick out in a crowd so a more subtle reward or verbal praise work better.

      My orchestra students do wear a uniform outfit of concert black, but not an exact uniform. The reason for this is more based on the idea that the visual appearance of the ensemble affects their audience’s opinion of the quality of performance. The marching band does wear a uniform and students do take pride in what the uniform means beyond just the need for marching bands to appear uniform. Students feel they are part of the group when wear the uniform and this sense of unity and conformity is appealing. I have attempted to convince orchestra students to purchase a polo or other clothing item to improve group cohesion, but most students do not want to spend the money. Having multiple festivals or competitions might change that attitude as students enjoy wearing uniforms as a group when surrounded by other schools and performing groups.

      During field trips, I remind students that they are representing our school and our town. I expect them to be quiet when listening to other groups, listen to clinicians, and play their best with great posture when on stage. This expectation has been developed over time and students mostly conform. Often the orchestra is “self-policing” in this regard; students who do not conform to expectations are reprimanded, often non-verbally, by their peers.  While I do have consequences for poor behavior on a field trip, they are rarely needed because of the level of conformity developed in the orchestra. Similar attitudes and behaviors are expected for public performances and assemblies. The orchestra does not often perform for assemblies, but they do conform to common public behaviors such as sitting quietly and being respectful of others. Our public concerts also contain expectations, but they are a bit looser. The warm-up before the concert is often a little less contained. More might be done to help students develop a pre-concert routine that would become the normal expectation and encourage conformity.

      When students help pick music there is a great deal less conformity. Often, students do not agree on which song (of two or three I have prepared for their selection) they should perform. More time spent educating students on the value of certain pieces or including them in how I pick literature might improve this. On the positive side, not all of my students want to pick popular music. Often, they pick songs that sound challenging or selections they think an audience might enjoy. This thinking outside of themselves is a positive development, but far from the norm. Continued education towards these attitudes and behaviors might develop a conformity of opinion.

      Generally, conformity is necessary in classroom management and is useful in reinforcing desired behaviors and attitudes. However, there should be room for creativity and divergent thinking. The selection of repertoire and the sharing of ideas may be areas where less conformity is desired. Creativity is also a desired part of music education.

Socioeconomic Status

            According to data made available by the Minnesota Department of Education from the 2012 – 2013 school year, Marshall Middle School in Marshall, MN has 582 students enrolled with 38% receiving free lunch, 7% LEP (limited English proficiency), and 16% SPED. The ethnographic data reveals that 76% of students are white with 24% minority. The two largest minority groups are black (11%) and Hispanic (12%). The overall number of students has grown considerably and, while I don’t have the raw data, personal experience can provide a qualified opinion that minority and low SES populations have grown to a greater percentage. Due to the growth in the population, current building plans are underway including adding to all existing buildings and building a new 3^rd and 4^th grade building.

The city of Marshall is home to about 13, 600 people but that number grows when Southwest Minnesota University is in session. The average income level is almost $60,000, but the SES of families varies with businesses like Turkey Valley Processing providing lower wage jobs and Schwan’s headquarters employing executives as well as lower wage laborers. Some parents are also rural farmers with wages that vary from modest to upper SES. Marshall is also home to Southwest Minnesota State University where the majority of faculty hold doctorate level degrees, but the majority of people in Marshall hold a bachelor’s degree or less. Housing also varies with extensive apartments and a fairly large trailer home community to several “additions” with large homes. Housing prices can reach into the upper echelon, but the median home value is around $149,000. However, that is more a product of the rural market as many of the homes in Marshall would be well over $200,000 in the Twin Cities.

            Among the significant ethic groups is a large, fairly mobile, Hispanic community. Many Hispanic students come and go which makes educating those students very difficult. There is also a large Somalian population and Hmong and Karen refugees. Many students are Christian, particularly Lutheran or Catholic, and the school district respects this fact by avoiding events scheduling on Wednesday nights or Sundays. The size of Marshall makes the school district one of the larger around the area so the district offers a wider variety of extra and co-curricular activities. However, many students are multi-sport athletes because the overall size of the district does not outsize those offerings.

While the overall school population has grown, the numbers of students enrolled in band, orchestra, and choir has grown to a lesser degree. The correlation between high SES and music participation does seem to be in effect currently. Having a fairly high percentage of white students does mean traditional ensembles can thrive; the marching band program has been a large ensemble with mostly white participation though some band students of other cultures do participate. The growing minority population has prompted efforts to include both minority and LEP students in music including a beginning High School guitar course. As the instructor of that course, I have seen a high percentage of minority students enroll including many Somali girls and Karen refugees who are not involved in any ensemble music courses. My current class of twenty five students includes eleven minority students of which six are LEP. Guitar has been particularly successful in reaching LEP students as a good amount of instruction can be done non-verbally. Students who may not be familiar with the music being performed still enjoy playing the guitar in class. Many of the Karen students go to church at the local Baptist church, a phenomenon also noticed in Aberdeen, SD (my dad is the Baptist pastor there). They enjoy learning the chords to their favorite songs from church and help each other learn the songs communally outside of class.

The large number of low SES students (38% receiving free lunch) has also prompted a district wide effort to purchase band and orchestra instruments for student use. The effort is designed to remove all barriers to participation in music and it has been fairly successful. Some students borrow a school instrument and continue through high school, but many play for only a year or two. However, it does give students an opportunity to learn music through performance in a way previously unavailable to them. Most of the LEP students do not participate in band or orchestra, but they do participate in general music and, to some extent, choir. Effort is made to communicate effectively with LEP students and LEP teachers provide training for teachers and support for students with targeted services. We have not considered including music from locally represented cultures in the music curriculum, but it would be an excellent idea. The worry is a lack of authenticity. There are minority advocates who work with the school and might provide good insight into the minority communities in Marshall and their musical cultures.

Some work has been done to help include all students in music offerings in Marshall. The guitar class at the high school is helping to provide minority and LEP students with musical opportunities, but it is only one, short, course. Instruments are provided for low SES students. However, these efforts to not account for enculturation, stratification, and ethnocentrism that might affect the learning and participation of certain populations. Just because band and orchestra instruments are available does not mean these students will participate. Some effort should be made to overcome cultural and social obstacles including stigma related to traditional ensembles and upper SES. More can be done to reach students who would certainly benefit from experiences in music and more should be done as the low SES and minority populations are only increasing in Marshall, MN. 

Social Aspects of Performance

      On performance in the past year that stick out to me is the Southwest Minnesota Orchestra’s Christmas concert. The SMO performs a variety of holiday themed music for an audience and the concert is followed by a reception where the audience can interact with members of the orchestra. The main purpose of the concert is encouraging donations to the SMO. In this regard, the concert is a great success. Funds donated at the concert exceed all other charitable giving (minus grants from the area arts council and an endowment the orchestra holds).

The music performed was a mixture of full and string orchestra pieces. Most selections were shorter in length and were familiar to the audience. Pieces like “Sleigh Ride” by Leroy Anderson were programmed because of their familiarity with the audience more than their aesthetic interest. With the goal of the program being the encouragement of donations, easier selections that sound good and are pleasing to the ear were included. Selections were mainly those classical or orchestral works that might be heard on the Christmas radio station and fit more into the pop and mainstream category though they were orchestral works. None of the selections were inappropriate for the social situation; all pieces were orchestra in nature and fit the Christmas theme. Audience members were listening to the music, but only a cursory listening was needed. Rather than the close listening and delayed gratification needed for great orchestral works, the selections were easy to follow with a minimum of effort.

            The SMO is a 40 member ensemble with additional “ringers” hired to fill in the ranks. The orchestra wore “concert black” with a few exceptions. The men wore suits rather than tuxedos and some festive green and red were included into the uniform color palate. Musicians sat with the exception of the basses. There was no amplification of instruments, except for an electric bass for a Trans-Siberian Orchestra arrangement. Members of the orchestra acknowledged the audience by standing at the end of the concert and soloists stood and bowed. Orchestral traditions were included such as tuning practices and the entrance of the concert master and conductor. There was a little relaxation of the typical orchestra traditions. The conductor spoke to the audience between selections in an informal manner and a select member of the audience played the “whip” in “Sleigh Ride.”

            The audience was about 300 people and generally older with some families in attendance. The SES of the audience was mainly upper and upper middle class. There were some exceptions, but the audience clearly belonged to higher social strata. Many of the exceptions were families of students in the school strings program. Though they were lower SES, they did have particular reasons to be interested in a concert of this type because of their, or their student’s, interest in string music. There was no admission price so there was no particular reason why the overall SES of the audience had to be higher. Instead, the main reason for a higher SES of the overall audience is due to their culture and the social connection between orchestral music and higher SES. There also seemed to be a bit of ethnocentrism as the majority of the audience was Caucasian.

            The concert included a printed program with songs and soloists listed as well as short bios of the conductor and principal string players. The audience members mostly dressed up for the event, but in a more “dress casual” way rather than suits and ties. There was no eating and drinking during the performance, but the reception following the concert had desserts and drinks available for free. The audience was attentively listening to the orchestra throughout the concert though not in a thoroughly engaged manner as would be necessary for more complex orchestral music.

            This concert was a good example of an orchestral fundraiser. The orchestra played pleasing music appropriate for the holidays and not too complex as to require close listening. The normal orchestral traditions were evident with some points of levity. The overall goal of the performance was to raise funds for the ensemble and it did so very well. Audience members were mostly of a higher SES and likely had funds available for donation. Though some students and their families who were lower SES did come to the concert and there was no ticket price, most of the audience was higher SES likely due to their socialization and ethnocentrism

Informing People About Music Education

When considering how to educate the public about the importance of music in schools it is important to consider what the non-musical public thinks music classes do. For performance based classes, it seems the general public does not grasp the value or effort in rehearsing music for performance. In some cases I’ve noticed that non musicians think a band or orchestra can simply pick a song and play it right away. One way to educate parents and the general public about rehearsing it to include a non-rehearsed song on a fall concert. When parents come back for the next concert they can hear the finished product and reflect back on the sight read quality of the song. This is something a colleague of mine did and it was very successful. Parents came away from the second concert with a new found appreciation for ensemble work.

Parents and the general public can also be educated about the music program through well written stories in the local paper. In the rural community where I teach many people still read the paper and the journalists are usually willing to come to the school and do a story on upcoming events. For example, my orchestra students are preparing for a festival next month and their preparation has been a learning experience as we develop the musical details of the music. Having an article in the paper that details their preparations and includes some interviews with students would show the value of music for my students as well as the value of the festival as a learning experience.

Lastly, including “guest” speakers at a parent meeting can help parents learn about the value of music for their student as they begin instruction. I hold a parent meeting for all the new orchestra students in the spring. It helps parents learn about the orchestra program and sign up for summer lessons that help their student get a jump start on their instrument before school begins. Inviting parents of former and current older students to speak about the value of orchestra for their student would be a good way to educate the public. New parents need to know what their student is joining and hearing about how much other parents have appreciated the program would be a great opportunity. Instead of hearing about orchestra’s benefits from me they can hear directly from parents who were in their place years ago. 

Landfillharmonic

In the video about the “Landfillharmonic” the two girls’ statements offer some insight into the power of music. For the girl who feels “butterflies” in her stomach when hearing the violin, she is experiencing an aesthetic quality in music that cannot be replicated in any other way. Even other forms of art miss the temporal qualities inherent in music. She may also be experiencing “butterflies” due to the fact that music can be a means of self-expression. For the children that live in the landfill, music can help them have a voice and communicate their thoughts and feelings. The girl who states that “My life without music would be nothing” is speaking to the expressive power of music. Her life in the landfill may feel desperate and lacking in purpose. Music can be a source of engagement, self-expression, and development as a person. The ensemble camaraderie may also be a source of “something” for the young girl, but there is no evidence to support this claim directly.

In general, the video demonstrates how people everywhere value music. Though it serves no practical purpose, music is so important that people will make instruments out of recycled garbage. The video is truly a testament to the power of music and people’s desire to make music no matter the obstacles. I see the video as an excellent example for advocacy. The desire of these kids to play an instrument is clearly visible and they state directly how they feels about music in the video. There is value in music as a core subject because it teaches things not taught anywhere else. It speaks to students’ need to self-express, have an identity, and engage in aesthetic feeling among other reasons. I have seen this short video several times and each time I am amazed at the audacity of the situation. No matter what, people are drawn to music and music making. 

Music Advocacy: Non-Musical vs. Musical Benefits

    The case for music education can, and has often been, supported by non-musical benefits. Studies have shown that students enrolled in music programs score higher on tests. A study by The College Board found that students involved in public school music programs scored 107 points higher on the SAT's than students with no participation (MENC, 2002). In addition, research shows that early music training dramatically enhances children's abstract reasoning skills. These findings indicate that music uniquely enhances higher brain functions required for mathematics, chess, science and engineering (Rauscher et. al., 1997). Students involved in the music program have also been show to be better at languages, learn to read more easily, show an improved social climate, show more enjoyment in school, and have a lower level of stress than non-music students (Weber, Spychiger, & Patry, 1993). I have noticed in my own personal experience that students involved in music classes tend to be more active in other extra-curricular activities as well as do better in school generally. In looking at MAP data provided by NWEA, I found that most of my students scored at or above grade level in mathematics and reading. Some even achieved above the scoring range provided. This was in contrast to the whole student body who had a larger percentage of students below grade level.

  The case for music education can also be made from a purely musical perspective. Bennett Reimer purported that music education is "aesthetic education" and that philosophy has been widely held by many including Allen Britton and Charles Leonhard (Mark, 1982). Unlike the reasons in the preceding paragraph, advocating for music for it's own sake doesn't rely on the value of something other than music. Having to advocate for one's subject with outside reasons is not something teachers of other subjects like biology must do (Abeles, Hoffer, & Klotman, 1994). Must music educators find reasons for their subject other than the subject itself? Even if music educators do endeavor to advocate with non-musical reasons there is reason for speculation. Some of the research cited in justifying music through non-musical benefits has been shown to be flawed. Many of the benefits noted in studies are skills in learning how to learn that might be developed just as well with other disciplines (Pitts, 2002). Many of the studies cited simply ignore the underlying reasons for the causal link (Winner & Cooper, 2000). Also, reasons for music such as team work, school enjoyment, and lower stress may not be valued by administrators. The current educational climate including the push for common core is focused on knowledge and skill-based outcomes. Administrators may not see the need to build good citizens or lower stress when other outcomes tied to state and national legislation need to be addressed. Though the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) might mean a move towards a more "well rounded" education, the emphasis on "closing the achievement gap" is not going away. When schools run a deficit will they look to trim the budget with something they value or something that is only included in the curriculum to build character or improve school climate? Still the ESSA has provided an opportunity for music educators to claim music for it's own sake. A music education does help in providing a more "well-rounded" education. NAfME in particular has begun to celebrate the passage of the new legislation and call for advocating music as part of the "well-rounded" curriculum. 

   While there are many reasons to claim non-musical reasons for music education, there are also reasons to focus more on advocating music for it's own sake. Research  has shown a correlation between music and a number of positive benefits. However, those correlational claims may be false and miss a more important causal relationship. Advocating for music may not need to include non-musical factors. Music is a valuable part of the curriculum as "aesthetic education" and also in providing a "well-rounded" education. The best approach is likely a mixture of both. When considering advocating for music there seems to be no reason not to use all available arguments. Advocating for music in it's own right does not mean one cannot still claim the non-musical benefits provided they make room for possible issues with the research. 

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• Abeles, H. F., Hoffer, C. R., & Klotman, R. H. (1994).Foundations of music education (2nd ed.). New York;Toronto;: Schirmer Books.

• Mark, M. L. (1982). The evolution of music education philosophy from utilitarian to aesthetic. Journal of Research in Music Education, 30(1), 15-21.

• Pitts, S. (2002). Issues in music teaching. British Journal of Music Education,19(1), 103-114.     doi:10.1017/S0265051702220173 
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Rauscher, F. H., Shaw, G. L., Levine, L. J., Wright, E. L., Dennis, W. R., & Newcomb, R. L. (1997). Music training causes long-term enhancement of preschool children's spatial-temporal reasoning. Neurological Research, 19(1), 2

• Winner, E., & Cooper, M. (2000). Mute those claims: No evidence (yet) for a causal link between arts study and academic achievement. Journal of Aesthetic Education,34(3/4), 11-75.

Aesthetic Lesson

    In teaching an aesthetically driven lesson to 6th grade students using the 2nd movement of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 I would focus more on an expressionist view of aesthetics. Rather than having students write down emotional words that they might have felt while listening, I would have students communicate their feelings through art. While  a song might be considered "happy" or "melancholy", these terms don't quite capture the aesthetic quality of the music accurately.

  I would be most intrigued to try finger painting as it can communicate better the temporal nature of music than a fixed drawing might. However, I would be concerned with the management aspects of giving 6th grade students messy paint to use. I would, instead, have students listen to the excerpt three times. The first time they would be tasked with choosing the crayon colors for their drawing. A focus on color can help students determine what types of emotions can be connected to the music without using words. It also allows students to make their own aesthetic decisions rather than being told how they should feel.

   After choosing their color palate, a second listening to the excerpt will give students more familiarity with the major themes and dynamic contour of the music. Familiarity should help student gain a better idea of what they might draw to communicate their feelings. This is another area where finger painting might be superior as it lends itself better to abstract art than crayons do. I would verbally encourage students to avoid drawing a scene and work towards drawing a mood or feeling abstractly.

   The third listening would be a chance for students to finish their art both giving them more time to draw and an opportunity to further solidify their idea of the music. One opportunity to listen might give an authentic aesthetic experience, but I don't believe repeated listening opportunities is a detriment. My own experience with particular music is that repeated listening to music enhances aesthetic experience up to a point. I would not want students to become bored of the music, but three times is not likely to do so.

   I would assess students not on the quality of the art or my supposed idea of what is the right feeling, color, or mood. Instead, students would be assessed on their completion of the project and a short paragraph describing their artistic decisions.  Students should have chosen their colors based on the music and created something that they think expresses the music best.

   I believe this assignment would capture students' thinking on the aesthetic qualities of the music while avoiding formal and historical considerations. While I do somewhat agree with the formalist notion of aesthetics and see value in including some learning about the form of the music, this lesson focuses only on the emotive content of the music. Students will engage in active listening and make aesthetic decisions for their own art based on the aesthetic qualities of the music. This format avoids forcing students to use words for feelings that may be beyond the scope of language.

Particular Aesthetic Experience

       As a musician and music educator, I have experienced many aesthetic moments. One that stands out in my mind currently is my first experience hearing the Minnesota Orchestra in Minneapolis. I was enrolled in an undergraduate arts appreciation course in the Fall of 2003 and the entire class was brought to Orchestra Hall. I don't recall everything on the program, but I do remember vividly their performance of Beethoven's 5th Symphony. The Scherzo in particular was moving.

     Their  performance, of course, had little practical purpose. I did not gain any particular intellectual insight or gain in any other way, but I did experience several emotions connected to the performance. The orchestra owns four basses that were gifted to the ensemble by a philanthropist. Each bass is valued over $100,000 and, when combined with the full force of eight bassists who all dig their end pins into the wood stage, they create a powerful sound. The rapid motion of the lower strings in the middle of the Scherzo was powerful and filled the hall. The stopping and starting of such a huge force was arresting, and once the Scherzo began in earnest I was captivated. As a Bassist myself, I was overwhelmed at the skill on display, but also musically interested in the fugal nature of the music. In fact, I spent most of my time focused on the bass section. As the Scherzo gave way to the finale, an incredible feat of musical writing in itself, I felt power giving way to a lightness and joyful energy. My focused shifted from the bass section to the overall sound of the orchestra. To this day, repeat listening to Beethoven's 5th symphony remind me of that concert and the great energy I felt from the orchestra.

    While I certainly thought about the bassists' skill at the time and into the future, I also had an increased appreciation for the Minnesota Orchestra as one of the premier orchestras. I did hear the orchestra perform at other times, but that concert is still my favorite. I do enjoy hearing orchestra performances. They provide an experience separate from daily life. Though not all orchestral experiences provide strong emotional feelings, they do contain some emotional content and, at the very least, speak to a more formalist idea of aesthetics.

Sage vs. Guide

Sage vs. Guide

            In an experiment to see if my teaching is more based on “sage on the stage” or “guide on the side, I video recorded myself teaching 7^th and 8^th grade orchestra. After recording the lesson, I make a tic every 30 seconds to see which approach was utilized more. My results were as follows:

Sage – 85.7%

Guide – 14.3%

            The results of this experiment did not surprise me. In fact, I expected these results mostly due to the nature of the class being recorded. I observed my teaching of a 7^th and 8^th grade orchestra rehearsal. This rehearsal was in preparation for a regional festival that is taking place in a month. Because of time constraints and the pressure of the festival, my rehearsal technique tends to be more teacher-centered and focused on product rather than process. The festival is a big part of the 7^th and 8^th grade calendar and provides a great deal of motivation for students. The ensemble improves through preparation and participation in the festival. For this reason, I fully expected my classroom strategies to be more “sage” than “guide”.

If I taught the same class again I might include some opportunities for “guide” moments. I do have students critically assess their own playing and make rehearsal suggestions as we get closer the performance date. Adding in more student-centered techniques does help students take ownership of their learning and can help them grow into more thoughtful musicians. I would have liked to guide students to possible solutions to our issue with accents. Towards the end of the rehearsal, we were working on off-beat accents in “North Country Legend.” We didn’t find much success in enhancing the accents, and a chance for students to offer solutions would’ve been a good learning opportunity. Other chances to let students guide the learning would be effective in building long term skills for problem solving and might improve student ownership of the group.

The sage best represents the empiricism philosophy. The sage is concerned with learning the right things in the right way. The teacher is the source of knowledge and leads the classroom from the “stage” knowing what students should know and be able to do. Often, the sage has learned from experts and imparts their wisdom. This reliance on experts is a large part of the empiricist philosophy. The sage, in being the source of knowledge, is not particularly interested in allowing students to explore possible solutions to problems via the scientific method. Instead, they use their time tested strategies to solve issues for the students. My rehearsal method was almost completely in the sage category which fits my stated empiricist philosophy noted in class discussion.

The guide best represents the pragmatism philosophy. Students should be gently guided through the process of learning rather than being led to “right” answers. The guide focuses on the methods of learning the students use. From the side, the teacher can observe and correct rather than dictate the learning that students experience. For the pragmatist, things are always changing and the more important aspect of learning is experience. Since the guide is not “front and center” they can get out of the way to allow students to have those experiences. Unlike the sage who shows students the “right” way to gain skills and knowledge, the guide is more open to failure as a learning experience. Like Dewey, they provide students with a problem to solve via the scientific method.

Both methods have their benefits as do their associated philosophy. Being the sage too often deprives students of opportunities for problem solving, ownership of learning, and the development of non-musical skills. In the future, I should consider possible adjustments to both my philosophy and teaching style that may benefit my students. Perhaps I am making the classic empiricist mistake of relying too heavily on what I perceive to be true. While a sage can impart a great deal of skill and knowledge, giving students the opportunity to lead their own learning with gentle guidance from the side should be considered.