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. 

Book Comparison

This post is a quick survey of music texts from different time period. Each is analyzed considering the appearance of notation, nature of the songs, range and tessitura, and relation of the songs to specific music aspects or other curriculum. A critical look at the differences in curricular plans will also shed light on the development of music texts from 1920 to 2000.

The first text is the Progressive Music Series Book 1 printed in 1920. The table of contents shows that the book is a collection of songs organized by their melodic content. The first pages contain songs based on the tonic chord with later songs adding neighbor tones, diatonic figures, and more complicated intervals. There are also sections at the end for sight reading and rote songs. One of the songs towards the back of the book "Little Miss Tulip" is an example of one of the more complicated melodies. Notation includes eighth notes that are not beamed.The song begins on the tonic, but contains a number of intervallic skips such as descending 3rds and ascending 4ths. The range is fairly large from a D below the staff to a top space E and may stretch very young singers. There does not seem to be a specific skill being taught with this song and no cross-curricular emphasis. The lyrics are simple and likely are of secondary importance. The goal of this series is certainly the development of singers. This is expected as the original goal of early music education was to develop good singers particularly for the church. There is a teacher's edition, but one was not available to review.

The second text is the New Educational Music Course from 1906. The text is intended for 7th and 8th grade students and includes mostly two parts songs with some three part with the third part in the bass clef towards the end. Like the Progressive series, the text is a collection of songs for the purpose of developing young singers. The first section includes some review of the previous texts and develops singing skill with intermediate tones with skips . Songs are arranged in the book by key starting with C and moving to flat and sharp keys adding one at a time. The second part is a continuation of songs with skips to and from intermediate tones, but includes more sharp and flat heavy keys. Part three explores contrasts between major an minor again moving from fewer to more sharps and flats. Part four is a collection of duets, trios, and parts songs. Part five includes more parts singing with the inclusion of a bass clef voice. On of the songs from part four is "A Lesson in Giving." It includes three parts with each part having it's own written lyrics. The third part has some interesting chromaticism and the first part contains the largest skips. The song has a number of crescendo and decrescendo markings which were not present in the Progressive text. Breath marks are also included. The first part has a larger range going from D to top line F. The Third part goes as low as a G below the staff. The rhythms of each part are distinct which, when added to the large range and big skips, create a fairly complicated song to sing. The purpose of this text is certainly to build strong singers and each song seems to have specific skill goals as evidenced by the organization shown in the table of contents. There is no mention of a teacher's edition.

The third text is The Music Connection Grade Three from 1995. At over 300 pages, it is much longer than the previous two texts which didn't eclipse 200 pages. The text also includes CDs and simple piano accompaniments. The text is colorful with pictures and large letters with several fonts on each page. The table of contents shows organization by concepts and themes. The concepts in unit one include rhythm, melody, harmony, form, and tone color. The theme section includes a variety of concepts including both American music and world music. The unit ends with a "theme musical" which likely ties the unit concepts and themes together. One of the songs from the "Just Imagine" theme is "Don Gato." The song is a silly song about a cat that includes "meowing." Spanish lyrics are also included as well as a description of ballads. The time signature is written with a quarter note instead of a 4 which is an attempt to clarify beats and measures for students. The notation is printed clearly and includes chord symbols. This inclusion helps to facilitate the addition of simple accompaniments at the discretion of the teacher. There is a teacher's edition which, in the author's experience, contains further directions for learning. The goal of this text is not simply to build singing skills. Instead, there is a clear intent to build musical knowledge and intersect with other subjects as well.

The fourth text is Share the Music for grade five from 2000. It is longer yet with 440 pages and includes ancillaries. The table of contents reveals as text organized by themes. The specific curricular goals might be included in the teacher edition and follow a logical scope and sequence, but those goals are not readily apparent given the theme titles. Each unit includes creating and writing unlike the earlier texts.  The focus on a more well-rounded music learning rather than building better singers may be relate to the development of the national standards. This text seems to cover a variety of standards within a single unit. One of the songs in the text, "Free at Last," includes a short paragraph on the importance of the song for the African American community and mentions Dr. King. The song might be used as a cross-curricular opportunity with social studies. Unlike earlier texts reviewed where the lyrics are of secondary importance, this text includes songs thoughtfully to address more than just singing development. The notation includes chord symbols like the Music Connection text which can be used for simple accompaniments. A regular 4/4 time signature is used and the tonic (do) is noted at the beginning. There are also directions for making the song call-and-response.  There is a teacher's edition that likely has further details.

Overall, it seems that the focus of music texts evolved from a vocal skill building focus to a more general approach. Later texts included more cross-curricular possibilities. They also were more likely to include detailed teacher editions and ancillaries. The notation of songs included in the text also changed to add chord symbols which facilitated easy construction of accompaniment parts. The broadening of the focus may be related to the development of the national music standards developed in 1994. Certainly, there has been an larger shift of focus from vocal development to well-rounded music education.

Music and Morality

Plato held the belief that music and morality held a deep connection. The idea of ethos held by the Greeks contends that music has moral qualities and effects. Plato even noted that certain music can play a part in determining one's character; good music would create a good person while bad music would do the opposite. Though not necessarily a strongly held belief in today's society, it can still be seen in the thoughts and writings of people. The following two articles referenced below relate to Plato's idea connecting music and morality. A summary and discussion of the relation to Plato are included.

Naomi Ziv, Moran Hoftman and Mor Geyer. ( 2011) Music and moral judgment: The effect of                   background music on the evaluation of ads promoting unethical behavior.                               Psychology of Music. doi: 10.1177/0305735611406579

 The article takes a look at the effects of music on people's perceptions of advertising that is unethical. A prior study had participants listen to a radio ad promoting a way to falsify pension information to gain more money in retirement. The control group heard the ad with only voices while the experimental group heard cheerful, Mozart music in the background. The study did find more people viewed the ad favorably with the music than without. However, the participants were not specifically from an older demographic to whom the ad would directly apply. 

The study that is the subject of this article had the ad's subject be more fitting to college age participants by promoting a website that helped with plagiarism. The control groups once again heard the ad with no background music while the experimental group heard the ad with James Brown's "I Got You" in the background. The study did see a rise in favorable reactions with the background music. This prompted the researchers to wonder what data might be found with more solemn music in the background. They also had participants report on their thoughts about plagiarism in general. They had, once again, a control group, and then two separate background songs. One was happy again (a Mozart Allegro) while another was darker (Albinoni's Adagio). The students in the group with Albinoni music reported thoughts about plagiarism more tied to the negative outcomes and cheating. 

The research presents some interesting thoughts at least for advertising purposes. I'm not sure the idea that music can influence someone's morality can be taken from the results. However, music can influence people's thoughts concerning moral or immoral actions. Might certain music cause a person become a good or bad person morally? That is what Plato thought, and the fact that research of this kind is being done shows that there is enough merit to the idea to consider further study. 

• Influence of music on youth behaviors (2006). Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

This article reported on a study done by the National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. The study centered around correlations between young people's listening habits and the use of alcohol, illicit drugs, and history of violence. They found a positive correlation between alcohol and drug use and listeners of rap music. There were other styles, such as heavy metal, that correlated to drug use, but none as consistently as rap music. The connection between rap and drug use was consistent for all racial backgrounds, but African Americans reported more aggressive behavior. 

The correlations found were attributed more to the lyrics of rap music which tend to contain drug and alcohol references. It was not the opinion of the author that underlying music features such as rhythm, tempo, or key were the cause of student's use of drugs and alcohol or more aggressive behavior. The study also fails to show a cause and effect relationship between rap music and drug use or aggression. 

Music can have an effect on people's perceptions as evidenced in the first study. Certain types of music may also be linked to certain "good" or "bad" behaviors as found in the second study. We should consider what music we have students perform particularly in regards to lyrics, but I don't believe any single style or sound should be excluded for moral reasons. Instead, students should have opportunity to engage in a wide variety of styles. Worries held by some about jazz, rock, or rap shouldn't discourage music educators from creating a well rounded curriculum. While Plato's belief that music is inherently moral has some relevance, I do think its power to influence people stops short of particular scales, rhythms, or notes. Music does have the power to influence, but we shouldn't fear having our students engage with quality music. 

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