Coming from a very small school district, I saw, first hand, the importance of recruitment for the instrumental music program. With this being said, I think one of the best ways to build quality instrumental music programs is to ensure an adequate number of beginners in the program each year while keeping as many of them as possible. Moreover, effective communication between the student, parents and administrators is crucial. Without proper attention to the significant role that communication plays, music directors will never be completely successful in generating the support necessary for their programs to thrive. Music students need to know what is expected of them and that they play a key role in the success of their department. Through conferences, letters, and even phone conversations, parents need to be alerted to any success or problems of beginning students. Even little things like publishing the names of all students in concert programs can help build pride and motivate them to continue practicing towards the goal of participating in an ensemble. To further aid communication while clarifying student responsibilities, a student handbook should be created that clearly states the goals and objectives of the program and gives detailed information. Additionally, one of the most obvious but neglected areas of communication is the parent-director relationship. If music students are to be successful and stay involved in the program, enlightened and supportive parents are essential. Ideally, a three-way partnership is entered into by the student, parent, and instructor.
I also think it is important to note that directors need to recruit more than just students but their families as well. No one will have a more direct influence on the success of the music department and retention of its students than the parents. Without their enthusiasm and interest, it is easy for students to drop out of the instrumental program or never even join. Parents need to feel as if they are involved with the program in some way, such as utilizing them as chaperons for trips or asking them to help with concerts, uniforms or other administrative tasks in order to increase their loyalty and concern while at the same time, making the director’s job easier!
Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
Philosophy Reflections
1. What qualities make a good instrumental teacher?
While certain qualities of teaching may benefit different personalities of students more than others, I think there are a few specific, key personality traits that are necessary in being an effective instrumental educator.
The first and most obvious of these can be summed up quite nicely by composer, Henry Cowell, who so eloquently yearned to "live in the whole world of music". In other words, a good instructor must be a "complete musician" whose knowledge of music is not limited to their primary instrument/voice. On the other hand, this knowledge extends to music history, music theory and form, phychology, including the psychology of teaching and how students learn, knowledge of how all of the instruments work and play at a basic level, as well having the skill of a highly accomplished musician and conductor. If this seems like asking an immense amount of one person, it is. However, in order to correctly and accurately convey the sophisticated and seemingly "intangible" art form to students, we need to have the ability to expose them to the entire "world" of music, not only one of its many facets.
Moreover, the aspect of individual personality is just as significant. Being an effective educator requires one to be responsible, resourceful, hard-working, and highly dedicated to the profession, one in which you must be prepared for a myriad of unexpected circumstances and challenges. More importantly, truly effective teachers are honest, caring, and supportive of all students, regardless of level or ability. Music is a vulnerable art that can make students who may initially struggle and are easily frustrated be quick to want to give it up, and this is not what we want for our programs or for individual students. Instead, it is our job to provide a comfortable learning environment and give students every possible aid to reach their full potential and realize music's unique place within their daily lives - a feat that requires a vast amount of love and patience on our parts.
2. What should students learn as part of k-12 instrumental instruction?
Most obviously, students should learn how to play their chosen instrument to the best of their ability, which includes learning basic rudiments, playing expressively with a good tone, good sight reading and music reading skills, and learning to play in an ensemble. However, beyond this, the fact that students should additionally have a basic knowledge of music history, music theory and form, composition and improvisation, be able to sing using the head voice/match and audiate pitches, respond to and analyze music, and be able to articulate why music is important to them it is often over-looked. If we truly want our students to become well-rounded musicians, whether they go on to be professionals in the future or just use music as an anjoyable hobby, students need to understand how music works far beyond the mechanics of the instrument they play in our ensembles.
3. Why should music be part of school curricula?
While studies have proven that involvement in music ultimately makes kids better students academically, there are far greater reasons as to why music has a critical role within school curricula, and being able to effectively justify them is something all music educators should be capable of doing. Besides all of the musical benefits of developing the skill of playing an instrument, the extra-musical skills that studying music provides are invaluable and can be applied to almost every facet of daily life, especially for children as they grow and develop through the trying time known as "adolescence". These include helping to improve social development and communication and cooperation, self-reflection and helping students to be in touch with their own emotions, creativity, and coordination and other physical benefits among others. Over all, these ultimately help foster a passion that can be enjoyed for an entire lifetime.
While certain qualities of teaching may benefit different personalities of students more than others, I think there are a few specific, key personality traits that are necessary in being an effective instrumental educator.
The first and most obvious of these can be summed up quite nicely by composer, Henry Cowell, who so eloquently yearned to "live in the whole world of music". In other words, a good instructor must be a "complete musician" whose knowledge of music is not limited to their primary instrument/voice. On the other hand, this knowledge extends to music history, music theory and form, phychology, including the psychology of teaching and how students learn, knowledge of how all of the instruments work and play at a basic level, as well having the skill of a highly accomplished musician and conductor. If this seems like asking an immense amount of one person, it is. However, in order to correctly and accurately convey the sophisticated and seemingly "intangible" art form to students, we need to have the ability to expose them to the entire "world" of music, not only one of its many facets.
Moreover, the aspect of individual personality is just as significant. Being an effective educator requires one to be responsible, resourceful, hard-working, and highly dedicated to the profession, one in which you must be prepared for a myriad of unexpected circumstances and challenges. More importantly, truly effective teachers are honest, caring, and supportive of all students, regardless of level or ability. Music is a vulnerable art that can make students who may initially struggle and are easily frustrated be quick to want to give it up, and this is not what we want for our programs or for individual students. Instead, it is our job to provide a comfortable learning environment and give students every possible aid to reach their full potential and realize music's unique place within their daily lives - a feat that requires a vast amount of love and patience on our parts.
2. What should students learn as part of k-12 instrumental instruction?
Most obviously, students should learn how to play their chosen instrument to the best of their ability, which includes learning basic rudiments, playing expressively with a good tone, good sight reading and music reading skills, and learning to play in an ensemble. However, beyond this, the fact that students should additionally have a basic knowledge of music history, music theory and form, composition and improvisation, be able to sing using the head voice/match and audiate pitches, respond to and analyze music, and be able to articulate why music is important to them it is often over-looked. If we truly want our students to become well-rounded musicians, whether they go on to be professionals in the future or just use music as an anjoyable hobby, students need to understand how music works far beyond the mechanics of the instrument they play in our ensembles.
3. Why should music be part of school curricula?
While studies have proven that involvement in music ultimately makes kids better students academically, there are far greater reasons as to why music has a critical role within school curricula, and being able to effectively justify them is something all music educators should be capable of doing. Besides all of the musical benefits of developing the skill of playing an instrument, the extra-musical skills that studying music provides are invaluable and can be applied to almost every facet of daily life, especially for children as they grow and develop through the trying time known as "adolescence". These include helping to improve social development and communication and cooperation, self-reflection and helping students to be in touch with their own emotions, creativity, and coordination and other physical benefits among others. Over all, these ultimately help foster a passion that can be enjoyed for an entire lifetime.
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