Module 4 Reflection Post: The Landfill Orchestra

The video of the Landfill Harmonic Orchestra has several interesting components. The young girl who describe feeling butterflies while listening to a violin also stated “it’s (music) a feeling that I don’t know how to explain.” I think that is exactly why the people of Cateura began creating the instruments and organizing an ensemble. They realize that music makes them feel in a way not possible through anything else. Although there are not funds to purchase new violins (that are valued higher than a house), they citizens recognize the need for music in their society in order to “live” instead of “exist.” Additionally it should be noted that they ensemble played songs from the “past.” The small town in Paraguay that is built upon a landfill has a 40% school dropout rate, but yet they seem to be stretching to reach all four components of the role of music education (minimum competencies, cohesive society, learning from the past, and a richer life). I think it is especially incredible given that this town does not likely have the funds or technology to enjoy music through listening to replicated music. The statement “my life without music would be worthless” could be viewed as youthful exaggeration however it appears that this individual is existing with barely having basic needs met and therefore the removal of music from her life may very well make it feel worthless to her. 

Module 4 Reflection Post: Informing People about Music Education

There are many ways that I can make the value of music education better known in my community. This is my third year in the position of sole band director for grades 5^th through 12^th in a small suburb of St. Louis. Although the school district is small, the band program is very small and the high school enrollment is currently only 7% of the total school enrollment. While that is slightly increased since I was hired, there is still a long way to go. The current beginning band class (6^th grade) is at 33% enrollment. Below I will detail a few of the strategies that helped get so many 6^th grade students involved as well as ideas for strategies that I could implement to further demonstrate the importance of school music programs to the community. It’s worth noting that the biggest struggle the band program faces in my district is the ability to get students involved initially. All middle school students (6^th, 7^th, and 8^th) are allowed one “elective” section. Meaning that students who choose to take band throughout middle school do not get to experience any other classes outside of the cores (math, science, reading, English Language Arts, and social studies).  For the students that do stick with band (or choir) throughout middle school they face a tough decision in high school as they are encouraged to take honors courses that conflict with band and choir.

Recruiting efforts – It became very clear to me after the first year that if I didn’t start students in beginning band that I was likely never going to have them in the band program. I met with the elementary principal and we devised a plan to have “5^th grade instrumental music” as part of their specials rotation. I see all of the 5^th graders once a week and we explore the instrument families. I have gotten better at teaching this class and last year was able to incorporate many 5^th graders into the spring band concert. This was a great opportunity for me to speak to the 5^th grade parents about the important of music, for them to see what the high school band had to offer, and also allowed me to send them home with valuable information about the importance of music. Part of the materials I supplied included a website that I built specifically for recruiting. I must admit that I use the “academic card” as a reason to join the band program on these materials. I am not proud of this because I believe that music should stand alone and should not be defended based on what it does for other content areas; however at this point in the building process I am going to continue to include the academic benefits in the materials I supply to parents.

Join VP Band website 

Marching band as a face in the community - Another strategy that I used to show the community the importance of music was the reestablishment of the marching band program. Marching uniforms were purchased nearly 20 years prior to my hiring, but they were barely used. I wanted the high school band to have a face in the community, even if that was just playing a pep tune in the local parade. The events that we play have grown from the community parades to community luncheons and other events at City Hall. Many people have approached me with comments such as “I didn’t even know VPHS had a band.” Through the process of reestablishing the marching band I’ve (unsuccessfully) applied for grants and some of the materials that I have put together for the applications have been displayed at school board meetings. Video for grant 

Proposal for schedule changes – While working towards convening the school board and community that band is important, I have also had many meetings with administrators and other “elective” teachers to work towards a better schedule that would allow more course opportunities for our students. I have presented the data to show how we are the only school district in our county that limits our middle school students to one elective, but have been unable to convince the middle school administration that our students deserve more choices. I plan to continue to have meetings. Link to data presentation

Fun band activities – Over the last few years I have worked to take the high school band to contest as well as on larger performance and festival trips. Also, with the addition of the marching program we now go to marching competitions at held on college campuses and perform at the football games. Lastly, I created an after school jazz program that will compete for the first time this year. The addition of opportunities to perform has definitely increased student quantity as well as quality. The program is beginning to feel more like a typical band program.

Convincing the school community and residential community that band is valuable has been a struggle so far, but I feel that we are gaining traction and I will continue to work towards a valued band program. Several other strategies that I plan to implement include alumni band events in which former students come back and play with the current band, a mentor program were upperclassmen encourage younger band students to excel in the band program, and (hopefully) a successful attempt to starting a band boosters organization. I believe if we have a program that feels welcoming with a “family” feel to it, then we will grow and the more we grow the more voices we will have supporting us in the community.

MUE 6080 Module 3: Teaching Aesthetic Qualities in 6th Grade Band

To teach the aesthetic value of Tchaikovsky's Symphony No. 4 in F minor, Op. 36 Second Movement to a 6th grade band class I would first have the students listen to the piece and write down any thoughts or observations they noticed without any guidance from me. I think it is hard to develop the ability to “listen” instead of simply “hearing” and giving the students an opportunity to notice aesthetic qualities before a teacher directs them in their listening experience may prove to be valuable. 

Next, I will provide the notation of opening oboe solo and note the following qualities:

• The duplicated notes with differing articulations (staccato and slurred) in measures two and four. 
• The ritardando at the end of the first phrase, concluding on beat one in measure nine. (And all other phrase endings in the introduction section). 
• *My intention is to provide several recognizable characteristics of the opening oboe solo so that the students would be able to recognize its exact duplication played by the cellos beginning in measure ten. 
• The entrance of the soft and subtle counter melody in the flutes in measure 32. 
• The change from flowing eight notes to solid and strong quarter notes played by most of the ensemble beginning at the A section. 
• The upward movement of the quarter notes and use of crescendo beginning in measures 54, 56, 58, and 60. Also, the upward movement in the strings with faster notes (8th and 16th) in the opposite measures (55, 57, 59, and 61). 
• Finally, the descending melodic movement to close the A section beginning in measure 70 with fast moving (16th note) lines in the strings and longer (quarter note) lines in the rest of the ensemble. 

MUE 6080 Module 3: Reasons to Advocate Music Education

Non-musical benefits of a proper music education:
1. Increased student academic performance in other content areas. Music For All, a nonprofit organization designed to promote music advocacy, states that “The College Entrance Examination Board found that students involved in public school music programs scored 107 points higher on the SAT's than students with no participation.”  Link here. 

2. Increased self-worth and confidence. Some studies claim that participation in the arts will increase students’ self-worth. Link to PBS article on this topic here. 

As someone who grew up in a home environment of “existing” rather than “living”, I agree that participation in school art programs increase self-worth. As a young band student I did not find the aesthetic value of music very often, but I quickly correlated musical successes with a much needed increase of self-esteem.  

3. Increased problem solving and reasoning skills. On NAFME’s “20 Important Benefits of Music in Our Schools” list, number one details the correlation between music and the development of the areas of the brain related to reasoning. Link here.

4. Increased language development. PBS.org has a long list of the benefits of a music education, including music’s ability to help young learners decode sounds and words. Link here. 

Why we should not base the value of music education on non-musical benefits:

1. In regards to number one above, while reading the many articles and studies that support music education’s relationship with increased academic success it is important to consider the opposite order and that high achieving students might be more likely to choose to participate in school music programs.  

2. Additionally, justifying music education’s existence on the outcomes of other content areas is just that; existing. The true value of music is in its ability to allow humans to “live” rather than “exist” and so  it is not beneficial to promote music education based on the effect it has on students’ ability to understand math and science. This justification is exactly why I lose many high school band students to honors biology every year.

3. While school music programs may offer students opportunities to grow as leaders or increase life skills such as responsibility and teamwork, many other school programs can do that too. Sports, academic clubs, and student organizations (student council) can be argued to offer the same array of skills and they are not incorporated into the school day as a class.   

4. Lastly, justify music education for any other reason other than studying music for the sake of knowing and experiencing music is harmful to the cause. If we defended music education for its beauty and expressiveness than perhaps music educators could focus their efforts more in that direction rather than finding ways to use music to support common core (or whatever new educational fade is being used).

Ultimately I feel it is important that we get away from linking music education to other content areas within schools. Bands, orchestras, and choirs are nothing like other content areas and I think that is a good thing. What music education can offer cannot be replicated in other classroom and I think we should celebrate that. While taking a break from this assignment I was scrolling social media and came across this “suggested” advertisement. 

Clearly, facebook does not know me very well. If they did they would have “suggested” something more like this:

MUE 6080 Module 3: Characteristics of an Aesthetic Experience with Music

I recently had an aesthetic experience with music while instructing 7^th & 8^th grade band through a new piece of music. This occurred at approximately 2:00 pm in the band room on Wednesday January 13^th, 2016. This experience differed from other times we have read a new music because it seemed as though the students had made their own connection to the music (and consequently played the staccato – staccato – accent reoccurring articulation properly) very quickly and with no guidance from me.

• ·         This experience was practical in the sense that the students had made a connection to the meaning of the music. In my role as their teacher I assumed some value of practicality in the experience, but for me as an individual the occurrence had no practicality.
• ·         The experience made me feel content and satisfied. Almost as though we could have packed up the instruments and been finished with class early!
• ·         At the time I felt that we had turned a new page as an ensemble and had gained a new level of maturity in playing that could be transferred to the next time we read down a new piece. Afterwards, several days later, I discovered that assumption was not true. The connection and consequent deep understanding of the described piece did not happen on the next song we read.
• ·         During the experience I did not focus on anything. After the playing stopped I remember thinking to myself “did I conduct the whole time?”  
• ·         During this experience, and other times I have had an aesthetic musical experience, I felt as though all emotions were delayed. Instead of feeling something during the process, I feel them stronger after the music stops. It is almost an “out of body” experience for me in these situations whereas in ordinary living I feel everything immediately and for exactly what it is. 

MUE 6080 Module 1 Reflection Post: Music and Morality

Plato had strong beliefs concerning the effects of music on human behavior. Specifically he correlated a proper music education with individual harmony that allows humans to have a noble love for others. While attempting to understand trends and beliefs in music education concerning human behavior I reviewed two articles dating 58 years apart. Both articles are written by individuals very familiar with music education and both were published in professional journals. The following is a summary of their details in comparison to each other and to Plato’s beliefs of music education and personal character.

Earl Enyeart Harper composed an article for the Music Educators Journal in 1954 titled “Moral and Spiritual Values in Music Education.” Harper makes clear the difference between moral values (rules and practices) and spiritual values (authority for the rules), but details the necessity of music educators to strive to obtain high levels of both. It is the strong belief of the author that citizens in general should hold true to these moral and spiritual values in a time when increased leisure activity “breeds a new crime wave.” Even further, music educators have “a matchless opportunity to lead those whom we educate into an experience of discipline, high moral purpose and conduct, and spiritual growth.” Consequently, music educators who do this will “deserve to be numbered with the prophets, priests and seers as benefactors of the race.” While the above mentioned examples would likely not be suitable for a modern professional educators journal and also did not align with Plato’s views, the article did list several reasonable examples of what a proper music education can offer students. This list included attributes such as responsibility, cooperation, courteousness, enthusiasm, and pride.

Randall Everette Allsup wrote an article titled “The Moral Ends of Band” for the journal Theory Into Practice in 2012. The main point of the article focused on how the instrumental public school band program is the ideal space for moral exercise and growth for students. Allsup notes that the natural position of band, at the intersection of art, community, self-interest, and public schooling, creates the perfect place for students to obtain a moral education that shapes and directs them to who they wish to be. The belief shared by this author, and Plato, that music education can naturally lead to positive moral development in students takes the focus away from the teacher. Opposite from the article by Harper, Allsup believes the conductor’s podium should be a focal point, but not the focal point. In addition to heightened director focus, another area of concern listed by Allsup is the negative effects external valuation (i.e. band competitions and rating systems) has on moral education.

 While the two articles described varying environments for which moral values could be obtained by students in music education, one thing is agreed; music education is in a unique position to offer students the opportunity to achieve a harmonious soul through the art form.

Allsup, R. E. (2012). The moral ends of band. 
Theory into Practice, 51 (3), 179-187.

Harper, E. (1954). Moral and Spiritual Values in Music Education. Music Educators Journal, 13-57. 

MUE 6080 - Module 1 Assignment: Book Comparison

When comparing books published for music education in 1906, 1920, 1995, and 2000 you find several similarities, but mostly differences. The notation in the early books seems unorganized by today’s standards. The book from 1906 uses enharmonic accidentals in the same measure (bass part measure 1 with an A sharp and a B flat), which is particularly interesting since the table of contents indicates the book's strong focus on key structure. Both, the book from 1906 and the book from 1920, lacked 8^th note beaming, but instead used ties for like pitched 8^th notes. It should be noted however, that the early music books include breath marks while the later books did not. Additionally, the book from 1906 was the only example that included dynamic markings. The later books included chord symbols above the music and more intricate road maps (a D.C. al Fine in 2000 example).

The nature of the songs are fairly similar. In both eras there is a song addressing morals or values (“A Lesson in Giving” 1906 and “Free At Last” 2000) and a song that simply tells a story (“Little Miss Tulip” 1920 and “Don Gato” 1995). However, there seems to be a wide variety in the overall curriculum plans. For example, the early 20^th century books are both divided into sections based on musical theory; key signatures in 1906 and chords and intervals in 1920. On the other hand, the books from 1995 and 2000 both use overarching themes. The early books seem to focus strictly on singing while the later books branch out to include instrumentation, professional musician spotlights, student composition, and world musics.

The note range in the early 1900s books is much larger than the range in the books from the late 1990s and early 2000s. I wonder if it was more acceptable to request a young teenager to sing more over an octave in the early 1900s because of the American lifestyle. We know in the early 1900s many American households had a piano in their parlor and a main form of entertainment was to buy and play sheet music. While children today still actively sing along with popular music on the radio, I speculate that the vocal demand of popular music in the early 1900s was greater than today’s top hits.

Year	Range
1906	Soprano: d to f, Alto: b to d, Bass: g to g
1920	e to e
1995	d to c
2000	d to d

  

One very noticeable difference between the books is the size. The 160 pages of the early textbooks might have left some to be desired in terms of a well-rounded music textbook, however the smaller size is less cumbersome for a 5^th grade student to hold compared to the 400 page monstrosities of the 2000s. During the four years that I taught elementary music I never asked the kindergartners, 1^st graders, or 2^nd graders to get the books off the shelf. The time it took them to bench press a book just to walk it to their seat was incredible. I think most publishers are combating this by creating digital resources of their book materials for teachers with projectors.