Lets learn some music.

Think about the way we learn a song at Westminster.  

Now think about the way you learn a song from your favorite artist.

One of these ways I'm assuming you have no idea what the song is until after a couple times of learning notes, rhythm, lyrics, and such.  The other way you don't even contemplate learning the song, you just want to sing along.  I hear from a lot of people that it's bad practice to learn a song by ear, that it's not really learning the song, but I learn a song faster, and more accurately that way.  It's also easier to memorize.  In my case its a much more efficient way to learn a song than by plucking out notes on a piano and pretending I can sight read worth a penny.  Would it be blasphemous to teach by ear in a classroom?  Forget the sheet music and just play the song over and over, downloading it to the student's ipods or computers and let them take it home to learn it?  For one song we had to learn in high school the choir teacher did just that.  He had 4 different CDs for each voice part that included the orchestra and other parts and had the part that was listening be the most prominent so not only could we learn the notes by ear, but also put it in context with the whole piece.  It worked really well and I'm pretty sure an audience wouldn't be able to tell how we learned the song.  Also if it is faster then it also can give teachers time to teach more about what we're singing than teaching how to sing it.  

Oh Britney.

After watching “Womanizer” by Britney Spears, it got me thinking a lot about how I could implement this video and music in the classroom. The first thing that I noticed about the video was that while Spears is calling her boyfriend/fiancé/significant other a womanizer, she is using sex appeal throughout in order to prove her point. While I understand that sex sells in the media, I do not think that its promotion helps to better the predicament that Spears is feeling in her music. We, as a society, allow sex to be a huge aspect of media appeal. I always find it funny when female stars who are taking off their clothes say that their sexuality is empowering and that they are not ashamed of that fact. At the same time, they want respect and to be seen as professionals in the field of entertainment. It’s not to say that these women do not deserve respect nor should they necessarily be ashamed of any image they portray, whether that be sexual or not. The only thing that I wonder is, if you’re okay with taking off your clothes then you should also be aware of the potential scrutiny that will follow. And if that results in some judgmental or disapproving comments, then that’s the risk those individuals take. I, personally, do not know how effective overt sexual promotion can be when in search of respect, but it is definitely food for thought.

 I agree with Billy and how he thinks that this topic might be a little inappropriate for middle schoolers. This might be something that is more appropriate within a high school setting.  I do not know, however, if I would use “Womanizer” so freely in the classroom without being prepared to talk about its implications. Music and its usage in the media is something that affects our students’ tastes and thoughts regarding music and musical artists. Knowing how to tackle the topics that music can provoke, especially in today’s society, is another tool that music educators should carry with them in the quest to teach and connect to each students’ world. Because, let’s face it, Britney Spears is in everyone’s world whether they like it or not. You might not like her music or image, but she might help to open up great, thought-provoking discussions within your classroom. 

Is Authenticity necessarily relevant

After reading Dani's post on abandoning authenticity for synthesizers, I think it brings up a valid point about a generality of students in the 21st century. If a teacher teaches a lesson with clarity, precision, efficiency and grace, a student is much more likely to stay interested and engaged in what's going on. I feel like students can smell, if you will, the fact that a teacher is uncomfortable teaching a lesson or is faking it.

I've talked to countless church musicians who have elegantly planned and executed services. Likewise, I've dealt with the ones who can't hold a candle to music, but perform the music with such integrity that the honesty is what melts your heart. I guess my biggest problem with authenticity is that is challenges a teacher's ability to stay honest. One may ask: how is this a problem?

Shouldn't we as teachers go in to our classrooms knowing the truth about certain topics? I'm not suggesting that teachers are God with an all knowing mind. But I am suggesting that even if teachers don't know how to achieve an authentic experience of music, they know where to get it. Resources are everything in teaching. Agree?

Happy December!