wisconsin music educators association president
Unveiling the World Through Music
Jon B. Gilliland, WMEA President
When asked, mu- sic educators (just l ike teachers in other content areas) often indicate that they teach a spe- cific subject – we “teach music.” For practical purposes, this is, perhaps, an
appropriate response. We understand the fairly innocuous question regarding the subject area with which we are involved and attempt to provide enough information to satisfy our end of the conversation. The reality, however, is that we do not “teach music.” A more accurate response would be that we teach “students” through music; or perhaps most accurate would be that we “teach students about the world through music.” (Just for the record, I am in no way minimizing the importance of music or music instruction.)
Of course, there are those who adhere to the “music as the universal language” axiom. Again, this fairly common mis- representation of the immensely more important purposes of art is understand-
able, but limiting. Music has the capacity to express much more than mere words – in fact, music on its own cannot com- municate words (except via the lyrics), but does relay symbols of emotional meaning that is beyond language. (See Langer’s
Philosophy in a New Key) While the
music=language argument sounds like it might have some merit, music philoso- phers and aestheticians sweep aside the rather shallow connection between music and language.
Teaching students to be globally aware requires effective ways to explore the essence of other societies. Folk music and the music of other cultures provide authentic representations of people, times and relationships that embody the heart and soul of a community. Just as music and the other arts provide everything we know about ancient cultures, music allows real – and real-time – glimpses into what other societies hold dear. More power- ful than any other medium, it is through music that we can discover what it is that makes us human, shed light on commonly held values and highlight the connections among peoples.
“Music has the capacity to express much more than mere words…”
Music teachers are in the enviable posi- tion to help students make connections with other cultures through profoundly personal and meaningful ways. If we ex- pect our students to be able to function in a global society, we have an obligation to teach them about the world via materials and literature that accurately describe and define the commonalities of human experi- ence. “Will Ye No’ Come Back Again?” (and millions of other simple folk songs from around the world) elicits extremely personal human emotions regardless of ones ethnicity or national origins… real- istically, that is what can bring a global society together.
jonbgilliland@gmail.com
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6
April 2010
Your Fully Digitized Version
For the first time ever, Wisconsin School Musician is also digitally published with exciting new features!
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