comprehensive musicianship through performance


is important in the music classroom, how do we ensure that it happens?


Comprehensive Musicianship through Performance (CMP) is Wisconsin’s homegrown contribution to American music education and has been addressing this question with thoughtful integrity for nearly 40 years.


CMP is a model for planning instruction to intentionally reach the body, mind and soul of students. In CMP terms what we want stu- dents to learn is referred to as “outcomes.” Outcomes are derived directly from high quality repertoire, selected by the teacher for a performing ensemble or general music class. Outcomes are not “extras” that must be somehow squeezed in to an already full class period, but rather the es- sence of what we want students to know.


There are three kinds of outcomes and they mirror the body, mind and soul division. Skill outcomes address what a student should be able to do or perform (“body-knowing”), while knowledge outcomes are what we want students to know or understand about the music (“mind-knowing”).


Affective outcomes have historically been the most neglected in other educational models but in the Wisconsin model they have been sharpened and developed to a pedagogical art. Affective outcomes (“soul-knowing”) address the ways stu- dents analyze, reflect on and articulate their responses to music. They can include what students might learn about them- selves, relationships (between people or other areas or study), or the connections and companionship that can be made with an idea, a different community, or a composer – even though thousands of miles or hundreds of years might separate us from them.


Through our careful crafting and teach- ing of affective outcomes, our students will grow in their ability to navigate their own inner landscape, deal with workplace negotiations and understand issues with multiple perspectives.


Perhaps most importantly, they will Wisconsin School Musician 59


know that they are not alone. Artists have translated the highs and lows of human experience into poetry, painting and music for centuries. This is way too important of a gift to succeeding generations for us to merely hope our students will somehow grasp, as they push to learn the right notes for the next concert. It must be taught intentionally in our classrooms.


It’s not hard to see how a piece of mu- sic suggests skill outcomes (intonation, phrasing, articulation, etc.) or knowledge outcomes (e.g. form, compositional de- vices and historical context). But where do affective outcomes come from? We might believe that self-reflection, explor- ing ambiguity, developing a sense of com- munity and other aspects of the affective domain are important, but are they really part of music?


Let’s take Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition. Not only is it fantastic mu- sic, it is a wonderful story. Composer’s


artist-friend dies, inspiring composer to pay tribute in grand, colorful extended piece constructed like a gallery tour. The story is intriguing to kids and adults, and simply by sharing it students might draw connections between Mussorgsky and others who have been inspired to create works of art.


But what if we sharpen and focus the af- fective outcome a bit:


Students will debate whether it is times of loss or joy that are most productive for artistic expression.


Other possible affective outcomes could have focused on how color, texture, line and rhythm express emotion in both art and music, the ways artists and composers pay tribute to people or ideas they value, or the relationship between works of art and nationalistic pride. These are all affective ways of exploring the piece.


Continued on page 60


“Enriching Lives by Providing Transformational Musical Experiences and Opportunities”


2013-2014 Concert Season


Evelyn Steenbock Fall Concerts Saturday, November 16 & Sunday, November 17, 2013


Winterfest Concerts Saturday, March 15 & Sunday, March 16, 2014


Eugenie Mayer Bolz Family Spring Concerts


Saturday, May 17 & Sunday, May 18, 2014


Auditions for the 2014-2015 season begin in April 2014!


Photo Credit: Krystal Stankowski


wyso.music.wisc.edu or call 608-263-3320 for more information


Please visit


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