ORCHESTRA COLUMN...
“Common Core” Opus 1, No. 1 Stephanie Hill, MMEA Orchestra Vice-president
Common Core. Does this term sound familiar? Does it send a wave of fear through you or does it sound like just another passing educational fad? During my 14 years in the teaching profession (in addition to many years with my dad in the same profession), I have seen many of these educational trends come and go. However, Common Core seems to be a realistic and genuine attempt to upgrade the American education system across the whole country and make our students more educated and responsible members of society. The next logical question is how will this initiative affect the performing arts? The following is a compilation of some thoughts on how arts educators are already exceeding the basic principles of Common Core in their classrooms. The goal is to use the right language to explain the critical and important work done in the field of arts education.
when working through a piece of music... everyone can
become more aware of the connection
between music study and the rest of his or her education.
The arts supply a foundation for literacy from the beginning and must be included at all grade levels. Common Core author, David Coleman, explains that one of the main goals of Common Core is for
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students to be able to read and interpret multiple complex texts. Coleman also emphatically suggests that teachers of literacy need to look at what the arts teachers do on a regular basis in their classrooms to help improve their own practices.
Music and dramatic texts ARE complex. Artists will never look at a work only once but will come back to it repeatedly. An artist uses rigorous and repeated observations to create deeper understanding and experiences. Artists also work with a single score with multiple interpretations, another key component of Common Core literacy. Students get better at the “cores” of reading and writing by experiencing the arts in an expressive, challenging, and authentic way. Reading and writing music is both cognitive and reflective because it is a unique language that already incorporates the use of Common Core skills. Students use these holistic skills to interpret and analyze their own work and the works of others, increasing their ability to read and interpret complex texts in other subjects. By using this Common Core language with students (and even administrators) when working through a piece of music in rehearsal, performance, or reflection, everyone can become more aware of the connection between music study and the rest of his or her education.
As the Common Core State
Standards are adopted by the education systems in our country, I believe that the arts should and
MISSOURI SCHOOL MUSIC
must play a vital role. More of our students are facing a challenging economic situation and critical thinking and problem solving skills will be required even more in the future. Students of the arts are asked to perform with precision and sensitivity, and in collaboration with others. They must critique and solve problems, sometimes instantaneously, alone and within a group to achieve the best musical product. The careers that will be required in this economy and the future will require workers to be versed in these same skills. They will also need the creative and interpretive skills that are a part of every music performance class. These students will be the leaders in their chosen field and will also be the advocates for beauty and culture in our future world.
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