Multicultural News Jazz Rucker, Multicultural Chair
“Do You Hear What I Hear?”
The bell rings and students arrive with a myriad of experiences before crossing the threshold of the classroom door. This is our moment. This is our time to impact students. But, how do we reach out? How can we penetrate the armor of the human mind and spirit? Literature. As music educators, we have the unrestricted fortune of selecting repertoire. There rarely is a basal series or text set handed to us that we must utilize. This is a powerful position that has the potential to broaden our circle of students who remain engaged, if we perform “a varied repertoire of music” (as per the previous national standards). Quality literature has the capacity not only to impact our students, but also the community around us. We can use the influence of music to bridge gaps and meet societal needs.
Zane (all names are pseudonyms) is typically a self-starter, but he never completes a project. He is a big dreamer with the initiative to ignite, but he lacks the perseverance to polish. A countless number of incomplete sculptures, poems, melodies and songs have been shared. It wasn’t until we sang “One Day” that he actually found the drive to complete a work. Shortly after the piece was introduced, Zane appeared in class with the chord structure of the song memorized. As he played the chords on the piano, he questioned how to vary the usage of his left hand and how to improvise on the melody. Zane later accompanied a class on the piece. The experience moved him to desire more. He wanted to give something additional to the work than his normal participation in class. He heard something and was enticed. Do you see what I see?
Quiet, reserved yet hard working is how you’d describe Mackenzie. She asks no questions aloud in class, but wears each thought on her face. Only if addressed individually does she offer her opinion or knowledge. As an assignment, each student was asked to write a brief statement about a piece that spoke to him or her. Mackenzie submitted the following:
“This next piece, titled “One Day,” is an anthem symbolizing a new era of peace and hope. It tells us of a day when our children will play, and there will be no more wars. With this song, it is our ambition to express a hope for a new era of peace and understanding between all of mankind. An era where we aspire to put an end to violence, and work towards the amity of the human race.”
Through the piece “One Day,” Zane was called to deepen his understanding of each aspect of the piece’s performance. Mackenzie heard a call to action. Carefully considered literature is capable of meeting our students where they are and expanding both their global view as well as their own. Students may not hear exactly what we hear, but they do hear and respond and act. Do you hear what I hear?
Mr. Holden witnessed a piece of rehearsal when students linked arms and sang “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me ‘Round,” symbolizing a line of civil rights protestors. He was so moved that he shared this experience with another teacher, proclaiming, “you just have to see this.” Another teacher, Mr. Lutz walked by and also saw students connected hand in hand to be a reflection of what it will take to move forward out of darkened times.
See RUCKER, pg. 71 30 MISSOURI SCHOOL MUSIC | Volume 71, Number 2
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80
