MEYER, from p. 58
as choosing quality new music. Gerrity puts it best: “…relate the example to students’ experiences. Why is the piece important for students to hear? …One mistake that many general music teachers make is assuming that students will voluntarily listen to a piece of music because it is ‘aesthetically important.’ Most adolescents will not. Instead, educators must post specific musical problems that the learners are obliged to solve, therefore providing a reason for students to listen” (Gerrity, 2009). Middle school students put so much of their identity into their music, and unless we prepare them, we risk losing their interest immediately based solely on a sound that is “different.” Our authentic excitement about the music, paired with preparation to what is “different” gives us a better chance of the student choosing to be “open-eared” about the music.
New music is also a great tool in engagement and performance. Introducing students to musical improvisation and independence, such as that within chance music allows them to become the conductor, performer, and composer all at once. We should embrace the role of teacher as a reference and resource for the student’s exploration of music as well as our traditional role. In this way, we tap into students’ natural fascination with music and creation, and give them ownership of their musical learning.
Conclusion: “The Tanglewood Symposium held in 1967 issued a declaration of goals for guiding the future of music education in the United States: …‘Music of all periods, styles, forms and cultures belongs in the curriculum. The musical repertory should be expanded to involve music of our time in its rich variety, including popular teenage music and avant- garde music, American folk music, and the music of other cultures’” (Phillips, 2016). If we are to engage our students where they are and seek to expand their musical understanding, we need a tool to unlock their “open-earedness” and provide examples they can relate to. New Music can be that tool, if we choose to use it.
References: Gerrity, K. W. (2009). Enhancing Middle- Level General Music: Suggestions from the Literature. Music Educators Journal, 95(4), 41-45. doi:10.1177/0027432109335805
spring 2017 |
www.mmea.net
Madsen, C. K., & Geringer, J. M. (2015). Responses of Multi-Aged Music Students to Mid-20th-Century Art Music: A Replication and Extension. Journal of Research in Music Education, 63(3), 336-348. doi:10.1177/0022429415595621
Phillips, K. H. (2004, 2016). Choosing the Music. In Directing the choral music program (2nd ed., pp. 171- 174). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Appendix 1*: Suggested Choral Composers and Works
Andy Beck- Give Me a Kite Clare Carpenter and Anthony Royse- The Grey Donkey** Rollo Dilworth- Dream Trilogy** Darla Eshelman- Hodie Christus Natus Est Jerry Estes- Sing Jubilate Deo Greg Gilpin- Ding-a-Ding Srul Irving Glick- Psalm 23 Jake Heggie- Patterns** Moses Hogan- I’ll Make the Difference Mary Lynn Lightfoot- Jubilate, Alleluia!** Nico Muhly- Syllables** Nico Muhly- The Sweets of Evening** Uno Naissoo- Metsa Telegramm Stephen Paulus- Eternal Fire** Dave and Jean Perry- Three Poems Brad Printz- Joy This Christmas Night** Caroline Shaw- It’s Motion Keeps** Gerald T Smith- This is the Day Randall Z. Stroope- There is No Rose Chen Yi- The Angel Island Passages** **commissioned works for children’s choirs
Appendix 2*: Suggested General Music Repertoire Mark Applebaum- Meditation Mark Applebaum- 48 Objects Mark Applebaum- Mobile for Paper John Cage- Quartet (App available) John Cage- TCP Cage 100 (App only) Nathan Gworek- A Game of Percussion Stephen F. Lilly- Perturbations Stephen Montague- Kristallnacht Steve Reich- Clapping Music (App available) Steve Reich- Music for Pieces of Wood James Saunders- what you must do, rather than must not do
James Saunders- you say what to do James Saunders- I tell you what to do
See MEYER, p. 69 59
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