early childhood education
secondary schools, choir in 88 percent, classes in music technology are offered in only 10 percent of schools. Courses in gui- tar were available in 20 percent of schools; classes in piano/keyboard in 13 percent of schools and only 7 percent of schools offer classes in music composition. That seems to indicate that it is time to rethink the models we are using to engage students in music at the middle and high school levels. We need to implement a variety of alternative ways to interest students who would not normally enroll in traditional school music programs. We need a huge expansion of music education curricula at all levels to include non-performance mediums like music technology and composition, but also performance studies in: guitar, keyboard, mariachi, steel band, world drumming and popular music – just to name a few. We need to explore digital platforms to discover contemporary ways that participatory music can be used to create relevant and meaningful musical experiences for our students. In his article “Toward Convergence: Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and Participatory Culture” (2013), Evan To- bias (associate professor of music educa- tion) suggests great examples of musical engagement that include a convergence of older and newer media, remixing, creating mash-ups, participating in public remix contests, creating tutorials, etc. These opportunities can provide students with exciting ways of being musical in con- temporary society. Associate Professor of Music Education Clint Randels (2012) wrote: ”While I was a K–12 music teacher in the state of Michigan, in both the band and general music setting, I worked with students at the high school level who ex- perimented with songwriting and digital sound recording. I noticed that the actual physical CD on which they recorded their music became something very valuable to them and their peers. To have a CD that they themselves had created and produced meant something special to them.” A growing body of research suggests that students want to create and play their own music, however, researchers report that creating music is the music learn- ing outcome they see least often in their
Wisconsin School Musician
schools (Abril & Gault 2008). Researchers in music education (Reese, 2003; Kratus, 1999) present the possibility that music education might be best served by embrac- ing all areas that technology can augment – what Webster and Hickey (2001) calls the four P’s of creative musical activity: the person, process, product and place. Computers and tablets likely will serve a significant role in making creativity more accessible to students of music education in the future. Teachers teaching collegiate music education programs will need to embrace these types of tools for K-12 students to benefit from them.
Music education philosopher Estelle Jorgensen in her article “School Music Education and Change” (2010) discussed that the idea of change may leave a music educator feeling uncomfortable or inad- equate. “To find ourselves out of tune with what students long to learn, especially when we are unsure that we know enough about how to teach them what they want to know, is very unsettling”(p. 23). However, Jorgensen suggested that it is important to remember that music is a part of all of our students’ lives in some capacity. Music education can be relevant and valuable if educators strive to uncover the ways in which they can connect their students’ own musical preferences and experiences to other music that is valuable to study. As a result, rich connections can be made and music will continue to be an important part of every child’s education and our students will want to play, sing, move, compose, produce again and AGAIN and AGAIN!
References:
Abril, C. R., & Gault, B. (2008). “The State of Music in Secondary Schools: The Principal’s Perspective.” Journal of Research in Music Education, 56, 68-81. n, 56, 68-81. doi: 10.1177/0 022429408317516.
“Child Trends / Databank Indicator / Participation in School Music or Other Performing Arts” (2013). Retrieved from
https://www.childtrends.org/ indicators/participation-in-school-music- or-other-performing-arts/.
Hickey M., Webster, P. (2001). “Creative Thinking in Music.” Music Educators Journal 88(1); 19-21.
Jorgensen, Estelle R. 2010. “School Music Education and Change.” Music Educators Journal 96(4): 21-27. doi:10.1177/0027432110369779.
Kratus, J. (1990) “Structuring the Music Curriculum for Creative Learning.” Music Educators Journal 76, (9); 33-37.
National Endowment for the Arts (2015). “A Decade of Arts Engagement: Finding From the Survey of Public Participation in the Arts 2002-2012.”
https://www.arts.gov/sites/default/ files/2012-sppa-jan2015-rev.pdf
Nielsen Music Year-End Report (2016) Retrieved from:
http://www.nielsen. com/us/en/insights/reports/2017/2016-
music-us-year-end-report.html
Randles, C. (2012). Music teacher as writer and producer. Journal of Aesthetic Education, 46(3), 36-52.
Resse, S. (2003) “Responding to Student Compositions,” in Hickey, Why and How to Teach Music Composition: A New Horizon for Music Education. Resoton, VA.
Tobias, E. (2013) “Toward Convergence: Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and Participatory Culture,”Music Educators Journal 99(4); 29–36.
The Harris Poll® #72 (2014). Retrieved from: http://www.
theharrispoll.com/health-and-life/ The_Glee_Effect__More_Americans_ Say_Music_Education_Prepares_ People_for_Their_Careers_and_
Problem_Solving_Than_in_2007.html
The Harris Poll® #45 (2016). Retrieved from:
http://www.theharrispoll. com/business/Musician-Prestigious-
Occupation.html
Alena Holmes is associate professor and coor- dinator of music education in the Department of Music at UW-Whitewater. Email:
holmesa@uww.edu
55
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
