Guest Feature Continued from page 38
than traditional, teacher-centered pedagogies.
1. help develop an appreciation of, and competency in, a variety of musical styles;
2. offer multiple once-in-a-lifetime experiences through travel and study with professional musicians; and,
3. utilize music as a vehicle to develop life skills including responsibility, leadership, confidence, attention to detail, teamwork, creativity, and professionalism, among others.
The primary differences between the approaches, in my mind, is that commercial/popular music education: • utilizes a variety of styles of music that the majority of our students already consume and enjoy
• instills business skills, including knowledge of social media, promotion/marketing, contracts, licensing, copyright, etc.
• includes multiple opportunities to write, arrange, perform, and record music—both original and existing material
• offers an opportunity to explore the social and cultural aspects of music as they relate to our students’ lives
• provides a space for students who do not want to solely participate in traditional band, choir, or orchestra to pursue a love of music
• uses more informal pedagogies that involve student-centered
learning and peer-to-peer learning
In a large majority of secondary programs, the jazz/popular program is supplemental to the larger, traditional program. This is commonplace as jazz bands were added to the curriculum as demand for that type of program increased. Take comfort in the knowledge that many of the growing pains we’re experiencing, due to the growth of popular music education, are not new—not by a long shot! As
with any change, it takes time to review, understand, implement, and adapt.
In our case, the Commercial Music Program is not part of a larger program. Indeed, it is the program. We don’t have a marching band, a concert band, a wind ensemble, or an orchestra. We offer ensembles that focus on soul, bluegrass, R&B, Americana, salsa, pop, rock, and reggae, and country, among others. We also offer classes that focus on entrepreneurship, theory, composition, recording, history, and the business aspects of the industry.
Reaching All Students with Music
In developing our program, I used my experiences as a professional Memphis musician to design a curriculum that would extend beyond the classroom. I shaped the program based on what I wished I would have known as a young bass player when it came to learning my instrument, getting a gig, keeping a gig, and furthering myself as an all-around musical entrepreneur.
Teaching popular music also affords me the opportunity to discuss the history behind the song, the meaning of the lyric, and the social/cultural environment in which the song was written.
A large component of my teaching philosophy is to support my students to better understand and develop the skills needed to lead a happy, fulfilled, and successful life, as the creative, personal, and business skills necessary to succeed in music are crucial no matter the occupation. Our students need a wide-ranging skill set to compete in today’s academic and career landscape; skills that will translate to ANY occupation. In my experience, music is the perfect vehicle to impart these, and other, much needed life skills.
It’s not a matter of
“reaching kids where they are”; it’s simply a matter of reaching kids.
About the author: Steve Holley is a GRAMMY® nominated music educator and NAfME member who serves as the
producer for the
Commercial Music Program at the Kent Denver School outside Denver, CO. The R&B,
soul, salsa, and jazz bands in the CMP have been recognized by DownBeat Magazine’s Student Music Awards over a dozen times, have performed hundreds of gigs throughout the US and abroad. Steve holds a BM in Jazz/Classical performance, a MM in Jazz/Classical performance, and an MM in Musicology from the University of Memphis. He is a sought-after
educator, arranger,
performer, and musical entrepreneur. You can follow the Kent Denver Commercial Music Program on Facebook, Twitter, and on Snapchat and Instagram @ KentDenverMusic.
Published with permission of NAfME. Original article published August 7, 2017.
https://nafme.org/blending-traditional- and-contemporary-teaching-methods/
Fall 2018 |
www.wyomea.org
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