band Deep and Simple is Far More Important
Than Shallow and Complex Carrie Backman, WMEA State Chair, Band
“Life is deep and simple, and what our society gives us is shallow and complicated.”
~ Fred Rogers
This quote by Fred Rogers seems to become more and
more true as the years and moments pass on. Was he just that wise in his words and thoughts, or have we ceased to hear his words and adjust our lives accordingly? I am wired to believe that it is in our not hearing and adjusting that causes our lives and work to become and sustain an increasingly shallow and complicated ver- sion. This brief writing does not have the concrete answers or perfect solutions, but hopefully, in a slightly humorous way, will provide us all the space to reflect on and ask questions of our practices and music making to lead the way in the world to a balanced, deep and simple band and life experience that will carry itself forward into the future lives of our students. Our students follow and learn from the adults in their lives every moment. Let that sink in! To begin, take a moment and think about your band history, band history itself, what you have learned, and where are you going.
Read and reflect on this quote and what it makes you feel. Notice it is from 2008; how far have we come? “The problems of the American wind
band...stem from an inheritance that is overwhelmed by
tradition...predominantly teacher-centered, teacher transmitted, and content/repertoire driven...we are deluding ourselves if we think our students are actually taking on the responsibility of independent musicianship or becoming more musical.” ~ (Randall Everett Allsup and Cathy Benedict, “The Problems of Band,” Philosophy of Music Education Review, 16, No. 2, Fall 2008).
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Many of us will remember the Disney/ Pixar film WALL-E, also from 2008. As we watched the story of a cute robot who finds love in the galaxy with another robot and their adventures we may have laughed, smiled and focused in on the love story and simple pleasures of our new robot friends. Maybe we even purchased a plush toy version of WALL-E or EVE!
Looking closer, you can also classify WALL-E as a modern-day horror film de- picting the future if we don’t do something about it in so many ways. Humans who have forgotten a world that exists outside of a screen, have lost their creativity, have lost what makes us human, are not able to be on the planet Earth, and more. I remem- ber thinking this in conversations with friends and colleagues when first watching the film, but guess who recently brought this topic up again? Students I have the honor of working with and teaching in my classes! The students; they know, they see, they are looking to us to provide them the tools to change or opportunity to lead and think differently by changing the expectations and environment we create in our education experiences. Could this brief moment from the human Captain in the film be any more true than right now?
“I don’t want to survive. I want to live.”
~ The Captain from WALL-E
The soundtrack to WALL-E includes two pieces from the musical Hello Dolly; “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” and “It Only Takes a Moment.” WALL-E owns an old VHS tape of the musical, which he probably found years or centuries ago, and often learns and copies the dance moves portrayed by the characters while watching it. He keeps a recording of “Put On Your Sunday Clothes” on him and listens to it while he works cleaning up the garbage and when malfunctioning
“Our goal as band teachers is to work to provide deep and simple, connected, student-centered experiences that educate a well-rounded individual through music…”
robots aboard the Axiom listen to it they too catch on with the rhythm. “It Only Takes a Moment” is first heard during the part where WALL-E shows EVE footage from the film and during the end of the film where everyone returns to earth. A simple look at this artistic choice can say that we all yearn for human connection, places to go, time to spend with others and that it truly only takes a moment to make lasting change and to be loved a whole life long. And that when we get to do this we become VERY EXCITED.
Our goal as band teachers is to work to provide deep and simple, connected, student-centered experiences that edu- cate a well-rounded individual through music that will sustain them through life. “Learning is a dynamic process that consists of making sense and meaning out of new information and connecting it to what is already known. To learn well and deeply, students need to be active participants in that process.”
~ Elizabeth Barkley Continued on page 24 April 2021
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