Letter To A Future Student
As an educator, the most important thing about teaching music is what do you want to learn? In order for our class to be successful, it is important that I get an understanding of what your interests are as a musician and how we can create an environment to achieve that. As much as there are fundamental properties needed to be taught and tested, the music room is a place where you can explore who you are and what you enjoy by finding a creative side. If you are coming to class everyday excited to learn because it is something you have chosen to do, then you are going to be way more successful compared to being forced to write or learn about a topic that might not give you the same passions.
Along with teaching what is of interest to you, I want you to be able to learn about the outside communities of music as well. As a student myself, in the high school system I wish I was given more opportunities to learn about various cultures when it comes to music. In a Western society, we focus on the white supremacy and in the musical world that means classical artists such as Beethoven or Bach. While these composers are essential beings for certain areas of music, the world is a much bigger place. I would like to incorporate other cultures, for example, an Indigenous tribe and learn their songs and dances that have been passed on to them from their ancestors and create a drum circle in the classroom. This would not only give you as a student a chance to see another musical perspective but also help with skills such as listening and rhythm.
From my personal beliefs, the biggest purpose for teaching music is to be able to inspire you and other students. This meaning that I will never expect perfection or put you down for having a bad playing day. My job as an educator is to encourage you to not give up and that it is okay to not understand how a certain time signature is played but, to be willing to teach you and to give you every opportunity to have success. This being said, it is your responsibility as a student to be able to practice on your own and ask for questions when you need help because I cannot make you do something you are not wanting to do.
In terms of assessing work, effort is the biggest factor when it comes to playing any instrument or learning the fundamentals of music. If you are showing up to class prepared, practicing outside of the school, and I can see that there is improvement in between assessments, then there will be a good level given to you for putting forward your best effort. I would not expect a student to be able to play Carnival of Venice if you have never picked up a trumpet before but with hard work and dedication you make progress and better yourself as a student and as a musician.
The quality that I want to focus on most as an educator is understanding. Being a player myself I can relate to having bad days, sore mouth, lack of energy etc. that make it, so I am not playing at my best level. As long as you are willing to talk to me about what it is that is going on I will understand and work out other arrangements. Music is not a class that takes a note and then gets tested on that knowledge, while that is important to some aspects such as theory, it is more about taking the information taught and using it in a practical sense to become a better musician. I want everyone in the classroom to succeed and be able to create a positive and supportive community so that all of my students can be successful and want to continue with using music in their lives. While the curriculum is an essential part of teaching and you need to be able to reach a certain standard, the music room should be a place where experimenting is allowed and being able to come out of your comfort zone and learn something you would not necessarily get in a lecture style classroom. My plan as an educator is to take every opportunity I can to get you and other students involved and to create a good shared connection, so people feel safe to play music.
Sincerely, Santina Pope
As an educator, the most important thing about teaching music is what do you want to learn? In order for our class to be successful, it is important that I get an understanding of what your interests are as a musician and how we can create an environment to achieve that. As much as there are fundamental properties needed to be taught and tested, the music room is a place where you can explore who you are and what you enjoy by finding a creative side. If you are coming to class everyday excited to learn because it is something you have chosen to do, then you are going to be way more successful compared to being forced to write or learn about a topic that might not give you the same passions.
Along with teaching what is of interest to you, I want you to be able to learn about the outside communities of music as well. As a student myself, in the high school system I wish I was given more opportunities to learn about various cultures when it comes to music. In a Western society, we focus on the white supremacy and in the musical world that means classical artists such as Beethoven or Bach. While these composers are essential beings for certain areas of music, the world is a much bigger place. I would like to incorporate other cultures, for example, an Indigenous tribe and learn their songs and dances that have been passed on to them from their ancestors and create a drum circle in the classroom. This would not only give you as a student a chance to see another musical perspective but also help with skills such as listening and rhythm.
From my personal beliefs, the biggest purpose for teaching music is to be able to inspire you and other students. This meaning that I will never expect perfection or put you down for having a bad playing day. My job as an educator is to encourage you to not give up and that it is okay to not understand how a certain time signature is played but, to be willing to teach you and to give you every opportunity to have success. This being said, it is your responsibility as a student to be able to practice on your own and ask for questions when you need help because I cannot make you do something you are not wanting to do.
In terms of assessing work, effort is the biggest factor when it comes to playing any instrument or learning the fundamentals of music. If you are showing up to class prepared, practicing outside of the school, and I can see that there is improvement in between assessments, then there will be a good level given to you for putting forward your best effort. I would not expect a student to be able to play Carnival of Venice if you have never picked up a trumpet before but with hard work and dedication you make progress and better yourself as a student and as a musician.
The quality that I want to focus on most as an educator is understanding. Being a player myself I can relate to having bad days, sore mouth, lack of energy etc. that make it, so I am not playing at my best level. As long as you are willing to talk to me about what it is that is going on I will understand and work out other arrangements. Music is not a class that takes a note and then gets tested on that knowledge, while that is important to some aspects such as theory, it is more about taking the information taught and using it in a practical sense to become a better musician. I want everyone in the classroom to succeed and be able to create a positive and supportive community so that all of my students can be successful and want to continue with using music in their lives. While the curriculum is an essential part of teaching and you need to be able to reach a certain standard, the music room should be a place where experimenting is allowed and being able to come out of your comfort zone and learn something you would not necessarily get in a lecture style classroom. My plan as an educator is to take every opportunity I can to get you and other students involved and to create a good shared connection, so people feel safe to play music.
Sincerely, Santina Pope
Definitions
Formal Teaching- the idea of following the set rules put down by each school board and making sure that your class is being set to assess that standard of curriculum and mostly just by following the textbook.
Non-formal- a term used to identify as branching out from the mainstream curriculum and finding some interests in the particular students and then forming class plans accordingly but still incorporating some fundamentals necessary to a course.
Informal Teaching- on the opposite end of formal teaching, focused more spontaneously on the students passions and naturally teaching based on those ideas or could be in a non formal setting as well such as outside rather than in a classroom
Formal Teaching- the idea of following the set rules put down by each school board and making sure that your class is being set to assess that standard of curriculum and mostly just by following the textbook.
Non-formal- a term used to identify as branching out from the mainstream curriculum and finding some interests in the particular students and then forming class plans accordingly but still incorporating some fundamentals necessary to a course.
Informal Teaching- on the opposite end of formal teaching, focused more spontaneously on the students passions and naturally teaching based on those ideas or could be in a non formal setting as well such as outside rather than in a classroom
Workshop Reflection
The ukulele workshop was very educational to my ideas of teaching and learning music. This is because the instructor included various teaching styles in order to reach an understanding to all levels of thinking. I think that this was depicted the best through including all age levels in the breakout sessions when creating a musical piece to get the best variety and fairness, so the teachers could help younger students who may not have had any previous writing or song making experience. I also enjoyed that he brought the teaching chords to a simple level so that anyone could pick up pretty quickly the patterns and finger positioning and be involved in playing along with songs. Also, the short lecture he used to talk about teaching a class about making a song I found very helpful because it was very many different ideas that could work for multiple teaching settings. Overall, this workshop was a very calm and welcoming environment to work on collaborative and musical skills and I now have a better understanding of different teaching styles and I also got to practice my ukulele skills along the way.
The ukulele workshop was very educational to my ideas of teaching and learning music. This is because the instructor included various teaching styles in order to reach an understanding to all levels of thinking. I think that this was depicted the best through including all age levels in the breakout sessions when creating a musical piece to get the best variety and fairness, so the teachers could help younger students who may not have had any previous writing or song making experience. I also enjoyed that he brought the teaching chords to a simple level so that anyone could pick up pretty quickly the patterns and finger positioning and be involved in playing along with songs. Also, the short lecture he used to talk about teaching a class about making a song I found very helpful because it was very many different ideas that could work for multiple teaching settings. Overall, this workshop was a very calm and welcoming environment to work on collaborative and musical skills and I now have a better understanding of different teaching styles and I also got to practice my ukulele skills along the way.
Popular Music Article Response
In the Popular Music article by Bryan Powell and Scott Burstein, the concept of Modern Band in the school system really stuck out to me as an effective and stylish learning tool. This is because when they discuss the idea of finding “music of the people” or choosing pieces that the majority will recognize I believe that encourages students to be more engaged in the playing of the music. As well, when being able to add and subtract different musical instruments and not strictly be forced into playing a traditional instrument, it also gives students the opportunity to pursue what they are interested in and see how each part can fit into making one full piece of music. With culture being more contemporary these days it seems logistical to have that modern entity incorporated into the curriculum, however it does not need to be the only focus. The idea of teaching music as a second language seems to me a useful tool because when someone is given the opportunity to just hear and play music before learning the fundamentals of how it is created it can be a more relaxed and inviting environment for the student. I have always heard “music is a universal language” so why not treat it the same as you would English or French and I hope to incorporate some of these ideas into my own teaching styles. As for performance anxiety, playing the trumpet alone in front of people for myself has not always been an easy task especially if it is harder music. The article discussing creating a comfort zone where a student can make mistakes and not be ridiculed and just become more comfortable for learning can really help bolster that students chance of success and as a future educator I want to have a safe and welcoming atmosphere for my students. In terms of approximation I do not necessarily want to focus on this as a learning strategy because I think it is more important for a student to work on creativity in a musical environment rather than just replicating something that is already made. The best experience in my high school music career was being able to create my own Blues piece from scratch. We were given the fundamentals to create it and the rest was up to our discretion and I learned a lot about my own style and composing. Approximation could be a good starting point in my opinion but not a main focus. “Children can learn to ‘speak’ music before they can explain it in academic terms” (250) I enjoy this article view of letting children solely play music and stray from the Western classical learning because society is moving away from that in many parts of the world and music stretches far beyond those walls. This article has given me many more thoughts on a good teaching style to develop and that popular music should be included in some way as it is very much a part of the student’s world in this century.
In the Popular Music article by Bryan Powell and Scott Burstein, the concept of Modern Band in the school system really stuck out to me as an effective and stylish learning tool. This is because when they discuss the idea of finding “music of the people” or choosing pieces that the majority will recognize I believe that encourages students to be more engaged in the playing of the music. As well, when being able to add and subtract different musical instruments and not strictly be forced into playing a traditional instrument, it also gives students the opportunity to pursue what they are interested in and see how each part can fit into making one full piece of music. With culture being more contemporary these days it seems logistical to have that modern entity incorporated into the curriculum, however it does not need to be the only focus. The idea of teaching music as a second language seems to me a useful tool because when someone is given the opportunity to just hear and play music before learning the fundamentals of how it is created it can be a more relaxed and inviting environment for the student. I have always heard “music is a universal language” so why not treat it the same as you would English or French and I hope to incorporate some of these ideas into my own teaching styles. As for performance anxiety, playing the trumpet alone in front of people for myself has not always been an easy task especially if it is harder music. The article discussing creating a comfort zone where a student can make mistakes and not be ridiculed and just become more comfortable for learning can really help bolster that students chance of success and as a future educator I want to have a safe and welcoming atmosphere for my students. In terms of approximation I do not necessarily want to focus on this as a learning strategy because I think it is more important for a student to work on creativity in a musical environment rather than just replicating something that is already made. The best experience in my high school music career was being able to create my own Blues piece from scratch. We were given the fundamentals to create it and the rest was up to our discretion and I learned a lot about my own style and composing. Approximation could be a good starting point in my opinion but not a main focus. “Children can learn to ‘speak’ music before they can explain it in academic terms” (250) I enjoy this article view of letting children solely play music and stray from the Western classical learning because society is moving away from that in many parts of the world and music stretches far beyond those walls. This article has given me many more thoughts on a good teaching style to develop and that popular music should be included in some way as it is very much a part of the student’s world in this century.
Burwell Article Response
In the Burwell article, many aspects were of interest to me but also, sometimes felt condescending to the idea of isolated teaching. However, I agree with the statement of teachers have to develop their own work and that can cause stress because there is a lack of confidence sometimes without having another teacher to bounce ideas off of. Also, it is a truth that the student has the potential to dominate the class because with only one other person to be in charge a teacher could easily be intimidated. For example, if a younger teacher is showing an elderly person how to play something and they would rather do something else it can be hard to stay firm on the plan of teaching without offending them. Something that I do not agree with is saying that “isolation can be a constraint on the development of professional identity” because the majority of those in private teaching will still have an outside influence of musical performance whether that be performing in a festival or being in a concert band and learn the values of performing in front of others while being able to work in seclusion on certain aspects of music playing. Also, I disagree with studio teachers lacking formal training, because from my previous experiences have all been with teachers having a degree in their field and just choosing to work in studio teaching. Yes, there are some teachers that can just start up a business and work from home but overall, there is at least some type of formal teaching involved especially for teaching older students because they have more musical experience. When the article discusses that studio teachers rely on their limited experience to create a lesson plan I also think this is a little far-fetched. Usually, any kind of a teacher can learn other ideas from attending a workshop, talking to other teachers or just simply doing some research on the topic that is being discussed. It could be harder to get a large variety with an isolated teaching space but there is always room either way. In total, I was very intrigued by this article and could take a lot of new information from it with the pedagogies of isolated teaching especially with student accountability because it is important to put in the work in order to get the greatest success. Studio teaching leaves room for many different learning and teaching styles and I believe it is a beneficial musical aspect for both the teacher and the student.
In the Burwell article, many aspects were of interest to me but also, sometimes felt condescending to the idea of isolated teaching. However, I agree with the statement of teachers have to develop their own work and that can cause stress because there is a lack of confidence sometimes without having another teacher to bounce ideas off of. Also, it is a truth that the student has the potential to dominate the class because with only one other person to be in charge a teacher could easily be intimidated. For example, if a younger teacher is showing an elderly person how to play something and they would rather do something else it can be hard to stay firm on the plan of teaching without offending them. Something that I do not agree with is saying that “isolation can be a constraint on the development of professional identity” because the majority of those in private teaching will still have an outside influence of musical performance whether that be performing in a festival or being in a concert band and learn the values of performing in front of others while being able to work in seclusion on certain aspects of music playing. Also, I disagree with studio teachers lacking formal training, because from my previous experiences have all been with teachers having a degree in their field and just choosing to work in studio teaching. Yes, there are some teachers that can just start up a business and work from home but overall, there is at least some type of formal teaching involved especially for teaching older students because they have more musical experience. When the article discusses that studio teachers rely on their limited experience to create a lesson plan I also think this is a little far-fetched. Usually, any kind of a teacher can learn other ideas from attending a workshop, talking to other teachers or just simply doing some research on the topic that is being discussed. It could be harder to get a large variety with an isolated teaching space but there is always room either way. In total, I was very intrigued by this article and could take a lot of new information from it with the pedagogies of isolated teaching especially with student accountability because it is important to put in the work in order to get the greatest success. Studio teaching leaves room for many different learning and teaching styles and I believe it is a beneficial musical aspect for both the teacher and the student.
Teacher Interview
For the influential teacher assignment, I was able to head back to my home town and see my grade 12 high school teacher. Mr. Webster and I talked at length about the importance of music and the curriculum and I was able to learn a lot in order to develop my own thinking on the idea of music education. He started this interview by explaining that he has only been a teacher for three years, so his ideas are still fairly broad, but still insightful. Webster wanted to become a teacher to provide a better, stable life for his family but also, bringing passion into the career and giving back to the community which gave him that passion. In terms of developing a teaching method, he explained the idea of ‘trial by fire’ which means not necessarily following the rule book and using common sense to find the best way to teach in a balancing way. For example, it can be hard to find the right wording for students to understand a concept, but Mr. Webster explained that he has learned the best way to learn information is the way it is said the first time and to not change the wording to make it confusing for someone else.
In terms of challenges and successes, Webster talked about how they work hand-in-hand to form a unique teaching situation. One of the hardest things as music teachers is the use of boundless energy with students in a musical setting. This comes with excessive noise and can be really frustrating when people are learning to play music, but it just sounds painful. Another thing that is a struggle is to not be overly critical or demanding of students. An example we discussed was that, if a vocal student does not have that great of a voice it can be very challenging to say this does not sound good without it personally effecting the student. On the other end of the spectrum, the emotional return is just as rewarding for a music teacher. From his high school teaching experience, Webster mentioned that the students are choosing to be in that class- at least in the upper years- and they are ready to try things and as a teacher those kids are improving by your own instruction and it is an amazing thing to be a part of.
The next point we talked about briefly was the importance of music assessments and the right approach when it comes to testing students on a subject that is more of an individually based level. The best, but not always easiest way to assess, is through making learning accessible to each student and to know their abilities to then determine a goal of where the students need to be by the end of the semester and working towards that. It also means needing to invest personal time outside of class time and making tests have options. For example, having five definitions to answer and then asking the students to define three of them so there is a choice as to what someone is more confident about. During the interview, we touched on the ideas of what music education is to Mr. Webster as a music teacher. While the main curriculum focuses on instructing and encouraging the learning of musical styles, genres etc. Webster also mentioned that music can be more than that and the focus is put on teaching students how to love themselves and respect each other. There is a connection with the ethos in a sense that music is much bigger than just people and it brings others to be at one with the earth.
The hardest part to discuss was what Mr. Webster’s philosophy of music teaching was and how it has developed. Since he has only been teaching for a few years his philosophy has not been able to develop to the full degree that it will be at later in life. He did however, believe that respect could be easily learned, and all students would listen to what he said and take it seriously and that quickly changed once he started teaching high school. He discovered that you cannot take things to personally because if you are trying your best and students still do not want to put in the work, you need to be able to take yourself out of the situation. Webster also discussed that trying to reach one student while others are just waiting is unproductive and can make people more confused.
Overall, this assignment was a great way to connect with my former high school music teacher again and become his friend. I was very intrigued to learn many things about his teacher and music career and also get some insight into what I will be going through in the process of university and what I can take with me when I go into the teaching field. It made me see that this is the path I want to be on and I am really excited for when I get to the point when I am teaching my own students music.
For the influential teacher assignment, I was able to head back to my home town and see my grade 12 high school teacher. Mr. Webster and I talked at length about the importance of music and the curriculum and I was able to learn a lot in order to develop my own thinking on the idea of music education. He started this interview by explaining that he has only been a teacher for three years, so his ideas are still fairly broad, but still insightful. Webster wanted to become a teacher to provide a better, stable life for his family but also, bringing passion into the career and giving back to the community which gave him that passion. In terms of developing a teaching method, he explained the idea of ‘trial by fire’ which means not necessarily following the rule book and using common sense to find the best way to teach in a balancing way. For example, it can be hard to find the right wording for students to understand a concept, but Mr. Webster explained that he has learned the best way to learn information is the way it is said the first time and to not change the wording to make it confusing for someone else.
In terms of challenges and successes, Webster talked about how they work hand-in-hand to form a unique teaching situation. One of the hardest things as music teachers is the use of boundless energy with students in a musical setting. This comes with excessive noise and can be really frustrating when people are learning to play music, but it just sounds painful. Another thing that is a struggle is to not be overly critical or demanding of students. An example we discussed was that, if a vocal student does not have that great of a voice it can be very challenging to say this does not sound good without it personally effecting the student. On the other end of the spectrum, the emotional return is just as rewarding for a music teacher. From his high school teaching experience, Webster mentioned that the students are choosing to be in that class- at least in the upper years- and they are ready to try things and as a teacher those kids are improving by your own instruction and it is an amazing thing to be a part of.
The next point we talked about briefly was the importance of music assessments and the right approach when it comes to testing students on a subject that is more of an individually based level. The best, but not always easiest way to assess, is through making learning accessible to each student and to know their abilities to then determine a goal of where the students need to be by the end of the semester and working towards that. It also means needing to invest personal time outside of class time and making tests have options. For example, having five definitions to answer and then asking the students to define three of them so there is a choice as to what someone is more confident about. During the interview, we touched on the ideas of what music education is to Mr. Webster as a music teacher. While the main curriculum focuses on instructing and encouraging the learning of musical styles, genres etc. Webster also mentioned that music can be more than that and the focus is put on teaching students how to love themselves and respect each other. There is a connection with the ethos in a sense that music is much bigger than just people and it brings others to be at one with the earth.
The hardest part to discuss was what Mr. Webster’s philosophy of music teaching was and how it has developed. Since he has only been teaching for a few years his philosophy has not been able to develop to the full degree that it will be at later in life. He did however, believe that respect could be easily learned, and all students would listen to what he said and take it seriously and that quickly changed once he started teaching high school. He discovered that you cannot take things to personally because if you are trying your best and students still do not want to put in the work, you need to be able to take yourself out of the situation. Webster also discussed that trying to reach one student while others are just waiting is unproductive and can make people more confused.
Overall, this assignment was a great way to connect with my former high school music teacher again and become his friend. I was very intrigued to learn many things about his teacher and music career and also get some insight into what I will be going through in the process of university and what I can take with me when I go into the teaching field. It made me see that this is the path I want to be on and I am really excited for when I get to the point when I am teaching my own students music.