Music Education - Clarion

Music: A Valuable Art

2012-02-23T14:29:00.000-05:00

AUTHOR: Vincent Angelo

I have heard about many studies showing that students involved in music will receive better results on their standardized test scores. These studies show that students, while playing and reading music, are using both hemispheres of their brain. Students are in fact connecting the right and left brain. I have also read that musical students are better learners of Math and English. These are all important reasons to encourage more music in schools. However, I believe that sometimes we forget to discuss a much more obvious reason in which music is valuable in schools and in our lives. What about the beauty and the art of music?

Music speaks to us; not with words but in a more imaginative and spiritual way. Experiencing this art can be very rewarding in many ways other than academics. In discussing this, one might suggest that students could always just listen to their iPod and experience the art of music. But I believe that it is important to participate in the making of music. Working together and making music is an experience
that students deserve to try. It is more difficult than listening to the radio but it is also that much more rewarding.

As students work together to perform they learn about harmony and teamwork, melody and expression, texture and sensitivity, art and beauty. When these things come together in harmony there is an experience that takes place through the sensors of the brain. This is called an aesthetic experience. One’s emotions thoughts and feelings are affected by their perception of the music. These experiences might take place while listening to a CD. But to work for such an experience is that much more gratifying. Also to share such an experience with others is good for students both socially and emotionally.

As I am currently studying music at an undergraduate level, I can look back and remember my first aesthetic experiences. As I mature these experiences mature. There are specific aesthetic moments that without, I would not be studying music now. So let us not forget an essential reason for music. Advocates of music in schools, remember why you love music. Music’s beauty is reason enough to study it and become musicians.

Vocal Support

2012-02-21T10:03:00.000-05:00

AUTHOR: Aaron Bortot

“Sing from your diaphragm!” A term teachers I have had since elementary have told me to do. The term got old and was way over used, but I didn’t realize how over used it was until I took Voice Class with Dr. Henry A. Alviani. I learned in this class that the diaphragm is an involuntary muscle. Thus, you cannot use it as support for singing.

The problem now is, “What muscle do I use to support whilst singing?” The correct answer is the back. If you support with your back, your abdominal muscles will be forced to work as well. This flexing of your back and abs will give sufficient support for release of a good solid sound.

Another problem with support comes with too much tension of the throat muscles. This causes strain on the vocal chords, which will result in a “forced” sound. A way to correct this, something I learned in Voice Lessons today is to “Act like seaweed” making the body limp, and sway back and forth, the neck limp as well, and sing normal vocal exercises, which will get rid of all unnecessary neck tension. After you learn to get rid of the tension in your neck and throat, you then can start supporting from your back, which will lead to a much better sound!

Enthusiastic Education

2012-02-14T08:35:00.000-05:00

AUTHOR: Stephen Benton

Last semester in one of my methods classes, my teacher repeated one phrase over and over, “If you are passionate about what you are teaching, then your students will respond well.” I copied the phrase down in my notes, and at the end of the semester I never thought I would look at these notes…at least until student teaching. A recent experience made me think back on those words more critically than I would have thought possible. I was learning music for an extra-curricular festival. I was not fond of the music and neither was my instructor, and he was not shy about saying it. I was predisposed to dislike the music because of his lack of passion for it.

At the time, all I could dwell on was the thought, “I just don’t want to do this.” Now, in retrospect, I feel that this is one of those times that really will help to shape the teacher I become. I owe it to my students to help them create the best music they possibly can. It would be incredibly detrimental to their musical development if I allowed a perceived lack of passion to hinder their learning or their performance. I cannot do that to my students. I will not do that to my students.

The question that immediately pops into my mind upon saying that is, “What if I am really not passionate about pieces of music I am teaching?” Honestly, for the sake of the students, the answer is to act the part. Be passionate, and fake it if you have to. These students deserve the opportunity to learn a new piece of music unhindered by negative feelings of the teacher. This could be the piece of music that changes a student’s life. “If you are passionate about what you are teaching, then your students will respond well.”

Tips on Managing Performance Anxiety

2012-02-13T19:56:00.008-05:00

AUTHOR: Katie Kohlenburg

Has it ever been your time to shine, but you feel overwhelmed with an intense worry about the upcoming performance? Do you suffer from sweaty palms and a lump in your throat or experience tension, an upset stomach, and a loss of focus? These symptoms may be a sign that you suffer from performance anxiety. Performance anxiety is a common problem, and many people suffer from it to some level of degree. However, the stress levels of performance anxieties can be lessened so it doesn’t over rule your life.

As a second semester freshman music education major, I personally suffer from some severe performance anxiety. My anxiety doesn’t just only prevail when I have to perform on my applied instrument for juries and woodwind rep but also in my classes. For instance, in aural skills I start to stutter and lose focus when I have to sing the correct solfege and match pitch by myself. In music theory, I’m afraid to speak up because I think I’ll give the wrong answer, when in reality I’m actually correct in my thinking. In brass ensemble, I don’t play out as a result of not wanting to heard because I really believe my tone sounds awful compared to the rest of the brass players. I think you get the point. I tend to lose all confidence in myself and my abilities because of worrying too much about what others think. As a result, I personally suffer from sweaty palms, upset stomachs, loss of focus, and a sense of dread. It gets even worse the week or so before my jury at the end of a semester. I suffer from shortness of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, dry mouth, insomnia, increased trips to the restroom, decreased concentration, negative thoughts, fear, and feelings of inadequacy. I really believe my performance anxiety stems from my fear of failure, fear of disapproval, and lack of confidence. At the end of last semester was my first woodwind jury. I was so overwhelmed with performance anxiety that I literally made myself sick after lunch the day of my jury. It’s such an awful feeling- those feelings of inadequacy, negative thoughts, fear…etc. It really overrules me for that entire period, so much, that it becomes frustrating. I always wonder why I can’t just have confidence and not have a fear of playing and messing up. There is a way to lessen the symptoms of performance anxiety. It may never entirely go away, but at least musicians can push those anxieties aside and focus on what really needs to happen.

I am currently still trying to figure out how to manage my own performance anxiety, but I know one thing for certain. It’s a matter of mentality. Before a performance, not only do I put in sufficient practice, but I also play a mental game. I envision myself walking into my performance with a clam, clear mind and playing all of my etudes, scales, and pieces, maybe not perfectly, but to the best of my ability. When I do walk into the performance, I manage to stay calm. I really believe most of a performance has to do with the mental preparation. It’s not “I suck and can’t do this.” It’s “I can and will do this.”

Tips on Managing Performance Anxiety
1. Admit to yourself you suffer from performance anxiety. Admitting is the only way to even begin helping yourself.

2. Self-Assessment:

Begin to understand the ins and outs of yourself as an individual, as well as a musician. If you know what makes you tick both inside and outside those musical circles, it will help to deal with the anxieties you feel before, during, and after a performance. All musicians should analyze performance goals and personal capabilities and limitations.

3. Exposure:

Musicians should take the opportunity to gradually expose themselves within different levels of performing. Maybe start out by performing for one friend, then five friends, and then maybe a crowd of 15 to 20 people. Test the low, medium, and high levels of stressful situations. This will help musicians to slowly overcome the issues and anxieties of performing by themselves. It might also help to practice elsewhere besides the practice room all the time. Practice in an empty theater, in the rehearsal hall, an empty classroom, and even outside on a nice day.

4. Preparation:

Preparation is very important for achieving success. A good performance is well thought out and visualized in the mind over and over again. Once mental preparation is complete, there must be sufficient practice and rehearsals at the location the performance is to be held. Before the performance, you should have a clear and stress-free mind.

5. During a Performance:

Every musician, to some extent, will feel butterflies in their stomach before, during, and after a performance. It is a normal occurrence, but it just takes some longer to get over. When you’re worried about the audience, don’t focus on blocking them out but rather use them as a support system. Never go into a performance thinking no one likes you or that you will fail because those fight or flight performance anxieties will surely arise. Try to stay calm and push aside the anxiety. If you do happen to play or sing a wrong note, move on and don’t dwell on that one mistake. Never show the audience you made a mistake by a facial expression because most of the time they won’t even pick up on it.

6. After a Performance:

Take the time to assess yourself before looking for the approval or criticism of others. Only you know how much hard work and preparation you put into getting ready for the performance. When you do receive positive feedback and criticism from others, use that and your own evaluation of yourself to decide what you can do next time.

Performance Anxiety Symptoms

Rapid heart rate
Shortness of breath
Hyperventilation
Feeling faint or dizzy
Tense muscles
Decreased concentration
Increased distraction
Memory lapses
Confusion
Difficulties making decisions
Fear
Shock
Increased irritability
Feeling vulnerable
Feeling inadequate or worthless

What Causes Performance Anxiety?

Fear of failure
Fear of success
Fear of disapproval
Fear of losing control
Lack of confidence
Poor health
Lack of sleep
Insufficient performance experience
Poor technical and practice methods
Don’t enjoy performing

Strategies: Overcoming Performance Anxiety

Adequate sleep
Meditation
Eating healthy
Exercise
Realistic, positive self-talk
Clear, realistic goals
Regular practice of mental rehearsal
Taking time to socialize and hang out with family/friends; everyone needs a break

Teaching Vocal Technique

2011-04-19T10:04:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Vincent Angelo

The oldest instrument in history is the voice. And for most of us the voice is our first instrument. And as music educators we will consistently be using that instrument to teach our students. Even as band directors we might use our voice to sing a part that needs to be played. But if we are teaching choir this is another matter entirely. When we are teaching young students techniques of singing there may be a few questions regarding the voice.

In voice class Dr. Alviani of Clarion University teaches among other things a three step idea. "Concept, Support, Release". Concept is the thought process of what must be done. Support is part of the physical application which involves supporting the breath. And the Release which is through the vocal chords, and it is crucial in singing not to inhibit your vocal chords with counter productive pressure or tension. Now I like these three easy steps because it organizes your thoughts and allows you to explain what must be done more clearly.

Now there are other ways to describe vocal technique in addition to this one. For example, on the Singing Voice website I found a different three step process. Breath, space, and focus are it's three words. Breath includes good posture and is very relative to support. Space is similar to Release. It is how the throat and larynx should be relaxed and natural. Space in classical terms, according to the website could also be called "open throat". But be careful using this term with students for they might take it too literally. It merely is a And focus is similar to concept. It means to focus the tone but we can also think of it as simply focusing on the breath and space as well as the tone. Regardless of which of these you use, it is important to outline the use of this complex instrument so that your students can understand you. Also do your best to keep your students patient with their voice because one does not learn to sing over night, especially younger students. http://www.singingvoice.net/technic.html

Technology in Music Education: Help or Hindrance?

2011-04-16T10:38:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Amanda Clendaniel

Technology at times can possibly be more effective than classical teaching methods. Technology use carries the benefits of individualized instruction and learning. Good computer programs can interact directly with students. Teachers do not have time to interact with every student independently every class; computer programs however do provide this luxury. If teachers happen to have the advantage of working in a school that has a large music budget and provides technological software it should be used to its fullest capacity. Sadly most teachers and students will never have this opportunity.

However technology use has numerous pitfalls. Teachers cannot become so dependent on technology that they forget how to interact with students and teach in a traditional manner. Technology can be a useful resource when used correctly and in moderation. Technology should not be the only teacher in the classroom.

Balance between technology and traditional classroom teaching must be achieved. Every student learns in a different way. For some students computer programs are an effective way to learn and comprehend information. Yet for other students, such as myself, having a teacher explain and demonstrate concepts is a more operative method. Computer programs and websites should not be used as a substitute for books either. Having technology and books as resources is a productive choice. Whereas websites may not always be accessible to students, textbooks are.

While moving into the present and upgrading to technological resources is important, the past methods and traditional teaching should not be forgotten or ignored.

Why Eliminate the Arts?

2011-04-15T08:28:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Kaitlyn Mariano

Recently different schools are deciding to take away music and art classes. Why is this necessary? If students have a passion for music or art then why punish them in a sense by taking it all away? Students have passions for science and history so why not take those subjects away as well? Or gym classes? Or even shop classes? There are so many loves and interests in the world I feel it is not right to take away the thing that makes someone happy. I feel it is unfair that the districts categorize music and art as classes that do not benefit a student's future because they most certainly do. Music and Art help a student develop character and find what they are good at besides the five main subjects Math, Social Studies, Science, Reading, and English. So why put a student's future in jeapordy? That is not why we became, are becoming or will become teachers.

Relevance of Basic Theory

2011-04-12T09:22:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Kiri Koziol

Throughout high school, I was always involved in my high school choir. That was the only music class, other than band, that my high school offered. I loved to sing, but I really didn’t know what I was doing. If the notes went up, I went up. If they went down, I went down. Everyday, I would go in to class, take out my music, and fake my way through the songs. Eventually, I got so frustrated with not knowing what was going on that I started to teach myself the basics of music. Through research, I taught myself letter names, the staffs, and note durations. This was enough to get me through my high schools chorus concerts.

Toward the end of my junior year, I started taking voice lessons with a professor at one of our local colleges. She often would quiz me on certain aspects of theory that were involved in the songs I was practicing. She started teaching me a little bit more. This little knowledge of theory I had helped me when I got involved with All-State Vocal Jazz and District Choir.

I feel that many choir directors approach choirs with a ‘call and response’ learning method. Teachers sing and play the lines while the students just use their ear to memorize the notes. This is especially unfair to students who do not have the opportunity to take theory classes and advance their knowledge. I understand that this method works, but I believe that if students had a little knowledge of music it would make the process of learning songs easier on the students and teachers. It also gives teachers the opportunity to have something else to grade students on other than just showing up and participating.

After taking my first theory class, I have decided that when I am finally able to teach, I am going to teach my choir students a little bit of theory. I think that all music students, whether band or choir, should have the knowledge of basic theory. I plan to fit a few minutes into my schedule and lesson plans where I can teach my students a few things that could help them in the future. I believe that it will not hurt for students to have a little bit of knowledge regarding music.

Learning the Instruments: Why Is It Important?

2011-04-11T15:15:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Nikki Piroli

During our college career here at Clarion, we have to take the many different techniques classes. These are brass class, woodwinds class, strings class, percussion class, and voice class. In these classes you have to chance to learn about different instruments and obstacles a beginner student might face while learning their instrument. I played the clarinet, trumpet, and French horn before coming to Clarion. I started off my college career with brass class. I have played the two high brass instruments before, so I was given two low brass instruments. I got the challenge of playing the trombone and the tuba. The following semester I took woodwinds and percussion class. In woodwinds we get the chance to play the three main instruments; clarinet, flute, and alto saxophone. In percussion class we learned how to play snare, tympani, and mallets. My third semester of college I took voice class and strings class. Obviously in voice class you learn about singing, while in strings class we played an upper string instrument and a lower string instrument. I got the opportunity to play the string bass and the viola. In taking all of these classes I was able to learn and understand about the different instrument families and how they are played. I strongly believe that all students should have the chance to learn the many different instruments, even if they really don’t want to learn about them. This was beneficial for me, as well as the other music education students, because this knowledge can be used in our future career. Once we graduate we don’t know what music job will be available for us. Those who want to become a band director might not be offered that specific job placement. We may be offered a position in choir, or strings. We won’t know until we are out there looking for different teaching jobs. When I was in high school we had an orchestra director who got hired without knowledge of string instruments. The majority of the school year we had a substitute for the class so that the actual director could go to school and learn about the string instruments. From personal experience, even though I didn’t partake in orchestra, I saw what it would be like for a teacher who wasn’t sure of their position. I believe every university should have these different classes so that all of their music majors are able to learn about each instrument, just in case they get thrown into that same situation.

National Standards or National Guidelines?

2011-04-07T14:21:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Stephanie Newingham

Are all 9 of the national standards really necessary for all students to know? Are the national standards being used the way they were intended or are they really just guidelines for those kids that have an interest in music? If musicians have decided and set up all 9 standards as necessary, then are they being monitored? Are all students getting equal music education or does it depend upon the school they attend as to their music education? Is anyone really assessing and enforcing that every student is being efficiently taught according to the standards that have been put in place? These are all questions about necessary the 9 national standards of music education and how they are being used in public schooling. First off, let’s take a look at the standards, break down and throw out some criticisms about them.

The first standard is "Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music." Is singing a necessity for every person to be capable of? If someone can’t sing should they be held responsible to learn how? Some say the voice is the basis of all music and without the voice music may have never been derived. However, is it necessary that every student and every person be well versed with their own voice? Or, is voice simply a music teacher’s easiest way to get students to perform something musical? I personally, believe that all students should learn to develop their voice since it is the easiest and most accessible instrument and it is the basis of music's origin. However, is it essential that every one, as an adult, needs to be well versed with their voice.

What if, instead, we allowed substitutions for voice? Per say, students that choose an instrument other than their voice are still meeting standard one. Is that student missing anything pertinent to music because they are not using their voice? For example, a student may be allowed to become efficient on another instrument, such as piano, instead of the voice. Is it a major problem that this student will develop musically with a basis on piano instead of voice? After all, the piano, other than its lacking of ease in accessibility, is just as useful and productive an instrument as the voice.

The second standard is "performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music." The same idea as standard number one can be applied here as well. Is it pertinent that every person knows how to play an instrument? What about students that have succeeded in the first standard and developed their voice Are they missing any area of music if they develop in voice and not on an instrument? Or, is it a necessity that everyone needs to learn multiple ways of creating music and not just stick to one area of study?

Yet another, skepticism is focused on those of us teachers that teach or will teach in an underfunded school. If the school cannot afford instruments, or if they can only provide hand drums and rhythm sticks, do we consider students using these as performing on multiple instruments? Or do we consider them both percussion and just one instrument? Also, if they play an African drum and then rhythm sticks, is this considered a "varied repertoire"? After all, they are different styles or genres and different “instruments”. Thus, this standard in my opinion is very broad, open to a variety of interpretations, and not easily assessed. One school can meet the standard of playing instruments with a variety of instruments and literature while another can meet the same standard with only two slightly different instruments and very little or no varying repertoire.

This point brings me to the next three standards: 3. "Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments." 4. "Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines." and 5. "Reading and notating music." These standards each have their own specific areas of exploration. However, I again have to ask if they are necessary for all students.

Each standard has its’ intended area for students to be well versed in, when they finish their public schooling music curriculum. They are not intended as just guidelines for music-interested students. My observations, however, have seen that these standards are being used, most often, as guidelines for those students that willingly take part in music. Those who do not willingly take active roles in music do not receive all of the education intended. I do not see each and every student being versed in all of these areas before graduating high school.

Similarly, these three standards are all broad and can be "met" with simple things that students do in elementary school. For examples, making up their own rhythm on rhythm sticks for one or two days in Kindergarten meets the third standard. Is coming up with a simple rhythm at 5 years old really supporting the purpose of "Improvising melodies"? If not, then how is it monitored across schools that all students are receiving the same focus on each standard?

Maybe it should be better monitored to be sure that music curriculums should follow each standard equally among different schools. Maybe we should take a closer look at the varieties of music instruction students receive from school to school. To me, they seem very unequal. Some students get all standards to great degrees and some barely ever touch more than just the first two standards.

I believe that each of the standards can and should be looked at individually, It is our job as music teachers to provide our students with as much knowledge and experience as we can. But what should be done when some students in some schools get a much better or much worse musical education than their neighboring schools? There are requirements and standards for most all other subjects in public schooling and they are being monitored across states, so that all students get very similar educations. Thus, I think that there should be more attention paid to music and music curricula among school districts. There are these 9 different standards that are set up for music education so maybe we, as teachers, should make more of an effort to standardize curricula and provide solid educations to all students in all schools and districts. If we have decided that all 9 standards are a necessity to every student then we need to be sure every student is receiving worthy education on each standard equally.

Finding the Right Director for a Program

2011-04-06T09:46:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Michael Guzik

What do school boards really look for in candidates that they interview? Do they look for the person who can make the best sales pitch? The best conductor? The best people person? The person that will work for the least amount of money? The person who had the best Grade Point Average in college? Personally, I think that school boards should pay more attention to the person they are hiring as opposed to what they have done in college. Anyone can pad their application with activities and accomplishments that they’ve done throughout high school and college. However, that doesn’t always mean that they’re the best teacher. To me, personality and ability to interact with the students comes higher than credentials. Chemistry is a big part of the teaching job. If the teacher is not compatible with the classroom, the classroom is not compatible with the teacher. Do not misunderstand the point I am making- everything else is VERY important in the process of selecting a teacher. However, classroom chemistry tops all of these in my opinion. The question is: how do school boards find the right teacher without taking several weeks to narrow down the candidates? Is there a feasible way to do this without disrupting the classroom atmosphere? I know that this is hard. My high school got a new band director in the middle of last school year. It was a very rough transition- he was not well received because of the drastic changes he tried to make. It felt as though we were not able to trust him, and he did not trust us. Trust is an essential component in a music program. Without trust, there is no program.

Practice - Are Students Doing It?

2011-03-30T17:00:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: James Ivell

As a future music educator, I have been reflecting on my experiences in my high school music program and how they differ from now, as a studying trombonist. In high school we were obviously told to practice quite frequently and then scolded if the music had not improved in an acceptable amount of time. Does this mean that students aren’t practicing?

I think in some cases that yes, it means that students aren’t doing their work outside of class. If the students aren’t practicing, they need to be made aware that practicing is homework for the class and that it is important. I think it is important to motivate students to practice in a positive manner. Yelling and scolding the class because they aren’t doing well is not a good way to motivate. I think that being positive and helpful to the students and maybe offering practice times when you can help the students will show them that you care about their progress. This is a much more conducive atmosphere for motivation and getting the students to WANT to practice not HAVE to.

On the other hand, what if the students are practicing? I know that when I came to college I had to be taught how to make my practice most effective in order to progress. I was practicing regularly and not progressing. It was a frustrating situation. I think that it is important to teach high school students how to practice. This can help motivate them too, because if they know how to practice and get better, you will notice and so will they. They won’t become frustrated when they are working hard and not seeing results.

Telling your students to practice is not enough for them. If you are specific and tell them exactly what to practice and how to practice it, they will be more successful. I think that it is important to set up your expectations for practice time right from the start, so they don’t get frustrated. This will help make them
much happier to do the work for you as a director.

Teaching High School Choir - A Perspective

2011-03-30T08:25:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Tyler Shearer

As a future music educator, I sat and pondered on several pedagogical theories to how I would teach a high school choir. I’ve had the opportunity to experience several different kinds of choir directing, and teaching. Through these experiences, I have noticed bad and good techniques, and being a candidate for a music educator, I have noticed that I have created my own technique of teaching. Some of the instructors that I have had have been a wide range of ages. I personally feel that the older the instructors have the older techniques, and the younger instructors have the more updated techniques, so the students are more familiar and comfortable with them. My pedagogical view of a classroom would be a comfort zone with restrictions. I want my choir students to come into the classroom and not be afraid of showing off their real talents. Another thing that I would apply in my classroom would be open discussion on what music we prepare for concerts. I feel when you open the discussion on the music; the students will have their own opinion on the music. I feel like if I do this, the students will be more likely to learn the music with excitement, rather than forcing the students to learn the music. They would also be subjected to other classical pieces as well. I feel like this is a good way to run your choir so the students have a much better understanding on what is going on. I would give the students an example of the piece of music that I would be teaching them, and then go over individual parts. I would also pick designated days out the semester to work with the different sections to make sure that they have they part accomplished. Another pedagogical view of my choir would be using choir stands for all rehearsals. I believe this is a good way for the students to get used to the stand and have them practice like it is a real performance.

4.0? You Still Must Pass the Praxis!

2011-03-29T10:18:00.001-04:00

AUTHOR: Lynnea Fiorentino

Can you believe that after 3.5 (or more) years of college and a great semester of student teaching you may not graduate? It’s true. The Praxis II can be one of the easiest or hardest tests in your life, and what exactly do you study? Or better yet, how do you study for the test that can make or break your educational career. There a ton of questions racing through your mind about the Praxis II as you prepare to take it, here I hope to
answer some and help put you as ease.

One of the biggest questions is what is the policy for passing? Unfortunately this is an ever changing answer, and it has changes 3 times just in the past 6 years! Unlike most requirements at Clarion the pass policy is also not determined by your catalogue year. Currently the policy is you must have taken or be registered for your tests before student teaching. You do not have to pass them before you student teach but you must
pass them by the end of your student teaching.

Next, how much does it cost? Each test is $80 with a $50 registration fee. The tests are not cheap and so you’ll want to pass it the first time. A great suggestion is only take one at a time and do it in the summer when you don’t have classes to study for. There are tests given in both June and July every year, and here’s a tip register for one test one each date (ex. music in June, fundamentals in July) then you only pay one registration fee.

So, how and what do you study? To start, buy the test prep materials! Yes, it’s an extra $23 per test, but it’s cheaper than taking the test again! These eBooks are printable and have great prep questions and an awesome appendix of books of where the questions came from, use it. Also, use the listening library and Carlson Library, they both have great resources. Be sure to study theory, practice all parts of aural skills, know the elementary music theorists, know the principles of pedagogy, learn the instrument transpositions, and listen to all the music in your Norton anthology and more.

There is no way to study everything but use the following testing strategies to help ensure you use choose the correct answer. First, do the easy questions, don’t waste time on hard questions, if you don’t know the answer mark it in the test book AND on the bubble sheet (you don’t want to get half way done and realize you are off a questions). Next realize there are 4 options given in the answers: 1. the best and correct answer, 2. the almost correct answer, 3. the wrong answer, and 4. a distracter. Be sure to recognize the wrong answer and the distracter, and then, although the other two answers may both be correct use your knowledge choose the best one.

Most important be confident in yourself and the education you have received, you will surprise yourself with what you know. Keep your music book and all the notes you take in class, our professors’ really do know what they are talking about and they don’t make us takes notes just for fun. Review the things our teachers felt were important enough that we needed to write them down. Hopefully these tips will help you to prepare
and pass on your first try at your music Praxis II. As for your fundamentals of education test, here’s a tip: KEEP YOUR INTRO TO ED BOOK!

Popular Music in Music Education

2011-03-28T14:16:00.002-04:00

AUTHOR: Brendan Holly

In the world of music education, there seems to be a vibe that as an educator, one should not teach popular music. In this debate, I tend to see the side that an educator must not teach only just band or choral literature but also popular music that is top 40 worthy.

One argument for popular music to be taught in schools is that you would increase the likely-hood for student to want to join the music program in your school district. As a teacher under these new rules in schooling due to the economy that we are in today you must always look for ways to innovate your music program so that you can live to see another day teaching. Music is first and foremost an art form where people express themselves. People are often seen blasting their radio in the car and singing to it while crying about a break up or failing at a task or screaming because they just had the best day ever. Why wouldn’t we as teachers take this as an opportunity to advocate music programs?

I feel that educators fail to teach current music because they are trying to preserve a musical era that they see as things that students need to learn. I agree with them that Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Bach, Brahms and other composers are great to learn about and understand the music of their respective musical time periods, but the world of education is changing, it’s about time the world of music education starts joining the rest of education in the “race to the top”.

Are You Prepared to Teach?

2011-03-28T14:13:00.002-04:00

AUTHOR: Meghan Mashey

Last Wednesday in Symphonic Band, Dr. Toney surprised me by asking me to conduct a portion of a piece we’ve been working on, and to rehearse it with the ensemble. I always thought that I was confident in front of a large group, but this made me realize that I still have a long way to go.

Looking back on classes that I’ve taken, I don’t feel as though I’m prepared to teach just yet. And looking back on Wednesday, I definitely know that I’m not ready to lead an ensemble. Hearing the feedback from a few of my friends in the class, they tell me that I didn’t do a bad job for not knowing that I was going to conduct a piece that day. But hearing the feedback from my fellow music majors in the class, and from Dr. Toney, I know that I need to improve my conducting a great deal. And the only way that I can improve my skills is to practice. And while practicing can help me with conducting, piano lessons, and flute lessons, I feel as though it never really helps with any of the techniques courses that we as music majors are required to take. Yes, practicing does help when learning a new instrument. You always improve with practice. However, I feel as though it doesn’t help when learning how to teach said instrument. For example, after taking both percussion and brass class, I feel as though I’ve learned a good deal on how to play trombone, trumpet, and percussion. But if you were to ask me to teach a small child how to play the trombone, trumpet, or snare drum, I wouldn’t know where to begin. I feel as though these technique courses are focused more on learning how to play every instrument, instead of learning how to teach these instruments. And isn’t that why we’re going to school? To learn how to be a proper music director? And yet, in my opinion at least, our classes and lessons are geared more towards performance.

I believe that we need to start focusing more on how to properly handle a classroom; how to help students with their instruments, fingerings, and slide positions; how to become the best that we can be as a teacher. Yes, the technique classes are useful. But I feel as though they could offer us so much more as potential educators if the focus wasn’t completely on playing the instruments and was instead focused on preparing us to teach children (young adults, etc.) how to play and how to care for their instruments.

The Art of Musicianship

2011-03-26T12:15:00.003-04:00

AUTHOR: Ariel Dye

The word “musician” is often tossed around too freely these days. Could this word be so loosely used because it has in fact lost its meaning? It seems as though our desire to remain technologically advanced has compromised our musical integrity. The “gotta have it now” mentality turned music into a fly by night profession. Will fast food drive thrus now come equipped with music producing studios? No longer is it necessary for one to actually learn to play an instrument, read music, or even sing to make music anymore. Digital bells and whistles have taken the place of talent and ingenuity. It is as easy as pressing a button and every instrument or sound known to man is instantly placed at the finger tips. Although inventions such as the monome and the virtual DJ deck have proved very useful to the music community, these tools are also great hindrances. The accessibility of such tools make it so that anyone may produce music if they so choose. Any person with access to a laptop can automatically become the next Mozart. A continuation on this path will ultimately lead to complete ignorance of tangible musical instruments. It seems that creativity is slowly being lost which means that there is trouble in the water for Music Educators everywhere. If the press of any button can mimic the sound of any musical instrument then what is the future for the instruments that we’ve grown to love? This is not to say that technology has not made the way for great advancements in the realm of music.

To the contrary it can help musicians in various ways. In many cases it may be more cost effective for teachers to buy electric keyboards for their students instead of using pianos. These keyboards help students develop better hand eye coordination and allow them a more tactile grasp on scales and theory. The installation of digital recording studios in many schools allows students the opportunity to record themselves, and possibly enhance creativity. The ability for a teacher to “keep up with the Jones’,” so to speak, opens the door for more students to fall in love with music. While these are in fact great strides for music, not all schools can fund such programs, which brings the discussion full circle. Many schools may not want to spend the necessary funds on these advancements which leaves teachers and students with limited resources, forever encasing them in the stone age.

The path on which society is traveling cannot be ignored. Technological advances are happening in every aspect of the culture, and music is not to be left behind. A balance between both the old and new must be formed in order for music to have any hope of survival.

Advocacy

2011-03-21T13:07:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Joseph Bazzone

In “Sharing the Good News with the Right People” by Tim Lautzenheiser he states that “Music advocacy, by definition, means we are 'vocal' about our various thoughts and beliefs concerning the importance of music education for everyone.” This shows that music advocacy is basically opinion based. Most of the articles I found are positive toward having and using music education. I agree with this not only because of my major but because as stated in many articles I personally would be “out of trouble” because I was involved with music. Choir, Band, and Musicals all seemed to take up my time and also the friends I made weren’t the type to go out and cause problems. On http://www.liberty.k12.oh.us/lbtysummers/musicadvocacy.htm there is a list called “Music Advocacy’s Top Ten for Parents.” It is a positive look at how music gets students involved and the effect it has on their attitude and lifestyle. The first statement says “In a 2000 survey, 73 percent of respondents agree that teens who play an instrument are less likely to have discipline problems.” This to me shows that music definitely has a positive influence on those who use it their advantage. The site also has listing for people other than parents, such as administrators. It also has a listing of quotes like “In every successful business…there is one budget line that never gets cut. It’s called ‘Product Development’ – and it’s the key to any company’s future growth. Music education is critical to the product development of this nation’s most important resource – our children.” I must suggest to everyone taking a look at this site because it has information toward the positive idea of music education and has information to back it up as well. http://www.iamaonline.com/teaching/Music%20Advocacy.htm is also another good site for more positive quotes and data toward music and music education. In my honest opinion music is an asset to have in schools and just in general. In elementary through high schools music gives an opportunity for students to find a hidden talent or interest and also could help them make the decision to study it later in their life. My interest developed in high school because of my music teachers. Through high school my interest grew from my experience and made me want to study it as a profession. I had teachers who truly loved what they were doing and that seemed to push me to really enjoy everything I did that involved music. I am a strong believer that music is very important and needs to be taught so that we have students who later in their life can take the place of those who inspired them. If a student is inspired by a teacher hopefully they will do the same later in life if they choose that profession and even if not I do not think they will forget all of the experience and fun they had with the music that they and others crated because of the one or many people who helped create that experience. I want to end this with a quote I found on one of the sites from above by Plato. “Music is a more potent instrument than any other for education, because rhythm and harmony find their way into the inward places of the soul.”

Do School Music Programs Have More to Offer Than We Realize?

2011-03-21T13:04:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Thomas Weidner

Music as has been taught in schools for a very long time. Textbooks on teaching music have been around for centuries. One might ask “why is this? What does music have to offer in the world of education?” It is because educators of the past have realized just how important music is as a tool for learning and for personal growth. This seems to be something educators of today are forgetting or just not realizing. There is a great deal of emphasis on reading and math in schools today. So much, in fact, that schools are putting more money into these areas of study and decide to cut their music program. I haven’t seen any rationale for this other than “there’s not enough money.” So is that really the only reason?

It seems that many educators and parents alike think that music is something that is useless in schools. They see it as something students just do for fun as if their children were enrolled in a class to play video games. Ok, this may be overstatement but that is the general feeling I get from people who don’t have children in a music class. It seems school music programs are being cut not just because of lack of finances, but because people are unaware to how much music can enhance students’ education.

Numerous studies have been done to show music helps students do better in school. Students who study music do better in reading, math and certain sciences. Significantly better. Music students on average perform better on many standardized tests such as the PSSA and SAT. The proof is out there if you look for it. Here is a great sight to start at: http://www.childrensmusicworkshop.com/advocacy/topteneveryone.html

Another thing people don’t realize is how music gives children a great way to express themselves and also gives them a great social experience. To put it bluntly, music keeps kids off the streets. When kids have nothing to do or no way to express themselves, many tend to find themselves getting into trouble. Students may turn to drugs or even gangs when they don’t know what to do with themselves. School sports is one of the other biggest ways for students to keep themselves busy, but what about the students who don’t have much athletic ability or interest in it? Where would they turn without music programs such as marching band?

Knowing these facts, it would be hard for anyone to put up a strong argument as to why music should be cut from schools. It it’s the job of educators and parents alike to be informed and spread the facts to others. They also must demand for music to be kept in their childrens schools. They must demand the justification schools are trying to use to not have a music program. Money is never a good reason for childrens education to suffer. This is especially true when schools have the money, but are taking it from their music programs to help fund other areas of study. We must for our children so they have every possible learning opportunity open to them.

Why We Need Standards

2011-03-17T08:41:00.000-04:00

AUTHOR: Chelci Leary

As a fourth year music education student, I've heard many professors and educators say that the national standards are great for guiding instruction in schools. I've also heard the opposite end of the spectrum where people say that the standards should be done away with. These differing opinions have led me to delve into the topic on my own to create my own opinion of the standards.

Some arguments against the standards say that the standards dictate how teachers should teach and leaves no room for creativity or flexibility in the classroom. In my opinion the standards are more for showing the basic knowledge that students should have upon completion of the course. The standards are only interested in the final outcome, not the means used to get there. The standards tell the educator what is expected at the end of the course so it leaves plenty of room for the teacher to decide the best method of presenting the material.

The standards are important for making sure that education is consistent across the board. If schools were not all held to the same standards, students would not be able to go out into the world and effectively compete for the jobs that they desire. Inconsistency between schools could lead to successful students, but failing adults. Gaps in education can severely limit what a student can do after graduation. Teachers need to ask themselves if their students would be able to succeed after high school with the knowledge imparted to them throughout their education. The standards help to show educators what they need to be teaching their students in order for post graduate success.

It is my personal opinion that it is very important to follow the standards when it comes to music education. If your students wish to go on to a career in the music field, it is very important for them to be given an education that exposes them to all of the material that is encompassed by the national standards for the arts. The standards are meant to give a basic foundation so that students are set up for success. If the standards are not met during primary education, the student may suffer on the collegiate level due to lack of foundation. Students should not be kept from the futures they want due to an improper education, so it is the job of the teacher to do everything in their power to help their students succeed. The national standards give teachers a place to start and expand upon in order to give their students the best chance for success.

To Teach or NOT to Teach?

2011-03-17T08:36:00.001-04:00

AUTHOR: Kyle Hart

To teach, or not to teach? THAT is the question which preoccupies my mind as of late. I love music; it is what wakes me up in the morning, it is what fills my dreams at night. There isn’t anything in my life that doesn’t revolve, in some way, around music. However…what DOESN’T always thrill me are all of the hoops and pitfalls that I have to jump through and over just to make it through the music program of my college. It is growing to be a source of increasing frustration for me, and I’m not entirely certain of why.

Maybe it’s all of the requirements, maybe it’s the faculty, or maybe it’s just ME. Maybe I’m not cut out to BE a music educator. I’ll admit to being occasionally lazy in my studies. I’ll admit to skipping times when I should be practicing more, but I make UP for it; and it’s still never enough. For those of you reading this who are familiar with Star Trek, remember the Kobayashi Maru; the final, unwinnable challenge of the Starfleet Academy that teaches everyone how to fail. That’s what my degree is starting to feel like, to me: an unreachable goal and an unbeatable challenge. It seems for every one part of this degree I complete three more appear from nowhere to say “Hey, guess what? You’ve still got another three years added onto your time here!” I don’t know HOW people are doing this, because honestly, I’m not so sure I CAN much longer.

How many of you think I’m being immature and throwing a temper tantrum? I can guarantee that many of you do. To those of you who think so, I’ll say this: Stop being hypocrites. The same thoughts have crossed your mind at SOME point in your careers, so don’t even TRY to deny it. I’m just putting my thoughts out here for the world to see. These are the frustrations of an autistic Music Education student who wants nothing more than to make music and to pass that music on to younger students, but finds himself losing his desire to teach because of political and academic garbage.

Future Music Studies

2011-03-15T19:54:00.001-04:00

AUTHOR: Jonathan Mracko

I am a senior who is getting ready to student teach and eventually graduate from Clarion University with a bachelors in Music Education. From this point, I think I have a pretty good idea of what I want to do once I graduate. I would love to find a job teaching music in some facet (Elementary, Middle, High School, Choir, Instrumental, Strings or General). I have no preference when it comes to what I will teach. I think it is engrained in me and my fellow music educators that as long as we are teaching, we are happy. However, recently, I have come to a crossroads. While I certainly do want to teach, I also want to get further education in the form of a Masters and perhaps eventually a Doctorate. The crossroads in this is not the decision as to obtain or not obtain a Masters but what I want to get a Master’s Degree in. I am sure as I’m sitting here than I am not the only one with this “problem”, so perhaps I can try to make things clearer for myself and others.

Why a Masters to begin with? How will this benefit me at all save for writing even more papers and continue to study hard for long hours. How could this truly benefit me in the long run? The easiest way to answer this is by saying that pay increases by almost $10,000 from a Bachelors alone. While this is nice, this would not be the reason that I would get a Master’s Degree. Other reasons would be to perhaps hone in on specific techniques, such as a Master’s in Conducting, Jazz Studies, or Performance. Again, this would certainly be helpful to me and beneficial to continue my craft and become even better. Unfortunately, the pay increase and the added benefits of becoming a master performer on my instrument (which in this case is voice) are simply not enough. Then, I think to myself, what driving force could I have that would make me want to pursue further education? I think I may have the answer for at least myself, if not others as well.

I believe my reason for obtaining a Master’s Degree is to help my students to the fullest of my abilities. In my undergraduate studies, I am required to have three methods classes (Vocal, Instrumental and Elementary), five techniques classes (Percussion, Woodwinds, Brass, Strings and Voice) and three education classes (Intro to Education, Educational Psychology and Teaching Exceptional Learners). This is simply not enough to teach everything a teacher is supposed to know. This is not any school’s fault either, it is the simple fact that there is just not enough time in your undergraduate studies to learn everything you need to know to become a successful teacher. That is where the Master’s Degree and other advanced education really comes in to effect.

I have had the “benefit” of being a fifth year senior at school and have had the chance to take other education classes while I was here. Instructional Strategies and Advancing Technology in the Classroom were two examples of classes where I gained skills that I do not think I would have otherwise gained had it not been for these classes. The same goes with the teaching opportunities I have had the past few semesters. I feel much more prepared after being here and extra two semesters so I can only imagine getting an extra 2 to 4 semesters for a Master’s Degree.

I have come to the realization that for me, the most beneficial and time worthy Master’s Degree that I would obtain would be one in Music Education. Preparing more for students is really my ultimate objective in all of this. I want to see this students learn, grow, become smart and have great lives. I don’t want this to be about me at all. I want my life and education to be about others and specifically those in which I am teaching. I know my rationale may change once I get out into the field and get my feet wet. However, gaining that valuable experience that you get from furthering your education is all worth it to see bright students.

Music Therapy and its Connection to Music Education

2011-03-01T13:20:00.000-05:00

AUTHOR: Moria Ambrose

What all exactly is encompassed when one talks about Music Therapy? What is music therapy? Where did this idea of using music as a treatment come from, and what kind of training is required to do so? I became generally interested in these topics, so this post will cover the questions above and also why it is not a common career path for musicians. This post will also show how it can connect to Music Education programs.

Music Therapy is exactly what it sounds like: Using musical interventions in a therapeutic way to accomplish goals, all in a clinical setting. The clients are helped not only with therapy for physical needs, but emotional, social, and cognitive needs as well. And clients of all ages with mental health needs or learning and developing disabilities can benefit from therapy like this. It can provide an outlet to express feelings, increase motivation to become engaged in their treatment processes, and even better physical rehabilitation. Music Therapy also has the ability to help a client to manage stress, enhance memory, and promote general wellness.

A Music Therapist will assess each client’s needs and then base therapy sessions off of that using anything from musical performance to lyrical discussion, music and dance improvisation, or song writing. These therapists work in lots of different places depending on the age group of the clients they are working with. Clients with Alzheimer’s disease or just the elderly in general may find music therapists in their senior centers or nursing homes. Children could have music therapists in their schools or day care centers, and any client with mental needs may need one in psychiatric hospitals or halfway houses.

Music Therapy has been going on for a while now. Back after World War I, different community musicians used to go to play for veterans suffering from physical or emotional pains from battle. Since then, the responses to such events caused for a need to hire musicians in hospitals. Now, with proper college training, a musician could put their craft to excellent use in therapy. The first music therapy degree program was at Michigan State University in 1944, and has expanded throughout the world since then.

A college program for a music therapy major includes classes in many areas. Such areas are biological, social and behavioral sciences along with psychology, music, music therapy, disabilities and general studies. Students learn to assess needs of clients,
then develop and practice treatment plans, and finally evaluate any changes. Students eventually are required to go through a national examination given by the Certification Board for Music Therapy. Musical foundations for this career still include many of the things that are also required of music education majors that include but are not limited to: conducting, music history and literature, music theory, composition/arranging, functional piano, guitar, or voice, and applied concentration (flute, voice, etc.). There are clinical and music therapy foundation classes such as psychology of music, principles of therapy, and influences of music on behavior. Finally, all music therapy majors are still required to take basic general education courses like their English and History classes.

The reason I chose this topic was not only because I had always inquired as to what music therapy deals with, but also how it can somewhat easily connect to music education. To start with, music is such a powerful and universal thing, and depending on the student, it could already be a type of therapy in itself. Many students may choose that their music class is the one they look forward to most every day. The reason could be that it is because all their closest friends are in it, but it could also just be for the reason that listening to and playing music just makes them feel better in general and is a time of relaxation. The next point, which I think is the most important in this case, is that music can be used to help special needs kids, which both music education and music therapy accomplish. Clients and students alike with learning and developmental disabilities do have a chance of improving with music. For example, children and adolescents with cerebral palsy, music strategies may be an effective way to stimulate speech development and also provide organization for cognitive and motor development.

You think you have the hang of it and then you don’t

2011-02-24T12:56:00.000-05:00

AUTHOR: Chelsea Patterson

Being a music education freshman, I often wonder “when will I know I am ready to teach?”. I understand we are supposed to be able to teach at the end of our four year degree but, what if we don’t feel ready. Should we further our education to become even better teachers? Or should we jump right into the teaching, get our feet wet and hope that we get the hang of everything.

I have taught in two different situations when it comes to music. Just recently I taught my boyfriend how to play the saxophone. This was a project assigned to me for my woodwinds class. The lesson was supposed to last 30 minutes. My student was so enthusiastic but, he quickly grew frustrated with his inability to produce a proper sound out of the saxophone. I looked at the instrument made a few adjustments, told him how to fix his embouchure, and the sound improved. Me keeping my patience with him and encouraging him to continue trying, even when he was becoming increasingly frustrated, drove him to continue playing and not to give up.

In a second scenario, we created child melodies (another class assignment) and we were to teach them to our fellow classmates. I failed to remember my melody by memory and was unable to properly teach it. A set back on my behalf.

Why did the two different lessons go in completely opposite directions? I can’t help but wonder if the class room setting was the major change. While I taught my first lesson, I was in the comfort of my own bedroom, with someone familiar and dear to me. During my second lesson I was up in front of the class, all eyes on me for a brief moment. Classmates ready to critique my every mistake. Though I know of my fellow peers, I don’t know them on a personal basis. I feel this is what makes the greatest difference in the two teaching experiences.

After teaching my first lesson, I felt slightly confident that I would be able to handle future lesson plans. However, after the slight set back of my second teaching, I felt unprepared. What I am about to state is the duty of a future educator, “if you fall off a horse you have to get up and get right back on it”. So in other words, if you make a mistake, don’t regret it, look forward and figure out how to fix the problem you encountered. A teacher must be willing to change and bend lesson plans, which may not have been successful.

The realization of when a person is going to be ready to teach is going to depend on that person. I know of some people who continue their education because they aren’t ready to teach. While others hop right into the swing of things. Perhaps somewhere in the near future, I will be able to realize when I will be ready to teach. After I have my core classes and get a little more hands on experience in the situations. This is when I will be able to decide whether I am ready or not, but not until then.

To Double or Not to Double?

2011-02-23T16:19:00.002-05:00

AUTHOR: Janet Cornelius

Most musicians have their own opinion about students doubling on multiple instruments. An example of doubling would be if, for example, a saxophone player from your band were to also play flute rather well. Many musicians are against doubling with the argument that the student should completely master one instrument before moving on to another. However, at what point has a student mastered their instrument? When is it appropriate to allow the student to move on to other instruments? What instruments should the student move to?

I believe that if students seem to excel with music that there is no harm in allowing them to play multiple instruments in the early stages of their musical career after basic fundamentals are learned. The reality of the situation is that many students will eventually switch instruments for any of a number of reasons. These reasons include but are not limited to euphonium players switching to tuba (to accommodate the size of the student,) trumpet players switching to euphonium to increase a low brass section, woodwind players switching to color instruments (such as bass clarinet and baritone saxophone) or double reed instruments. Simply put: not all instruments are easy to begin a student on.

I believe that in any of these situations, the players should keep up their skills playing their original instrument and add the other instrument rather than replace the old one with it. In my experience, having the ability and willingness to play multiple instrument parts has opened many doors. Practice is required to keep up "chops" for both instruments; however, to excel at just one instrument practice is also required. If a student is talented enough to learn multiple instruments, I believe they should never be hindered or turned down the opportunity to do so but rather encouraged.

Being a doubler myself, (playing any members of the saxophone and clarinet families that I can get my hands on,) I find it easier to see the value of being able to pick up and perform on more than one instrument. A larger repertoire becomes available than when you are selecting from just pieces written for your specific instrument. I also find myself "gigging" more and more. Someone will contact me if one of their players can't make it to a show and ask me to fill the spot. In one particular band, I have filled in on alto, tenor, and baritone saxophones for different engagements. I also gain a lot of experience playing in theater shows being that most of the books are written for families of instruments rather than one instrument in particular. I am, too, able to fill places in ensembles where some of the less mainstream instruments within my capabilities to play are needed.

Playing clarinet and saxophone also gives me the ability to participate in both orchestra and jazz band. I highly advocate doubling for any student looking to continue with music throughout their life as it is a useful skill in just about any musical situation.

Learning the Teaching Process

2011-02-21T12:26:00.004-05:00

AUTHOR: Stephen Benton

Are we being prepared to teach? It’s a question that looms in my mind more and more as I get closer to graduation. Music students spend two years learning the fundamentals, the basis for all of their teaching. We spend two years learning music history, music theory, aural skills, and general education courses. Then the fun begins doesn’t it? The student who has put so much time and effort into learning, into learning things that are set in stone, must venture out into the most variable field in the world today.

The student who has been learning the very formulaic and precise ideas of music theory and functional harmony, who has finally figured out how to put all the pieces of the musical education together, must now take it back apart. Therein lies the problem. We, as students, have spent so much time learning a how to learn and understand the big picture that we have lost sight of the steps we took to reach that understanding. We, as future educators, need to pay just as much attention to the process used to reach the result as we do to attaining the final result. You can teach to a final result, but unless you understand the process step by step, the students you’re teaching won’t either.

Education is a field that is changing as fast as, if not faster than any other field out there. With such a dynamic field, the world needs dynamic teachers, but for every foundation of music there needs to be a foundation of teaching. That is what I feel we as students are lacking- teaching methods. Methods to build on and adapt to however we can best connect and teach students.

If the first two years are the foundation of a music education degree, then the methods and education classes are the application of everything we’ve learned. But are we really learning to apply the things we’ve learned? Are we really being prepared to teach- to take that next step in our musical development? Definitely, but not as much as we need to be.

Why are schools trying to cut one of the most beneficial programs they have?

2011-02-19T15:09:00.001-05:00

AUTHOR: Clarissa Bauer

Music is good for everyone both physically and mentally for everyone. Everyone is able to benefit from it, if they are willing. It helps with creativity, health, and mental well-being. Most importantly, anyone is able to do it. It does not matter if you are 2 years old up to 102+ years old. You are still able to do it, as long as you’re breathing that is.

Playing music or even just listening to music can help increase your intelligence level. When one plays, both the left and right side of the brain is being used. Playing music also aids in learning a new language which also used both sides of the brain. It expands your abilities and in turn improves your overall memory. When you have a better memory, it is easier to learn and remember new things, another added benefit for students. Music has also been proved to increase concentration even with those suffering from ADD.

Music is proved to help relax both your body and your mind. It has the ability to decrease anxiety, heart and repertory rate, and blood pressure. Music also helps to promote relaxation of muscles that may be tense form a stressful day. It also reduces stress and negative emotions, such as anger or depression.

You can use music to manipulate your mood. Have you ever been in one of the worst moods, and all it takes to get you out of it is listen to your favorite song? I’m sure for many people it has. It is proven to help fight depression symptoms. Say you are at the gym and feel like you just cannot do anything? What should you do, grab an energy drink? Why would you do that, drinking all the empty calories, when you can just listen to an upbeat song an essentially get the same effect without any side effects.

Many other beneficial effects come from music. These are directly related to the students, students that could be losing these benefits if the music programs are cut. I understand that with our economy the way it is, some things are going to have to be cut or their funding dramatically decreased. Why can’t it be sports? What can you get from sports that you cannot get from music: participation, team work, or entertainment? What about the athlete that isn’t quite as good as everyone else and they just sit on the bench. What are they getting from that? In every music program I have seen, everyone gets to participate if they want to. They are actually a part of a team where everyone is equally important. What isn’t entertaining about music? Enough said about that. The only real thing I can think of you get from sports is a workout, but isn’t that what gym class is supposed to be for?

Teaching Everyone

2011-02-19T15:05:00.001-05:00

AUTHOR: Justin Salada

Over the past few years it has become a more ever-present feeling in my head that I do not know what to expect in becoming a teacher. When in high school I thought I had the stuff to be a teacher but college put a completely different spin on things. I began my classes and began looking into the requirements for certification and it seemed like a big brick wall just hit me. After my first semester, I was unsure if I could handle my future career. But now I realize that Clarion is giving me the tools to climb the brick wall that stands before me and I am set for a great career.

My greatest concern in teaching is dealing with mentally impaired or handicapped children.
Here is an example;

“A fifth grader who has cerebral palsy and other disabilities. He loves music, so the TMH teacher and I encourage total participation. The other students have been very accepting of him. This boy is exuberant and has a tendency to be very loud. I have worked with him on the concepts of loud and soft and "stopping with the group." He has toned down his speaking voice, and he recently sang "America the Beautiful" with the class-on pitch, at the correct dynamic level, and using the correct rhythm. The class was thrilled and commended him for it. He has even joined beginning band! Through music, this child can enjoy the companionship of children of his own age. There have been times in class when it has been difficult to have the TMH students in the music room. Once I had TMH students in an upper-grade classroom during music appreciation listening lessons. The class could not concentrate on the compositions when one of our nonverbal students was making very loud sounds during the lesson. I handled this by having an aide come to class with that student, and by removing the student from the room when he got too loud.”

Is throwing this child out of the class technically the right thing to do? This is the kind of
questions I come up with when thinking about helping handicapped students. It seems that music is
an area where these kids can fit in and become part of the classroom.

“Music is one of the first subject areas targeted for mainstreaming in public schools. Students with severe mental retardation attending an elementary school can often be mainstreamed into a music class with relative ease; when these students reach secondary school, however, mainstreaming them into regular music classes becomes difficult because, in most programs, students must be able to sing or must play a musical instrument. But secondary students with severe disabilities who have shown an interest in music can still attend band and choir classes at school if the teachers are willing to use the concept of partial participation. Partial participation entails a student attending a class but not being required to participate in all activities that
occur in the class on a daily basis.”

These students need to be added to music courses early and must be included in music throughout their education. The key to having these students in secondary classrooms is indeed partial participation. If a student is in the program but cannot physically play an instrument or sing a teacher might say they are wasting space. I believe these students should be allowed to enjoy the aesthetic experience of band and choir. Let them sit in on a few rehearsals a week and encourage them to sing just for the experience. Putting them in the concert is a different question that I leave up to personal debate of the reader. I look forward to learning more strategies on helping these students in the next few years and of course any advice is welcome. Just remember you aren’t always going to get an honors kid in every seat.

(All quotes take from an article in Music Educators Journal at http://mej.sagepub.com/content/76/8/51.1.full.pdf)

Why We Observe

2011-02-15T09:58:00.000-05:00

AUTHOR: Miranda Loll

Everyone is overwhelmed when professors tell us we have to observe thirty hours divided between band, choir, and elementary music. There is such a good reason for all of this. You may think it is a pain, but when you go out, observe, and have the full experience of a teacher and their techniques, you will be more confident in your own teaching. One of the biggest advantages you can do while observing, is observing a variety of teachers. If you just go back to your old high school, you already know what they do, how they rehearse, and their basic outline of the time spent teaching. Find other teachers and take notes. Each person is different and you shouldn’t go by just one prospective of instruction. You may like certain aspects or techniques of one; write it down! If you hate the warm-ups taught at another school, make a “what not to do” list. You will refer to that your entire life of teaching. Getting through to the students and letting them experience new things while teaching is your goal.

Being in my methods courses, I have learned a lot. But teaching your peers as opposed to teaching children is a completely different experience. From personal experience, you can sit in a circle with your peers, clap or pat a “beat” or maybe even sing a phrase wrong twice, and they will know to fix it, or what to do. You have to explain every little detail to kids. You have to tell them what to do, not to touch the instruments, when to sit down, etc. With people our age, they know what is expected. Our peers won’t misbehave, and will sit in a circle quietly while you teach. You won’t get that in a classroom. Teachers need to experience what to do when students aren't quiet, or don’t understand your teaching. You need to improvise.

If you have ever looked at a lesson plan, you should know that with music, nothing should be planned out completely. You are going to have plenty of bumps in the road. Students may be having trouble with excerpts of their music, so you need to take the time to rehearse and fix the problem in order to move on. Before you know it, twenty minutes have gone by and there is no time left to complete the lesson you were shooting for. Have the teacher’s lesson plan with you when you observe. Look what they have to do to make the student’s understand. It is about improvisation and understanding of students needs. Guidelines are great and plans are definitely needed, but you need to know what to do and how to handle the lesson if it changes course.

We are here as educators for a reason. That reason is to give children a chance to express themselves and learn from what we have developed to instruct over the past four years. However, if you aren’t but into a classroom before you student teach, who is to say you will actually want to or be able to give students instruction? Can you be confident enough to get up on that podium and conduct? Are you able to sing back their part? Can you be assertive enough to tell first graders to sit down and be quiet? You need to look at schools outside of Clarion University and your high school. There is so much to absorb in “the real world”, all you have to do is ask and do what we all want to accomplish someday; that is teach and make a difference.

SmartMusic in Education

2011-02-15T09:52:00.001-05:00

AUTHOR: Amanda Hershey

I first heard of the SmartMusic Program in eighth grade. My band director was a recent graduate and fresh into the teaching world and she was an avid supporter of more modern methods of music education. In the beginning, I myself was not a fan of the program. I and my peers in the band had found the program to be difficult to handle without the direct supervision of our director. However, after some time had passed, the program became more familiar to us and it was drastically improving our performance in ensemble.

The program itself is an excellent method of teaching in that it combines musical practice with the precision of a computer program. Each mistake made is shown to the performer with crystal clarity. This helped us all see exactly what our problem was and allowed us to fix it for the next time we performed. This also allowed those who had a learning aptitude toward visual learning to actually see their mistakes instead of just hearing them. Also, the program can be used at home to practice. This eliminates the variable of at home experience. There would no longer be the gamble of whether or not there is a person with previous musical knowledge there to listen to a practice session. The SmartMusic will listen and it will always be able to identify the mistakes and display them with near one-hundred percent accuracy.

Since becoming an aspiring music educator at Clarion University, I have been using the SmartMusic Program to learn new instruments from the ground up. It has been a near indispensible tool in my repertoire. It has helped me the most with the glockenspiel and trumpet. These methods have been very useful to me and I plan to use them in my own classes when I graduate.

Since becoming an aspiring music educator at Clarion, I have used the SmartMusic Program to help with my method courses from the ground up. It has been a near indispensible tool in my repertoire.

Music Major: An Average Student? Or A Juggling Machine?

2011-02-12T12:08:00.002-05:00

AUTHOR: Camaryn Puz

The purpose of college is to prepare us for jobs that we want to pursue in the future. In the case of a Bachelor’s degree in Music Education (K-12), the courses within the degree program should prepare its students to teach music in Elementary and Secondary schools. According to the National Standards of Music Education, students in public schools should learn to do a variety of tasks in relation to music so as to build a well-rounded understanding of music. In order for music educators to teach students about singing, performing on instruments, improvisation, composing, theory, music history, and other aspects of music; we have to understand how to do those things ourselves.

Is four years long enough for future music educators to gain an adequate understanding of music and how to teach it? Similar to other colleges in the United States, Clarion University offers a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education in a four year plan. At Clarion, a Bachelor’s degree entails a minimum of 120 credits. The problem arises when those 120 credits are divided into classes that we need to take. Looking at the class check-sheet for a music major, there are a minimum of 71 classes that they must take. Dividing 71 classes into 120 credits, many courses that music majors must take are worth quite less (ranging from 0-3 credits each) than those that other majors take. How many classes do other majors seeking a Bachelor’s degree have to take?

The common credit amount that classes are offered for at Clarion is 3 credit hours. Some exceptions to that are Health class (2 credits) and Phys. Ed. Personal Performance classes (1 credit). Gazing down through the Clarion Undergraduate Catalog at the curriculum for other majors, a few majors have one or two classes that are worth less than 3 credits, but the majority of classes that they must take are 3 credits each. If you divide 3 credits into the 120 credit minimum that you have to gain to get a Bachelor’s Degree, you get 40 classes. Other 4-year Bachelor’s Degree programs require their students to take approximately 40 classes, when Music Education majors have to take at least 71?

Because there are so many classes that music majors have to take compared to other majors, their schedules become crammed with typically twice the amount of classes that other majors must take per semester. Being a 3rd year full-time Music Education major at Clarion, my average class number per semester has been 10-12 classes; compared to 5-6 classes that students taking classes worth 3 credits a piece have to take per semester. Twice as many classes means twice as much work to do outside of class.

With so many classes to tend to, music majors have limited time to complete assignments for all their classes and practice on multiple instruments; and actually having enough time to do all of them to the best of your ability is thrown out the window. Days are spent trying to get assignments completed on time instead of taking special care to getting the assignments done as best as our abilities would allow us if we had more time, thus making QPAs (Quality Point Average or Grade Point Average) go down the drain. I can attest for having a difficult time maintaining a decent QPA. In high school I was an Honors student, getting over a 4.0 every semester. Now in college, putting my best effort into a huge load of classes with less time to do the work in, I am struggling to keep my QPA above 3.0 (Music Education Majors must graduate with a 3.0 or higher).

The bottom line is that the 4-year plan for a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education results in students running around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to get everything done. Being such a busy body gives us next to zero time to sit down and digest all of the information that we are being asked to learn. Looking back now, I wish I had had so much more time to do everything so that I could have learnt more and taken more from the experience. Have I learnt as much as I should have? No. have I learnt as much as I could given the circumstances? Yes.

In the end, the ones that will be negatively affected by the typical Bachelor’s Degree program for Music Education will be the students we teach in our classrooms. In an age where the arts are constantly under threat to be taken out of schools, is our degree going to help us gain adequate knowledge to fight for the importance of music and shine as a beacon of hope for music? Or will it give those who are against music in schools all the more power against us? Only time will tell.

Why Workshops?

2011-02-07T08:56:00.001-05:00

AUTHOR: Brooke Maxwell

Over the past year and a half, I have been attending the Pittsburgh Golden Triangle Orff-Schulwerk Association workshops. While at first, I was skeptical about the importance of such an experience, I have completely changed my mind. These workshops have given me a new perspective of teaching music and what is the most effective way to do so. Often, we are unsure of the benefit of something that we know very little about, so this is my way of introducing to you something that has been immensely beneficial to me and, I hope, will be as beneficial to you in the future. In this article, I would like to address the big questions: 1. Why attend workshops? 2. Who should attend them? and 3. What kind of workshops should we look into?

The first question that comes to mind is the biggest. Why attend workshops at all? This was my initial response when the idea was first presented to me by a former music teacher of mine. What is the reason for waking up at 5:45 on a Saturday morning, when it is pitch-dark and negative fifteen degrees outside, to go to a seminar? The answer is simple: to become a better student and to prepare yourself to become a better teacher in the future. While in college, we get so much information on how to teach and what we should and should not do while we are teaching. This is wonderful and absolutely necessary to our success, but we do not often get the practical application side of teaching. Workshops give you the opportunity to meet other students who are on the same path as you are. They also provide chances to learn new material from teachers who are using it every day in their own classrooms. Being able to talk to these veteran teachers and to ask them questions about what they have found useful is also invaluable. How often do we really get to do that?

Secondly, who should attend workshops? Many students might feel that workshops are only for the active teachers, that they only are applicable to those who are out teaching every day and who are searching for new ideas. Again, this is how I felt at first, but it is not entirely true. Sure, workshops are great for veteran teachers, but they are equally great for students who want to become successful veteran teachers. I have spoken about workshops with a teacher that I know who has been teaching for somewhere around fifteen years. She told me that she wishes that someone had taken her to something like this before she had started teaching. She said how much this would have benefited her if she had only known about it. If we really want to become the best teachers that we are capable of being, shouldn’t we gather new thoughts and ideas about our field? Shouldn’t we take advantage of the knowledge and wisdom of those who have been doing this for years? For me, the answer is a resounding yes!

Lastly, what kind of workshops should we look into? The answer is, whatever you think will make you better at what you hope to do. Personally, I hope to someday be an elementary general music teacher. That’s why the Orff- Schulwerk workshops have been so helpful. They focus on exactly what I want to do in the future. But, obviously, not everyone wants the same thing out of their career. If you are interested in high school choir, try to find a workshop that specifically deals with that. If you want to be a band director, ask the band directors in your life if they know of any workshops for band. The ultimate goal is to prepare yourself to do what you love doing for the rest of your life. Why not look into workshops? What do you really have to lose?

Pittsburgh Golden Triangle American Orff-Schulwerk Association website

http://www.pgtaosa.org/pgtaosaworkshops.html

Music Education Methods Courses: Are they preparing us to teach?

2011-02-05T12:56:00.001-05:00

AUTHOR: Ross Bish

Recently, I was asked to give piano lessons to a six-year-old child. Immediately I wanted to say yes, but I then realized that I don't think I know how to teach young children to play instruments. In fact, I really don't feel like I would be able to teach anybody to play an instrument.

Students are required to take methods courses in teaching elementary, vocal and instrumental music, but in my experience, I don't feel like I have learned anything about teaching. Now don't get me wrong, I have found the classes to be extremely beneficial and full of information that I will need as a music educator, but still, I do not feel prepared at all to teach anyone to play a musical instrument.

That takes me to techniques courses. I have found them to be great learning experiences, but I feel like they are crash courses in learning several different instruments within the course of fourteen weeks. I agree that it is important to know how to play these instruments, but it is also important to know how to teach them as well. Music education professors need to have a true love for learning. The professors who possess this true love are the ones that are going to try the hardest to include the most pedagogy in their classes as possible. By doing so, they can ensure that future educators will be adequately prepared to teach.

In any college music education, I believe there must be more emphasis on pedagogy. I will soon be out in the field teaching, but I don't feel prepared to do so. So, are colleges placing enough emphasis on pedagogy?

Gardener's Theory of Multiple Intelligence and Music Education

2011-02-02T12:34:00.001-05:00

AUTHOR: Danielle Watt

General music is one of the most versatile subjects in the curriculum. Unfortunately, when some students think about music, they may be hung up on the thought that their changing voices are foreign to them or they have little control over the tone or pitch of their voice. Other students may be discouraged by the combination of fingerings necessary to play intermediate band pieces. When students are discouraged, their disappointment in themselves is not conducive to learning. We must never forget that teachers have the opportunity to make general music every student's favorite class. If we can help every student to succeed, surely their self confidence will receive a boost, and the child will view music in a positive light. In addition, if more and more students gain interest in music, perhaps music will have less chance of being eliminated from the curriculum. To do this, we must tap in to the way each child learns.

Music has the versatility of being one of the only subjects which can be analyzed using every category of Gardner's theory of Multiple Intelligence.¹ The theory states that within a person, their lies one or more intelligences that allow us understand concepts through our own personal logic. This is how some students just “get” certain subjects, while others struggle at them. If teachers can learn to teach in a way that appeals to numerous intelligences, we can achieve more understanding in our classrooms.

Clearly, a music class appeals to children with musical intelligence most compatibly. These are the students that have the natural talent of understanding music concepts such as rhythm, pitch, and technique. While these students can most easily grasp the information a music teacher relays to them, the trick with these students is to hold their attention so that they can develop this talent further, rather than sitting dormant and assuming that what they know is good enough. One way to work with this is to develop the parts of musicianship which cannot be taught in a book. This includes expression and style. Students that excel in the technical side of music are not always the ones who can bring an audience to tears or joy with their respective instrument. In other cases, rhythmic patterns and clapping games will appeal to students with spacial intelligence, as will the concepts of acoustics in concert halls or other performance spaces. Choreographed dances and show choirs hold value for students with bodily-kinesthetic knowledge. In addition, students with an interest in dance may find value in learning about the ballets of Tchaikovsky and Gluck. Linguistic intelligence is satisfied with pieces in foreign languages, from simple childhood songs like Frere Jaques to more complicated pieces, such as Beethoven's Ninth Symphony. Art songs may also appeal to these students, since the practice of composing art songs relates constantly to the chosen text; usually poetry. Students whose logical-mathematical intelligence is the most prominent will benefit and grow from learning about the values of notes and exploring divisions of a beat. Intrapersonal intelligence is exercised when students perform together in an ensemble, where they learn how to compromise on pitches and blend to create a something much bigger than an individual is capable of. Interpersonal intelligence feeds off of the solo performance aspects of music education, giving students an opportunity to express their inner feelings through a public performance. Students displaying intrapersonal intelligence may also show a knack for composition, since their strength lies in communicating their inner thoughts to the outside world. Naturalist intelligence can learn from music to consider all the sounds of nature as music, bearing some similarity to musique concrète. Spiritual intelligence can use music to create an atmosphere of calming and peace. In a more literal sense, someone with a strong sense of spiritual intelligence would gain both enjoyment and fulfillment through hymns and other religious music.

When a student gets to study in a way that is conducive to their learning, their focus is more attached to the lesson. Since we have the ability to tap into each student's understanding of the world around them, we can more easily guide the student to success. This success can lead to a lifetime of satisfaction with ones self and the self confidence needed for a well-rounded and rewarding education. We must strive to incorporate as many teaching styles as possible in order to reach children of every kind of intelligence. Anything less than this is a disservice to our students.

1. Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York: Basic Books

Clarion MUED Students Share Their Thoughts

2011-01-16T22:14:00.003-05:00

When I am looking for information, the first thing I do is search the web. Looking for product reviews? Head to the internet . Current thinking on education and teaching? Blogs and social networking are the place to be. Educational resources and activities? Yes, there is a website (or two) that can help. Today, we all rely on the willingness of others to share information, ideas, and opinions on the internet to complete many daily activities. Having, and sharing, a voice in this highly connected world is important to functioning most effectively in the professional, academic, social, political, and economic world in which we live.

This blog is a way to get the future music educators trained at Clarion University thinking, sharing, and debating with the thousands of others across the world on a variety of music and education related subjects, including philosophy, pedagogy, resources, and more. Yes, posting is a requirement for one of their courses, but it is my sincere hope that this blog will be a stepping stone for many of our students toward sharing regularly their ideas with other professionals and interested individuals across the web in blogs, websites, and social network postings of their own.

This blog will be "open." That is, I plan to post submitted articles "as is," spelling errors and all! All authors' names will be included, and every reader is encouraged to comment on any or all of the posts he/she finds interesting. I will filter content for appropriateness to the focus of this blog, however. The opinions shared by individuals on this blog do not necessarily represent the thoughts, opinions, or policies of Clarion University, the Department of Music, its administration, faculty, staff, or students.