MUSIC EDUCATION Michelle & Teri

Classroom percussion

Body Percussion

Styles of Jazz

Listening Journal

“I don’t know, but it has sax and violins!” “Is this opera appropriate for kids?”

Broad Aims  Arts Ed.: to enable students to understand and value arts expressions throughout life  Band: to enable students to communicate effectively through instrumental music and to understand and value a variety of musical expressions throughout life.  Choral: to enable students to experience the joy of singing and to understand and value a variety of musical expressions throughout life.

Importance of Music  Music encourages students to:  Respect the uniqueness and creativity of themselves and others  Increase their ability to express themselves through languages other than spoken or written language  Understand the contributions of the arts and artists to societies and cultures, past and present  Gain a lasting appreciation of art forms experienced as participant and as audience  Recognize the many connections between the arts and daily life.

Instructional Strategies  Generally performance-oriented (with voice or instruments)  Composition, journal writing/discussion, portfolios, listening, inquiry

Appeal of Music  Different from any other subject in the way it is taught and the way students learn  Allows students to be creative, become soloists or to have the chance to be a part of an ensemble  Provides students opportunities they wouldn’t have otherwise (band/choir trips, concerts, recitals, scholarships for post-secondary, festivals, etc…)  Students may discover a skill they didn’t think or know they had  Students are able to work and grow together as a whole to achieve success.

Non-appeal of Music  Ratio of students to teachers is very high (could have more than 80 students in a band/choir with one teacher to conduct)  Teachers may not like that music takes time or students away from their classes  Students may not want to take a music class if they feel they don’t have a good voice/play an instrument well or at all  There is a stigma attached to being part of the music program at the school (band geek, nerd, etc…)  Some students just don’t have room in their schedule because they are focused more on the ‘academic’ courses

Status of Music  Usually at the bottom of the list compared to ‘academic’ subjects  The arts are viewed by most people as a ‘frill’ and not as legitimate as other subjects such as math or science  Music and the arts should be a bigger priority in schools because it encourages students to use their imagination, which fosters creativity  Think about this: what jobs do not require creative thinking (i.e. problem solving, thinking outside the box, designing, etc…)?  Imagine: life without music.