On Monday, August 28th, that day marked the first music salon class of the semester. Before we officially started, we had cake, cheese, crackers, and grape-apple juice. While we did not have an official speaker for this class, our professor, Lisa Weiss, led the discussion for the evening. She started by introducing herself. She talked about her life in Boston, Massachusetts, and stories from when she was an undergraduate at Harvard University. One of the coolest stories of the evening was learning from Weiss that she had performed with Yo-Yo Ma. Afterwards, we introduced ourselves and talked about our dreams for the future. The class is small, about seven or eight people, however, we all have big and different ambitions. For example, two students are interested in the medical field. Although we are diverse, we all have one connection and that is music. We then discussed why we chose music and the role of music in our lives. Some students stated that they had done music all their lives and felt that it was something that they were meant to do. Others felt that they had not discovered their love for music until they came to Goucher College. With a variety of reasons, music is something that will always be with us.
After the introductions and personal stories, Professor Weiss then discussed the syllabus and what is expected of us. Weiss emphasized the importance of being on time and at every class, because there would only be seven, possibly 8, classes the entirety of the
Tanner started his freshman year playing in the second best orchestra of three in his school. Here, he excelled musically and made new friends with upperclassmen. By January, one of Tanner’s older friends had convinced him to join choir, so he decided to audition for the upcoming year. As a sophomore, Tanner sang bass in the top choir, even though he did not have any prior singing experience. The same year, he also auditioned into Symphonic Orchestra, the top orchestra of his school. While he was in both the top orchestra and choir, he started student conducting for the lower orchestras and choirs. By senior year, Tanner’s schedule was almost completely filled with music classes. Consequently, Tanner grew extremely close to his high school ensemble directors. It got the point where he could casually call his Symphonic Orchestra director “mom.” This inspired Tanner to make it a goal for himself to form strong relationships with his future students. Through his experiences conducting his high school orchestras, and choir, Tanner found that he really enjoyed teaching music and decided to study music
Throughout the reading this week, the information presented in David Elliott and Bennett Reimer’s texts stressed the importance of music and more specifically, music education. “People everywhere find music rewarding, and everywhere we find people engaged in formal and non-formal efforts to teach and learn music.” (Elliott, 2014, p. 4)
We are all musicians. Even the tone deaf girl who goes up to sing every time theres Karaoke or the boy whose time with an instrument has been limited to Guitar Hero, we are all composers of a unique melody. Our lives are like songsthe crescendos and diminuendos of emotion, the staccatos of impatience and the legatos of love, the fortissimos of personal dramas and the mezzo pianos of average American life. If there is one lesson I would like to teach my prospective peers at Villanova, it would be to listen to every intricacy of the songs of others, and not just judge them by the overall tune.
Imagine a third grader, small and blonde, standing on a stage that practically swallows her. She gazes in awe at the bright lights that seem to tower miles above her head; likewise, she follows with a stare, fixating on the hundreds of darkened faces that remain directly in front of her. Unlike her classmates who fidget with nerves beside her, she feels a rush of adrenaline. What may have seemed to some an ordinary choir concert in a dull auditorium, was, to me, a life changing moment. Ever since this day, for 9 years now, I have had an unwavering passion for music and performing. As I aged, I found myself excitedly learning how to play 7 new instruments, but even considering the vast number of bands, orchestras, choirs, and instrumental lessons that I joined, I noticed myself
Completing her final musical at NorthWood High School just a few weeks ago, Sara Bowling finds herself at an interesting crossroads in terms of her performance career. While she possesses a lifelong history with musical performance, beginning in her earliest memories, she is coming to terms with an understanding of the fleeting nature of the opportunities provided to her throughout her early life. A senior at NorthWood High School, Sara’s eyes are fixed on the murky but exciting adventure that is her future. She intends to pursue her post-secondary education at Ball State University, starting next fall, and aspires to complete all four years there as a member of their honors college. That said, she is clear that while her enjoyment of music remains, her future pursuit of performance is entirely uncertain.
It has been an honor to have been Renee Rule’s high school peer for the last four years. I have seen her flourish not only her musical journey as her stand partner, but also her academic journeys as her fellow classmate.
Many adults would like an opportunity to learn music in a group setting similar to that offered in schools, but the last entry point in most cases was elementary school. We know that for most of the last century, about 15-20 percent of high school students nationally participated in music. From that, we can estimate that at least 80 percent of the adult population needs beginning instruction in order to participate in making music. New Horizons Music programs serve that
I have always enjoyed music since I picked it up my first alto sax in the 6th grade. Of all the enjoyment music gave me and all its feelings it can create I could finally make some of my own. For the 7 years I have been playing in school it still remains a large part of my life. It gives me a great enjoyment to push myself everyday to do better. The dream of one day playing in a great college jazz ensemble propels me forward in my music because of the disadvantage of my school's jazz program. Playing saxophone in a classical and jazz context is what makes me a perfect fit for Sam Houston State University.
Music is an essential part of today’s culture, especially here at the University of Delaware. There is a wide variety of activities to get involved in on campus, from instrumental ensembles to choruses and everything in between. There are also several options for majors involving music. Overall, there are many options for each and every student at the University of Delaware to pursue their passions, and to expand their college education to studies that consist of more than could be learned from books, lectures, and laboratory work. This was the ultimate goal for Rodney Sharp, a very significant man who invested a lot of time and money in the school.
Standing amongst musically-adept buildings that easily dwarf it and construction that does not help its aged appearance, the Schmidt Vocal Arts Center (SVAC) operates as a rehearsal, office, and studio spot for all vocal students—major and minor alike. Much like many music facilities, its fate lies in the hands of financial executives who make decisions which generally result in the defunding of programs that the SVAC houses. As a result, the SVAC has tremendous pressure to provide a quality education with depleting funds. The SVAC combats this by utilizing an artistic internal atmosphere in the attempt of inspiring music students to remain within the music department and to establish the creative arts as a necessity within both university and personal life.
Then when I’m done student teaching I will be the teacher probably in high school”. She wanted me to really know that the whole reason why she really got into music was her father, sister and old music teachers. They all have shown her so much about music and she only wants to give back to future kids that was given to her. While growing up McKensi said her sister started getting into music and she’s really the reason why she started having an interest in music. Her dad had a big part in picking this major also because throughout the day her dad would sing every moment. There was never a time he wouldn’t sing. Her old music teacher just inspired her to take what they taught her about music and give it back to other generations. McKensi’s old music teacher made her understand music in a way that she understood it to the point she wants to make students in the future be the best they can
thus I entered the University of Michigan’s music school. However, I came to the realization that
Music has always been a thing that has interested me. The idea of people putting their talents together to create something has always amazed me. Being in a discourse community like music is always going to be difficult starting out. Working with others was never my strong suit, and all of the preparation and studying stressed me out. It sucks to try very hard and have it all result in nothing. It is the idea of perfection that everyone strives for. In my case, it is a group effort of the people involved in my discourse community to achieve our shared goal. We strive to please ourselves and others listening by giving a solid performance. My music class is a discourse community that shares a passion of music and a similar goal. We assist
Working with music takes a certain type of patients. That’s why when I knew this project was present, I had the perfect person in mind because I worked so close with this person once before. So, I decided to gather my resources and get in contact with our family friend Dr. Snodgrass who is the superintendent of the Fort Osage R-1 School District and ask if I could receive her email so I could set up a facetime call with her and get this interview on the road. Her name Is Erica Gregory and she is a high school band teacher at Fort Osage located in Independence Missouri. The reasons I decided to interview her were simple. First, she was my star time teacher which meant she was my study hall teacher. As a freshman coming into high school and being placed in a study hall class
Living in a world surrounded by noises and sounds, one cannot deny that music lives all around them. Schools, street corners, sporting events, there is one thing you will always find: music. Music education is quickly becoming defunct in schools, as many try to decry its many benefits. A growing emphasis on the concrete subjects of math and science, whose benefits are more immediate, are pushing the creativity and imagination of music classes to the back of the budget. Music education is no longer described as stimulating and exciting, but rather unnecessary and distracting. But the benefits of having an education in music is undeniable. Simply being around music can have a positive impact on life. Music enables the human race to discover emotions that they have never uncovered before. The human mind is refreshed by music; “our imagination and memories are stimulated by the sounds, and summon feelings and memories associated with the musical sound” (Wingell 15). Without music, the world would be silent. Lifeless. No matter what language one speaks or what culture one is from, music is a universal language, connecting the hearts of people around the entire world. In schools throughout the nation, that connection is being severed because of budget cuts and lack of funding, but the benefits of music education are clear. The benefits of having an education in music are not only present in the classroom; a lasting impact is also left on the social and emotional growth of a person, though the gains may not be evinced immediately. Participating in musical education programs in schools can give students the opportunity to form lasting friendships and to gain skills that will last them their entire lives. Music education can be beneficial to students because it enhances students’ performance in the classroom, aids in improving student’s interest and engagement in school, and advances students’ social and emotional growth.