Since that conversation I have started to apply this way of thinking to all of my thoughts on education. How often in our schooling (music and otherwise) did we leave the room with a take-away that was totally different than what the teacher wanted? How much of what I remember from high-school represents teacher-planned objectives? When you multiply this sentiment across the 180 or so classes you take in a subject per year, the question is only magnified. What was the one thing my sophomore U.S. History teacher wanted me to take from her course? Did I get it? Did I leave with "the point"? Or did I leave with something entirely different? Did the teacher think and plan for this, or did I simply leave with the unplanned, culminating result of the individual classes I sat through?
Personally, as I enter the field the education, I find this concept simultaneously daunting and encouraging.
On the one hand, it means that we as teachers must be purposeful in everything we do. Too often we teach things disparately without thinking about the fact that what truly matters is what's left 10 years later when the student has forgotten the specifics.
On the other hand, it's liberating to remember that the true goal of your program can be singular, simple, and something that- with enough effort- you are sure to impart on your students.
So what is that goal for me?
I want to pass on music's power, influence, and above all- accessibility.
I hope that my students will leave my class understanding harmony. I hope that my students will improvise effectively. I hope that my students will feel comfortable composing. But I need my students to see music as something they have the power to interact with.
So what does an ideal world look like if this is my guiding principle? I would want every student to leave my class self-identifying as a musician. I would want every student to leave with a love of music, and I would want every one of them to continue interacting with music on some level for the rest of their lives. I recognize this as idealistic, but I truly believe it to be possible in theory- particularly if supported through the entirety of a child's education.
How does one cultivate this love of music and desire to continue "musicing?" I believe by handing music over to the students.
A great teacher allows students to take ownership of what they do. A great teacher fosters an environment where students learn on their own. A great teacher serves as a model and resource for students, demonstrating what students didn't even know they were capable of.
As much as I want to share my love of music with students and transmit it to them- I have never fallen in love with something because someone asked or told me to. I have fallen in love with things I have experienced and done. I fell in love with music because I fell in love with doing it.
While watching the inspirational story of Conrad Johnson and the Kashmere Stage Band, I recognized many of the qualities that I think will help me to achieve my aforementioned objective.
"Prof" Johnson understood that handing the music to his students was necessary to foster the love and lasting power of his music program. He worked tirelessly to bring their music into the curriculum and give them ownership of the music they played. He showed them that they could achieve excellence- and he carried that concept as far as he possibly could. He mentions in the documentary that he wanted to show his students that they could play just as well as any professional musicians- and he really did show them that.
This is what I want for my music program- to show my students that they have control, and they can interact with music on a real level. I want, as so clearly modeled by Johnson, to break down the barrier between "school music" and "music." That's a barrier that I don't think should exist.
One of my favorite parts of watching Johnson in Thunder Soul was that he never sacrificed the integrity of his music program. If they were going to play funk and soul, they were going to play it with the highest possible standards. The mere fact that he wrote charts to incorporate those elements into existing traditions shows his dedication to the craft and willingness to let the students lead while still educating them to the highest possible degree.
There isn't any reason that a high school band teacher couldn't do exactly the same thing today- and while I don't plan on being a band director I hope to use the same principles to inspire my students and hand music over to them. I can't wait to see what they do with it.
Knowing your core value and being able to broadcast that is so essential. I agree--what do you want to remember?
ReplyDeleteKyle,
ReplyDeleteI think you're right that there isn't a band director that can do the same thing as "prof Johnson". The question is are we teaching to the concert, the competition, or the stereotypical band program ideal?
In the movie we see that "Prof" sidelined the mainstream show band concept that was popular at that time and turned out the best high school band.
"No guts no glory"!
Truism
Hi Kyle,
ReplyDeleteThis is an extremely well-thought out and comprehensive posting that you have put forth. I definitely agree that the idea of envisioning our future students mulling over "take-aways" from our respective classes is a bit foreboding. Having clear, concise and concrete objectives for courses across the content areas is something that has come into an infinitely greater focus within the educational universe, over the past five to ten years. Although I am sure that our middle and high school teachers all had goals for the classes that we took with them, I don't know that there was as much emphasis placed on measuring our individual abilities as students to meet these standards. I have mixed feelings on this topic, because on the one hand, I think that it is important for every child who walks into our classroom to step out into the world with some facet of our core values, but I don't think that we can always stay fixated on principles "a, b, c and d". As you articulate, there are bound to be numerous occasions where a pupil leaves our watchful eye with a message or a lesson learned that we may have never intended to impart. Obviously, there are instances where this could potentially pose a problem, and yet frequently learners will surprise and amaze us with their ideas and creations. I think that music is incredibly subjective, because as I've outlined in blog postings of my own throughout this semester, we all come into the art form at a varying pace and in good time. The tenets that you strive to pass on to each student whom you work with are incredibly meaningful and resonate strongly in my lexicon as well. I don't think that anyone can deny the awesome power of music, on so many levels, which often cannot be communicated, or done justice in mere words. This ties in quite nicely to the concept of influence, because I feel that it is crucial for learners to understand that music is absolutely everywhere and in every facet of daily life, no matter where on Earth we might find ourselves.
Teaching students the concept of music as the one true universal language reminds me of your platform of accessibility. There has never been a time in human history when music has been more widely available. Professor Schneider took time during yesterday afternoon's Music in the Secondary School class to talk about the usefulness of You Tube. It is mind boggling that there is so much audio and video footage at our finger tips, which if not for the advent of the Internet and a service such as You Tube, we otherwise would have never had a means to find. The love and passion that you have for this art form that we all hold so near and dear will serve you quite well in any educational setting. You are spot on that pupils will begin to appreciate music for all that it represents, by taking ownership and grabbing onto it with their own two hands. An understanding of harmony, improvisation and composition is bound to come through direct interaction with the entity itself. You have a keen understanding of the need that we all have to make music our own. I think you recognize how easy it can be to communicate that message to students. Once that happens they will take the bull by the horns and run with it. Children are capable of much more than they are typically given credit for and I think that the music classroom is the perfect environment for them to realize the potential that they have within themselves to constantly act as creative beings. Conrad O. Johnson brings all of the character traits that you touch upon to life. The fact that as a man of almost sixty years of age, he was willing to open his heart and mind to the sounds of funk music in the late 1960's through the late 1970's, shows how powerful the teacher to learner connection can be when both parties are willing and active participants in the process. His ability to combine the distinct elements of jazz with what were more "contemporary" sounds, as demonstrated by James Brown, the Bar-Kays, Earth, Wind and Fire, Parliament Funkadelic and the like there of, is an inspiration to all who are fortunate enough to watch "Thunder Soul" and learn of the legacy left to future generations by “Prof.” Never settling for anything less than a student's absolute best is guaranteed to generate amazing results, which will continually bowl a teacher over time and time again. Thank you for sharing these wonderful musings my friend. I look forward to seeing you on Wednesday!
ReplyDelete-Matt Chasen-
Great post Kyle. I enjoyed the movie as well. I agree with your sentiment of breaking the barrier between "school" music and "music." The story of the Cashmere High Band demonstrates that the not-school-music stuff can be just as beneficial to the students, probably more so. You accurately point out that the instructor held the students to the highest standards and taught them all the life skills one could hope a music class would teach.
ReplyDeleteThan