An example of why I think general music/instrument knowledge is useful

I recently read this article from the Huffington Post about a controversy over a purple violin in Farmington, New Mexico. For those who don't feel like clicking the link, the controversy rose up over a school orchestra requesting that a student not play on the instrument (which was a gift from the child's grandmother) in the school orchestra. The district went so far as to offer to waive the normal rental fee for a school owned instrument. The girl's mother claimed that she was not trying to create drama, rather she was trying to show her daughter that she could stand up for her beliefs. I honestly was a little torn over this article, but there was one point that jumped out to me, and which I feel is almost a little tragic (as Camille, the student decided to just give up on orchestra entirely): Sherry Lopez obviously does not understand that the quality of an instrument has a HUGE effect on the sound it produces, and that in turn can seriously mess with an ensemble, not to mention make the child feel like a sub-par musician.

In recent years Ebay has been flooded with instruments made cheaply in China and then resold for at least double what they are worth (which is still quite cheap). These instruments can be made in any color a student wants, in some cases they can even have the student's name engraved on them instead of a brand name. What's worse is that some local shops that are run by individuals with little or no knowledge of band/orchestra equipment have begun to carry these instruments. A few years ago I worked at a local store that was in transition from these sorts of instruments to higher quality product. They had finally worked their way down to a few clarinets that they were going to sell at a clearance price, and eventually they all were sold. I also worked for the local repairman at the time, and lo and behold, within a few weeks those instruments were back in the shop to be fixed. When play tested they were horribly out of tune, and hard to play. I can only imagine what some poor student thought of themselves, simply because they were playing on an instrument of poor quality.

I guess the question is this: At what point to you step back as a music teacher and say "Okay, you can play on whatever you have, quality be what it may."? There was an initial reaction on the site where I saw this article saying that the child should have been allowed to play whatever instrument she wanted, but I don't agree. I think that if the school had the means to waive the rental fee and provide a suitable instrument for the student, they have the right to request, for the benefit of the other students participating in the ensemble, that a student use the instrument of higher quality provided to them. Sure, she can play on the purple violin all she likes at home, but when playing with other students a suitable instrument should be used.

What I think is really tragic in this situation is that Sherry Lopez refused the instrument offered, thus making her daughter feel alienated from the orchestra, and pushing her toward choir instead. This is not to say that choir is not a wonderful activity, it is, but clearly the child had primary interest in being in the orchestra. I think it is sad that if this mother had understood more about music/instruments she could have made a more informed decision, and this girl could have continued in orchestra as she had wanted. This, to me, is one reason why I hope to teach a general music class, and to cover these sorts of issues in whatever band/orchestra/choir that I may teach. It may seem silly to some to teach students about these things, especially if they are not going to study it in college, but one day they may be parents, and may be confronted by this situation. It seems small, but it could totally change the rest of this student's schooling experience.

Starting off...

I feel like I should explain the title I chose for my blog; I just don't want anybody to think that I'm trying to say that my blog's content falls short of relevance, rather that I, as a pre-service teacher, am almost ready to move into a stage of my life where the things that I learn and talk about now will be relevant to my current situation, and not just ideas and ideals to be applied at a future date. I am a Music Education major, I play the tuba and I enjoy music theory. I enjoy being outdoors, mountain biking and hiking, just as much as I enjoy rehearsing and making music. I enjoy learning, I speak fluent French. I make it a point never to neglect learning things that are outside of the content area I plan to teach, because, in my opinion, you never know when you can use that information in teaching, whether directly or as a metaphor.

I have been involved with music since I was very young, and I have been interested in making a career in it for most of my life. I feel that music is something that is enjoyed almost universally, and as such there is great potential for it to bring people together. I also feel that the act of making music is one of the most intimate ways of interacting with people; it allows you to work together with those around you to create beauty and send it into the world. Music is magical, stimulating, exhilarating, and can greatly enrich those who choose to make it. This is why I have always felt so strongly that music and the arts are an important part of a student's development. They provide students with a means of self-expression as they are trying to forge their identity. They provide students with a new outlook, and expose students to other ways of thinking, other cultures, other time-periods.

I suppose that is what makes it so easy for me to consider music/arts education such an integral part of what it means to be literate. I see literacy as a multilayered skill set. The most basic level of literacy is simply the ability to read what is on a page, have a basic level of comprehension,and to be able to write at a basic level. This functional level of literacy is better than nothing, but it is by no means sufficient to empower. A person can attain a higher level of literacy by being taught how to think critically, and how to interact with the environment in which they live. There are many things that can contribute to an individual's cultural literacy, knowledge of art, literature, and the most relevant to my career goals, knowledge of music.

I find that a common fear among music education majors is the possibility that our programs will be cut when budgets become tight. Music is often dumped off in favor of subjects that are considered more valuable, math, science, English, or even football/sports in general. This is not to say that there is no value to these things, I love football, literature, and science. I think it is valuable to be informed about all sorts of things. I also firmly believe that literacy in regard to music is a very important thing. Music can be a wonderful means for self-expression. Music can make one relaxed or agitate, happy or sad, it can be a means for spreading love or hate. It is important, especially for young people, to learn to appreciate the very best that music has to offer, from Bach to Ellington, Chopin to Journey. Literacy in music can inspire students to perform better in other subjects, it can help them work through difficult times in their lives, and it can give them a hobby that they can enjoy throughout their life.