Sunshine State Sue Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 My choir director handed this out years ago. I loved it because it explains all the reasons I want my child to have a music education. I myself never had one. Although it's written for choral music, I think much applies to any kind of music education. Thought I'd share in case someone finds it useful. Choral Music as Education MUSIC IS A SCIENCE It is exact, specific; it demands precise acoustics. A conductor’s score is a chart, a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume variations, linear melody, and harmonic density all at once within the most structured parameters of time. MUSIC IS MATHEMATICAL It is rhythmically based upon the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be executed instantaneously and extemporaneously, without benefit of calculations on paper. MUSIC IS COMMUNICATIONS AND FOREIGN LANGUAGE Most of the terms and instructive symbolism are in Italian, German, or French, and the notation itself is certainly not in English but a highly-developed kind of shorthand which uses abstract symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complex and universal of languages. MUSIC IS HISTORY Music usually reflects the influence of the environment and time of its creation, and speaks of the country and/or ethnicity of its composer, text, or feeling. MUSIC IS PHYSICAL It requires fantastic co-ordination of fingers, hands, arms, lips, cheeks and facial muscles - in addition to extraordinary control of the diaphragmatic, back, stomach, and chest muscles which must respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets. MUSIC IS ALL THESE THINGS, BUT MOST OF ALL MUSIC IS ART It allows a human being to apply all these dry, technically boring (but difficult) techniques and use them to create emotion. These are things which technology and science cannot duplicate: humanism, feeling, emotion, soul; call it what you will. I want to teach YOU music... Not because I expect you to major in music, or to sing in choruses all your life; Not just so you can relax and have fun... but, so you will be more human, so you will recognize and embrace beauty, so you will be more sensitive, so you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world, so you will have something to cling to, have more compassion, more gentleness, more good... in short - more lfe. Of what real value is it to make a prosperous living, unless you know how to live? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
choirfarm Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Another thing I have noticed whenever they put the National Merit finalists, semi, commended etc. in the paper: Every single one of them plays an instrument of some kind or is involved in music. I was one myself and all of the winners at my school (tended to have 10 or more each year) were in one of the music programs: band, orchestra or choir. Food for thought. There are so many connections that your brain has to make. I've really noticed how hard what I take for granted really is as I taught my kindergarten girl piano last year and watched her take violin this year as a 1st grader. You have to be able to count, read the note, remember where to play it on your intrument and then make music out of all of that. I take it for granted so much. Christine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah CB Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 This list really helped me put things into perspective as well. I often find myself wondering if all of the hours put into music are worhtwhile. The list is from the Nurtured by Love blog: the experience of committing to something over the long-term the experience of small incremental gains resulting in impressive overall progress experience breaking large overwhelming tasks into small achievable ones a long-term community of fellow-learners a meaningful daily chore / routine an appreciation of the fact that everyone learns differently and at different speeds, and that there's value in all that learning, no matter the pace guided experience with the supportive appreciation of others' good work meaningful, authentic and non-competitive involvement in 'teamwork' endeavours -- like working towards an ensemble performance the abiding knowledge that they have something they can do very well something that they are expected to work very hard at ... especially important for children to whom much comes very easily an arena in which to work the kinks out of the parent-as-facilitator/child-as-learner relationship something to do as teenagers besides hang out at the mall or the corner store a common language with children and adults from other places, other walks of life and other cultures a ticket into non-age-stratified groups where they are valued for their contributions as much as anyone else, adults or otherwise meaningful, long-term relationships with adult mentors copious exercise for the "memory muscle" a place where their [homeschooling] parents can figure out what makes them tick in terms of learning style and motivation the chance for the child to figure out what learning strategies and learning modes suit him best a window into history a creative / emotional outlet opportunities for travel a positive visible profile in the larger community a useful marketable skill ... and one that can be used to contribute voluntarily to the community, whether by participation in fundraising concerts or simply by playing a few pieces at the nursing home at tea-time experience with preparing and executing a performance/presentation in the public limelight a cohort of similarly-committed peers to draw on for friendships during adolescence and beyond an intuitive appreciation of the mathematical patterns inherent in music the sense of being part of a family 'culture' of music Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1bassoon Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 Thanks for posting, Sue - My dh, when he was a band/orchestra director, used to print that in the concert programs. Fond memories. . . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LanaTron Posted October 30, 2008 Share Posted October 30, 2008 (edited) I can't remember what they are called, but I'm talking about those pathway thingies that help both hemispheres of the brain work together better. People who study singing or instruments get more of those pathways. Of course, I'm sure music isn't the only way to do this, but it is one way. And when I studied Russian in college, my professor said that she finds that her students who were also musicians had an easier time learning to speak like a native Russian speaker. I think her thought was that musician's ears are trained to hear nuances in pitch and intonation, which carries over into learning a language. Edited October 30, 2008 by LanaTron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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