Music theory - it is been on my mind in the last few weeks.
I have been asking myself why it seems to be a 'bridge too far' for a lot of CLASSICAL students (ie. not necessarily Jazz/ contemporary/ traditional). It seems to me that (in Adelaide at least) there are a few perceptual problems that music teachers, both inside and outside of schools are facing. The first, is that music is not an 'academic' subject- it is a purely practical subject...apparently. I have been told this in a University lecture by a visiting Principal of a South Australian High School. I have a news flash for her and every other Principal out there- music IS an academic subject. The study of Western music (Classical) is called MUSICOLOGY. The study of non-Classical music (which includes contemporary forms) is ETHNOMUSICOLOGY. We have all sorts of journals and academic paraphernalia that go with that. Musicians do degrees, Bachelors, Diplomas, Masters, PhDs- the works. The second comment is 'why bother anyway- they aren't all going on to study at University'. No- most people are not going to study music at University. Those that do, that do not come from music specialist High Schools, struggle. I know, because I have been a mature aged student. I've watched these young adults fall by the wayside, unable to keep up and not coping with the analysis of Classical music. More importantly, music is about critical thinking- figuring out the solutions to problems. This is a cornerstone of effective practice. The more tools students have to do this by the end of high school, the better. A student that has been learning music since they were in year 7 or 8 should not have to use a mnemonic to memorise note names of an unfamiliar clef at the first year of University. The third aspect is that 'music reading/ theory is far too hard- they can just play by ear'. Let me make this VERY CLEAR- playing by ear is a VERY IMPORTANT SKILL. But reading music is not hard. You have to start at a simple level. You have to give lots of encouragement. You make it as fun as you can. But you need resources to do that. Sometimes, students need chairs, tables and computers to learn how to write music even at Primary School level. It isn't solely about playing an instrument. It isn't just about producing a concert or a musical. It is about learning about learning. I would be interested to know what you think. Feel free to write a comment.
1 Comment
Matt Toohey
4/4/2017 12:41:12 am
For the first couple of years when I was learning clarinet, my theory was at least one grade ahead of my practical. I reckon that held me in good stead: learning an instrument is hard enough, but if you don't really understand how music 'works' it's so much harder.
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News, ideas and views about teaching the violin, viola and classical music theory by Rosalie Westphalen. Archives
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