The Music School Part II

After writing the previous post, I feel a need to expound further and clarify my position. The more we embrace and encourage an eclectic approach to music, the more we need to identify those elements that are common to all forms of music making and universally required regardless of the specific genre expressed. Further, a student needs to excel on something particular such as piano, voice, or an instrument. It is the process of excelling that promotes the needed discipline to advance the music making. In other words, a music student needs to focus a certain amount of attention on one or two things in music which will in turn become the pathway for music understanding. Achieve prowess on an instrument or voice.

Know your music theory. Whether a student pursues commercial music, video game music, film, art music, teaching, performance, composition, or church, he/she must know key signatures, two clefs, rhythms, and how music is put together. This is a must and requires memorization, listening skills, craft, and application. While the debate will continue, and there are some fair arguments for letting go, most of us maintain that knowledge of the keyboard is essential for understanding the elements of music.

Know where music has been and project where it is going. This is essential for drawing conclusions about the meaning of music culturally, historically, and sociologically. Similar to knowing history of our country or state, we study the past to reflect and respect the developments that have brought us to this point, to avoid the same mistakes, and to embrace the qualities of excellence that have contributed to the current time.

Participate in the collective experience of music making. This includes ensembles small and large and opportunities for group music making. Enjoy the experience and apply the musical and emotional gains to all musical events. Let the power of the ensemble shape your musical thinking in all types of music. Use the ensemble experience to hone your personal skills with the accountability pressure of being a part of a team.

Use technology to supplement all learning including video conferencing, web resources, recording, mixing, and portfolio development. Technology usage can be invoked in all types of musical experiences from solos to ensembles, classroom theory and history, and a multitude of events. In addition students should have access to technological advances for recording, software, and sound enhancements.

These and more should be a part of the music school. Is this any different from what most schools are presently doing? Not really. But schools need to work to REDUCE required classes within the constraints presented above while offering more music choices and options to students as they fulfill degree requirements. Teach the basics using mostly but not exclusively art music and encourage students to pursue other types of music as they progress in their studies. This may involve more electives in our degree programs or at least more tracks to include commercial music, world music, film, church, and digital options. Mostly it is time to let go of the idea that there is only one pathway to achieve musical development.