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MUSIC EDUCATION
Michelle & Teri
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YFfL11Lpjck
Classroom percussion
Body Percussion
Styles of Jazz
Listening Journal
“Is this opera appropriate for kids?”
“I don’t know, but it has sax and violins!”
Broad Aims
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Arts Ed.: to enable students to understand and value
arts expressions throughout life
Band: to enable students to communicate effectively
through instrumental music and to understand and
value a variety of musical expressions throughout
life.
Choral: to enable students to experience the joy of
singing and to understand and value a variety of
musical expressions throughout life.
Importance of Music
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Music encourages students to:
Respect the uniqueness and creativity of themselves and
others
Increase their ability to express themselves through
languages other than spoken or written language
Understand the contributions of the arts and artists to
societies and cultures, past and present
Gain a lasting appreciation of art forms experienced
as participant and as audience
Recognize the many connections between the arts and
daily life.
Instructional Strategies
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Generally performance-oriented (with voice or
instruments)
Composition, journal writing/discussion, portfolios,
listening, inquiry
Appeal of Music
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Different from any other subject in the way it is taught
and the way students learn
Allows students to be creative, become soloists or to
have the chance to be a part of an ensemble
Provides students opportunities they wouldn’t have
otherwise (band/choir trips, concerts, recitals,
scholarships for post-secondary, festivals, etc…)
Students may discover a skill they didn’t think or know
they had
Students are able to work and grow together as a
whole to achieve success.
Non-appeal of Music
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Ratio of students to teachers is very high (could have more
than 80 students in a band/choir with one teacher to
conduct)
Teachers may not like that music takes time or students away
from their classes
Students may not want to take a music class if they feel they
don’t have a good voice/play an instrument well or at all
There is a stigma attached to being part of the music
program at the school (band geek, nerd, etc…)
Some students just don’t have room in their schedule because
they are focused more on the ‘academic’ courses
Status of Music
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Usually at the bottom of the list compared to
‘academic’ subjects
The arts are viewed by most people as a ‘frill’ and not
as legitimate as other subjects such as math or science
Music and the arts should be a bigger priority in schools
because it encourages students to use their imagination,
which fosters creativity
Think about this: what jobs do not require creative
thinking (i.e. problem solving, thinking outside the box,
designing, etc…)?
Imagine: life without music.