Reading Log #2

Sources
     Labuta, J., & Smith, D.  (1997).  A history of public school music in America.  In Music Education: Historical Context and Perspectives  (pp. 17-36).  Upper Sadle River, NJ.:  Prentice-Hall.

     The school music program: A new vision  (1994).  (pp. 1-7, 41).  Reston, VA.  Music Educators National Conference.

    I.    Music education:  Historical context and perspectives
        a.    Music Education in Common Schools
            i.    Ideas were brought from other countries and applies here in the US
            ii.   Music was, prior to 1838, considered to be an add on to school
            iii.  After 1838, “music was officially given a place in the school curriculum”  (Labuda 18)
        b.    Developments in Vocal Music Pedagogy
            i.    A required part of school
            ii.   Sparked differences in teaching approaches
            iii.  after the Civil War, many books were sought after that enhanced music reading skills
            iv.  Most influential group of people – National Education Association (NEA)
        c.    The Progressive Period (1880-1950)
            i.    Vast change in lifestyles between 1880 and 1910
            ii.   Horace Mann was a major factor in these changes
            iii.  His beliefs of school was that “schooling had the power to change individuals and alter their interactions and was, therefore, the key to societal well-being, prosperity, and progress”  (22).
            iv.  In other words, if music was allowed into the school system, a greater future would arise
        d.    Developments in General Education
            i.    Attendance statutes were not seen as important as previously held
            ii.   Racist arguments arose in schools against African Americans
        e.    New Forms of Schooling
            i.    Equal opportunity, started out as “equal access to the same experiences”  (23).
            ii.   Changed to “equal access to appropriate experiences”  (23).
            iii.  In other words, allowing students to prepare for situations or occupations according to their experiences, character, and abilities
            iv.  Although students were allowed to prepare, they were still guided by people who saw them going one way or another in the future
            v.   Kindergarten was implemented to help children adapt to the nuclear family and to prepare them for formal elementary school
        f.    Instrumental Music in Schools
            i.    Grew after the Civil War
            ii.   John Philip Sousa was a strong supporter for instrumental education in schools
            iii.  An irony of history was that during the years of, as well as some preceding and following, the depression was a time of rapid expansion of public school music.
        g.    Music Appreciation Classes
            i.    Frances Elliott Clark, in 1896, started giving lectures on music appreciation
            ii.   also stared singing and ear training in kindergarten
            iii.  “developed instruction materials…and improved upon existing music instruction”  (26).
            iv.  she led the way to recorded music in the class room
        h.    Music Contests and Music Performances
            i.    Instrumental competition as well as memorization competitions
            ii.   The memorization competitions faded away over time
        i.    General Education in the Late Progressive Period
            i.    Scientific management or Taylorism, was a theory of mass production and industrial management developed by Fredrick Winslow Taylor as a result of time and motion studies he conducted while working at the Midvale Steel Plant in Philadelphia PA”  (27).
            ii.   he improved upon the mass-production methods as well as the assembly line
            iii.  he then took these ideas and applied them to the education of teachers and school officials
            iv.  Small schools were made up of community people
                1.    Call wards or districts
            v.   they soon become consolidated into school systems
            vii. Government later assumed a more active role in music education
            viii. the idea came about that if you develop circular and extracurricular activities, such as music, you being to develop better adult skills.
    II.    The Space and Technology Period (1950-1980)
        a.    The Cold War and Civil Rights
            i.    Elementary and Secondary Act was initiated as part of the “War on Poverty and assisted schools with funding.
            ii.   it helped to “improve schooling for lower achieving students in low-income neighborhoods” and received higher funding
        b.    Schooling in the Post-World War II United States
            i.    Congress gave young men the decision of serving in the US or going to college
            ii.    Many went to college
            iii.  skepticism was on if students were being prepared in High School
        c.    Music Education after Sputnik
            i.    some viewed nonacademic courses as “frills” but were inspired from “post-Sputnik expenditures  (34).
            ii.   they encouraged creativity and artistic abilities
            iii.  Juilliard researched music suitable for younger age groups so to encourage an active high school career
            iv.  the idea was to attract students early to implement fundamental ideas



    I.    Introduction
            i.    Important part of American school curriculum since 1837
            ii.   The way to reduce the change of music program cutbacks is by improving the quality of program put on.
        a.    The Purpose and Use of This Publication
            i.    To create a coherent vision of what it means to be educated in music
            ii.   To Provide a foundation for building a balanced, comprehensive, and sequential curriculum in music
            iii.  To provoke specific assistance in improving the music curriculum
            iv.  There are nine national standards
                1.    Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
                2.    Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music
                3.    Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments
                4.    Composing and arranging music within specific guidelines
                5.    Reading and notating music
                6.    Listening to, analyzing, and describing music
                7.    Evaluating music and music performances
                8.    Understanding relationship between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts
                9.    Understanding music in relation to history and culture.
                       (All of part four came from SMP pp 1-2 )
            v.   A clear assessment of how rehearsals should be run and managed will help to create a clear vision of what the students should learn as 21st century musicians
        b.    The New Curriculum
            i.    These are things that are, for the most part, universal curriculum ideas
                1.    Skills and knowledge as objectives
                      I.     Should be a sequence of leaning events
                      II.    Should be challenging and rigorous, yet joyous and fun
                2.    Diverse genres and styles of music
                      I.     Should be multicultural
                3.    Creative skills
                      I.     Should include improvisation and composition
                      II.    Gives their minds somewhere to grow and become individualistic
                4.    Problem-solving and higher-order thinking skills
                      I.     Like Marching band
                      II.    Independence of learning
                      III.   Outside school relations and reflection
                5.    Interdisciplinary relationships
                      I.     Not only the focus on our one area, but on the relationships between us and other art programs
                6.    Technology
                      I.     Implement CD, CD-Rom’s and MIDI systems as learning tools
                7.    Assessment
                      I.     Sometimes is not the destination that is the most rewarding, but it is the journey that takes us there that is the most enlightening and educational
            ii.   Assumptions
                1.    Universal access to music education
                      I.     Includes all levels of education (K-12)
                      II.    Open to those that cannot be in music due to a lack of background, time, or resources.
                2.    A comprehensive music curriculum
                      I.     Should be an organized program
                      II.    Balanced
                      III.   Comprehensive
                      IV.   Sequential
                3.    Opportunities to learn
                      I.     Give all students to excel in music
                      II.    No one should be deprived of a higher education
                4.    Adequate support for music education
                      I.     Financial recourses should be available from either the public and/or from the school
                5.    Interrelatedness within the curriculum
                      I.     Keep open communication lines
                      II.    Well-planned learning experiences will “kill two birds with one stone”
                6.    Provision for exceptional students
                      I.     No discrimination
                      II.    Don’t’ limit the students with disabilities yet meet the needs of the advanced students
                7.    Utilization of community resources
                      I.     Be sure to involve the community because it will in turn draw community support
                8.    New directions in teacher education
                      I.     Teaching and guiding starts with the young students


     By knowing the past, a teacher will be better prepared to effectively teach his or her students.  By not only knowing about the history of music, but the history of our country will we as teachers be better intoned to the current world.  “Those who do not remember the past, are doomed to repeat it.”  I am not sure who said that but it is very true.  If teachers do not see what has been a success or a failure, then a vicious circle of un-education will arise and the amount of creativity and ambition for music will dwindle down to a less than desirable state.  The goals of teachers today needs to be to propel our students into the future with clear and precise vision of music and a mind to create new ideas and to grow upon itself.  Music is not only important to those in it presently, but it is vital to the success of the musical arts department.

    A well-planned curriculum is the key to success in the classroom.  If a teacher knows where he or she needs to take their class they can better teach their class by sometimes killing two birds with one stone.  For example, a teacher can introduce the band piece “An American Overture” to a class where they will not only be pushing the musicality and dynamics of the French Horn section, but at the same time the director can push the trumpets alone in their double-tonguing technique.  As for the woodwinds, a new style of music may be introduced where new musical ideas need to be presented and then interpreted.