Blog post 7

 Building an audience

     There are so many things a new BOCJ teacher needs to worry about and plan for when starting their first year. Some of these concerns include, budget, student instruments, getting sheet music and choosing songs to teach. With all of these big issues to deal with it can be easy for a teacher to forget to think about the actual attendance of a school show. School shows are very important, but a show of any kind is not much of a show if there is no body watching or listening. In some schools the auditorium is humongous. These auditoriums can have hundreds of eats in them. In can actually be embarrassing to a student to play a show expecting people to show and then there are about 30 people in a 500 seat auditorium. But how does a new teacher raise attendance and why is it so important.

      Starting at the administration level. New teachers must dazzle their principals at their school shows, (especially is they want to keep their new jobs). If a school show is done right and has a great audience, the school and the community look very good. Even as anew teacher principals will have high expectations for school shows. This means that administration is aware how many seats are in the auditorium and expect them to be mostly full. So besides putting on a good show, the other issue is how are people going to here about the show and come?

      Mr. Earl MacDonald has come up with and used a couple good ideas that I really like to gain attendance to his school performances. Ideas I definitely see me using in the feature are, setting up a facebook group, E-mailing parents, Student made flyers to post throughout the school, and making youtube advertisement videos, or posting previews of school show on youtube. These ideas are a great use of technology. Also most of these forms of advertisement can be made by students. If advertisement is made by students rather than adults I think it will yield a bigger turnout in the audience. One more idea for advertisement is by advertising the show on local public radio. Another way to use public radio is by having the station play recordings of the students so community members can listen and appreciate the students music before the show.

      Attendance for a school show might not be on the top of every new teachers priority list. But it is something that is important and a responsibility for the music teacher. Not many people will show up to school shows if the teacher is not putting the work into gaining an audience.

Thunder Soul blog

     Creating a love for music is pretty important for a music class. Music is a great class for students express themselves and have fun, with this being said it is important to maintain a positive vibe within the music classroom. There are many ways to to create and maintain a love for music in the classroom. One of the best ways I feel is to use technology and play a motivational movie. It's not a hard task to show a movie in class and more than likely the students will be on board with watching a movie for a class. Whats more important is selling the movie to students and making sure they are interested, paying attention and getting a message from the movie being played. Teachers should not just show movies to pass time by but rather show a movie that students can connect and learn something from.

      I watched a very good/motivational movie over the weekend. The movie was called Thunder Soul. To summarize the movie quickly, the movie is a documentary of students who played in a stage band in a school named Kashmir in Texas. The students went to school in the early 70's when playing Jazz in school was popular. The students in the school are from an inner city location and these students took an interesting approach to the high school style “ big bands” by mixing funk music with jazz. The students in the movie got together after 30 years to play a reunion show for their aging band teacher and for the students that attend the school now.

What makes Thunder Soul a great movie to show in class?

      There are a few reasons why this movie would be a great movie to show in class. For one thing Funk music is extremely active and exciting. Student will love to listen to and learn about good music. The music in the movie is so originally and interesting that it should motivate students to play and create their own music. A motivating aspect of the movie is that it shows people who haven't played their instrument in 30 years practicing and actually remembering how to play their old songs. It shows that once you learn something well it is hard to forget. One of the more important messages from the movie is that the musicians in the movie wanted to prove a very important point. The point was that they came from the same urban community as the students today and they were able to overcome diversity, become successful in life and all thanks to the help of music. This is an important message I would want to send to my students especially because I also work in an urban setting school district.

Time signature lesson

On Monday March 3^rd I gave a mock general music lesson for 8^th graders. The students in my class were the pretend 8th graders. The experience was interesting. Although we had ten minutes to teach our lesson, at first I thought I would not have enough material teach the full ten minutes. Turns out I did not even get through half of what I had planed. When teaching a lesson ten minutes flies by.

I wanted to go with a creative approach. My topic that I had to teach was time signatures. I thought I was lucky because I had what I thought was an easy topic to teach. Time signatures is not a hard concept but it is a broad concept. While I started preparing I realized I can talk about so many things and use so many examples of time signatures. One of the first mistakes I made was trying to teach more than one time signature in ten minutes. I can teach more than one if I had a full class but for the purpose of starting the class I should of stuck with common time.

Another thing I did wrong was way too much explanations. The students were supposed to be in 11^th grade so I should of expected more background knowledge from the students. Since I wanted to focus on creativity I handed out blank sheet music for the students to write rhythms down in the given time signature. When the students were done I would call on a couple to write their example on the board. This I think would have been a great activity if I got around to it with more time.

One more thing I could of done better was prepare examples for the class. In stead of preparing examples and printing them out I made my own examples on the bored and that took way too much time. That was probably the biggest time waster for me. If I were to do this lesson again I would prepare my own examples, and focus on one type of time signature instead of trying to cram them all into one lesson.

blog post 6

What to do about getting money for a music program? This is a question I never really put much thought into until class last Monday. But starting a music program is very expensive. Not all of the time will a new teacher start his/her new job and have everything perfect and in perfect conditions. So the new teacher might not have to figure out how to buy a new band but figure out what the band is missing and obtain it. Some things needed for a music program are, the instruments, P.A. System, stands, chairs, practice books, sheet music, pencils etc. And don't forget money for when the instruments break! This starts to add up to a lot of money, where is it coming from?

We cant rely on just Mom and Dad to fork over the thousands of dollars needed to start or maintain a music program. Especially in low income areas, some parents cant afford to spend extra money in music when they are trying to pay for their house. I can think of two places where this money should come from, the community and the administration. As mentioned in class we the music educators should know about much we would need that year for our program and how much we will need to have it grow. Administration sees us as the professionals in the situation and we as music educators need to professionally state how much we need to administration in order to obtain funds. The other way of getting money for programs is through community performances and fund raising. Getting the community involved is super important. The school BOCJ should not just represent the school but represent the community. If you the music teacher takes the school band to play out in the community once or twice a month and even hold alumni concerts, community members will start to get involved and enjoy the music programs and be more inclined to donate support.

Blog post 5

Technology has already made a change in the school system and has become very beneficial in the music class room. Working at my internship in Bridgeport I have noticed that technology has already made the learning experience different for students. One of the most beneficial additions to the class room that I find has improved music education is the smart board. Smart boards were something that my high school was just starting to install when I was in eleventh grade. Most teachers were intimidated by them and I remember my band teacher thinking it would be a waste of space in the band room. I don't know if she is using it today but the music teachers at the school where I am doing my internship love using the smart boards. Smart boards can play live performances and other videos. This is priceless especially at the elementary level. Students can now see pictures and watch performances of practically every instrument. The smart board can also be used to show music videos to show the musical culture of other nations.

Another area where technology has improved music education is in the music theory room. Many high schools have music theory classes that have keyboards in them for the students to play. Electric keyboards are cool but whats cooler now is the MIDI input. Students can now play their keyboards into a computer program such as pro tools or finale and make their own songs/ compositions. The sounds on these interfaces range from classical instruments to electric rock instruments so the possibilities are endless.

Something that caught my eye while I was searching on Google was the use of I pads in the music room. This is something that will definitely change music education the more popular they become. I was reading that a lot of music educators are asking their principals for I Pad grants so this method of teaching seems to be working. There area number of free and cheap apps for the I pad that are beneficial to music education. Also I pads can be used as a “students instrument” and a whole class can perform a show on their I pads. Technology is growing every year and it is creating good improvements in music education.

Midterm blog

What A Music Teacher Needs

There are many things that come to mind when thinking about what makes a great music teacher. Fortunately for me I have had great music teachers and professors my whole educational career . Even if some of my teachers were not my favorite I still respected them and saw that they had a love and passion for music education. Some of my most memorable experiences in school were in music class. This is something I think more students should experience and for this to happen teachers must have specific traits. Three things I think music teachers need are, the right personality, they need to be actively making music, and a good music teacher must have a good “bag of tricks” or a big personal archive of music.

In the chapter titled “With out you, there would have never been a journey” from Peter Boonshaft's book “Teaching Music with Purpose”. Boonshaft is at a slow point in the year. He is tired and feels he has bitten off a little more then he can chew with his expectations for the ensemble. A student comes in and notices something is wrong. A few days later she returns with a letter. The letter stated the students journey and how important Boonshaft was as a teacher. Part of a students educational experience is the impact a teacher has on a class/students. This is why it is important for music teachers to have the right personality. A music teacher needs to be calm, funny, and patient. Music is hard at times and can make students want to quit. A music teacher with a great personality would want to make that student come back to class the next day and try harder.

Another thing that I think music teachers need to have, or in this case need to be doing is actively making music. Referring back to Boonshaft, music students are heavily influenced by their teachers, and they look to us to pave the way for them. In most cases the music teacher is the closest person to a rock star for students. With this being said music educators should set good examples by having good practice habits, playing with friends, and performing. Music is a special way of communication. It is important for teachers to be able to communicate the musical language with their

students.

The third thing that I think music teachers need is to have a good “Bag of Tricks”. What I mean by bag of tricks is a personal data base of songs. These are songs that are for ensembles to play, listen too, or watch and analyze. The purpose for this bag of tricks is management. Music classes can have large numbers of students and it is important to have good management skills. Start the day with some fun sight reading songs. And if an ensemble is just having a hard time or is getting frustrated one day, switch to an easy song that the students enjoy playing. When I teach I will have a bunch of these of these “go to” songs and learn new ones every year. Looking up and transposing popular songs for students to play in class or at home is also a great management strategy and addition to your personal archive.

These are only Three things a Music teacher needs. The list does not stop here and there are many different qualities a music teacher should have.

Trumpet and choir lesson

Choir warm up and trumpet lesson

Last class I gave a trumpet “first” lesson and then gave a warm up high school choir lesson. Both were very interesting experiences and it was a fun time doing both. The assignment was to teach about five minutes of a intro to trumpet lesson, (professor Schneider would be the fifth grader) and a high school choir warm up lesson, (class would be the choir).

The trumpet lesson did not go exactly how I wanted it to go. I realize now that I spent too much time in the beginning explaining the trumpet and talking about it. I also think I spent too much time on correct posture and breathing. Students will probably start to loose interest if they don't even see their instrument on the first lesson. In my lesson the five minutes were up as soon as I pulled the trumpet out. So definitely next time I would start with buzzing on the mouth piece and start teaching the student how to play easy notes .

The choir lesson was very interesting. I was never in choir in school so at first when I got to class I was not sure if what I had was going to be good enough. I went 4^th or 5^th and I noticed that a lot of students in the class had the same ideas that I did and that made me feel good about my warm up lesson. Something I did not use a lot of was the piano and it was because I was unsure if I could pull it off. The piano actually helped me with the lesson and it was not as hard as I thought to play scales and sing solfege and major chords with the class.

grading and rubrics

Alfie Kohn Wrote an article titled The Trouble With Rubrics. The article is all about Kohn's thoughts on grading and rubrics for students. There are a lot of things I agreed with in the article. Kohn starts off by explaining how rubrics are a standard for educators every where. Many educators think they are a good idea especially because it takes away the harshness of direct letter grades. The use of rubrics might make organizing a class and making grades more easier for a teacher but the problem is that rubrics do not teach students or explain how a student can improve. As stated in the article a B+ or “three 3's” tell a parent little on how a student can do better or what did they do wrong.

Other things I agree with Kohn are, Students are taking less risks with class work and exams because they fear getting a low grade. Students should be exploring new subjects as deep as possible to really grasp an understanding and not just focus on the information to get an A. Students get too wrapped up in “ How well am I doing” verses “ What am I doing”. Rubrics are also seen as boring objectives to students, which makes class lessons seem less appealing.

I think that it would be hard to have a set in stone rubric for music class for every student. Music is a very creative subject and should not have strict guidelines. Also all students are at different talent levels and learn at different rates. I feel a good way to asses music students is by having them recorded themselves practicing once a week, listen to the recording and just comment briefly on it. This will enforce practicing and students wont have to recorded anything in particular, just what they are practicing that day. Another way is when a new piece is first handed out the teacher will record the student sight reading a section. Then in a month record the part again and varying on their skill level asses on improvement. The teacher will then write up an explanation on the students improvement and discuss with the student.

Article: The Trouble with Rubrics by. Alfie Kohn

blog post 3

Jazz and American folk music definitely play a part in music education, it is not necessary for music educator to be experts but it is necessary for music educators to be knowledgeable and to teach Jazz and American folk. There are a couple reasons for this.

Two important reasons for teaching jazz are, Jazz introduces an easy frame for improvisation, and it is the genre of music that Americans created. Improvisation is one of the nine CT performing arts standards, but not many musicians are comfortable improvising. Music is a way of expression and a special expression that does not need the aid of words. Improvisation is one of the purest ways to express yourself through a musical performance, and jazz improvisation is a great way to start. Free jazz is also a great way to teach students. Students must understand that not all music is written down and some of it is created on the spot, and some songs are never written down and are just played by ear and performance practice. Jazz is also the American genre and One of the national standards is making connections to history. Jazz is rich with history and is full of different styles that formed in all different parts of the US. Their are endless lessons that can be taught with jazz. One more thing that is a good reason for teaching jazz is class room management. A music class might prefer to study or play fun exciting jazz tunes by Miles Davis, Herbie Hancock, or the great Satchmo.

American folk music also plays a role in music ed. It is not too important for the teacher to be an expert but it is important to teach the standard American folk tunes and any other nifty humorous ones. American folk tunes usually come with some sort of story or the song explains a story. It is important for the teacher to be familiar with the song and the story to go along with it. Incorporating the story with the song will help students understand the song better and it makes for a fun lesson. Another important reason for teaching American folk tunes is to teach classic American songs. Our communities, parents, principals all what our students to know standards such as America the beautiful, and Yankee doodle. Part of being in school is learning how to be a good citizen and a good American so it is important to start teaching these topics when the students are young.

blog post 2

The article by professor Schneider was great. Especially for beginner music teachers, this article can apply to any band class, choir, orchestra, or even theory class. Professor Schneider started his teaching carrier with “no band” and in five years created a band that could do things my high school band couldn't even think of doing. But how is something like this accomplished?

I agree with professor Schneider that a lot of school ensembles are “repertoire machines” pumping out a cliché list of tunes year after year. I also agree that this style of ensemble leaves out many other important standards that are critical to becoming a musician, and playing with expression.

Professor Schneider was not satisfied with an ensemble that just read what was given to them and then play it. He wanted to make the students better musicians. In order to do this he had to add (Dicaplin, theory, technique, and composition to his class.) Professor Schneider wanted to make sure he didnt have students just going with the motions. He wanted to make sure that if you weer a flute player you could pick up someone else's music, transpose if needed and play the part. He also wanted to have his students perform by ear and repeat a song after listening to it. Applying theory and aural theory into every rehearsal definitely helped the students. Not only are all these skills important to learn but they also create more fun activities for the music class which also increases the students skills and make the students want to come to music class.

It can be hard to determine if some one is a good musician. As mentioned before and in the article. Some students just go through the motions, they can read and play music well, but are they good musicians? Although it is true that one of the first things to look for in a good musician is if they actually play well. The next thing you want to look for is versatility, and technique. Can the musician play the song in a different key, Tempo, or in a different style. And One more thing to look for is a musicians character. Does the musician look like they are having a good time? Is there good posture? Does it look the the musician is playing cause they want to be their or because they have to be their.

Article: http://leadingnotes.org/2012/02/06/schneider/

UB methods post 1

Book: Teaching Music with Purpose, Boonshaft

Music has always been an exciting part of my life. The trombone was my first instrument. I started playing in 4^th grade and it was my first choice when it came time to select instruments. The fact that the trombone looked funny and sounded funny attracted me to it. Music and music making has always seemed to be a fun thing to me. As I got older I started to realize that music was all about having fun and the more fun I had the more I practiced and the better I got. This is one of my strongest values of music. Ensuring that students have a good time with music so they continue to stick with it and are able to learn to play on their own out side school and with friends.

Besides teaching music, music is still a huge part of my life today. This is important to me because I feel that the more I involve my life with music the more I will continue to learn and continue to grow as a musician. I am a DJ at WPKN 89.5FM, I play gigs at bars once or twice a month, I help my friend with his recording studio and I am constantly playing and practicing an hour or two a day. Its also a goal of mine and my friends to one day travel and just play music. I share all my musical experiences and practice habits with students to give them encouragement and incentive to continue practicing.

Music to me is a very special art form. A “non tangible” art form . This means that music is a art form that is complex and very difficult to explain in words. This is an important concept to me and my teaching. I explain to students that making music is like painting your own picture or writing your own book where the notes you play and the expression you use to play are the words and explanations. This makes music sound more personal and interesting to students. Music is a special subject that makes connections with daily life and other school subjects.

Something I still need a little help with while at my internship is class room management. This is a very important skill to have and there is right and wrong ways to go about it. Teaching in a Bridgeport public school presents many challenges daily with classroom management. So it is important to learn quickly or managing a class will be come more difficult. I really like the way Boonshaft addresses negative behavior and classroom management. According to Boonshaft treating negative behavior with negative behavior is not an efficient way of dealing with the behavior, and if a punishment is given it means proper steps were not taken to prevent the behavior in the first place. I agree with Boonshaft that a good personality is essential to making students want to learn from you. If they enjoy learning from you then they are less likely to act out or not want to perform well in class. It is more important to acknowledged positive behavior and reinforce it so that other students will follow. One more step to take to ensure positive behavior is to embrace opportunities to teach and use that enthusiasm to create motivation in students. If the teacher is excited about a piece of music of a subject then the student will be more inclined to want to learn.

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