A m e e l i c i o u s

One Response to “1 semester down”

1. Shashank says:

   April 26, 2012 at 11:06 PM

   I’m so enthusiastic at the pcospert of been given the opportunity to finally “fill in the educational gap” that has existed in my life so far. I am indeed a product, like many of my colleagues, of the “goal oriented learner,” practicing for hours alone, driven to achieve the “perfect performance” (string playing, thankfully allowed me to enjoy the benefits of making music socially). By winning and setting goals, rather than nurturing the process along the way, has left me removed from “lived experience” with the work “ceasing to make sense” on many occasions. Conseqently, when I began to teach initially, I put similar pressures on my students to win choir, band and orchestra competitions. As a means of establishing myself as a committed music teacher, my ego,, in effect, was getting in the way of my students’ learning. I was transmitting feelings and emotions from my own musical upbringing to my classroom. I believed that “if I worked harder, they’ll do better.” As a human “being,” it’s ironic how I wasn’t actually comfortable with just “being” in the present moment, allowing myself (and probably my students) to enjoy the processes of making, creating etc. Though it didn’t affect my student’s grades or results, I know it affected their growth, enjoyment and ultimately love for the subject. Subconsciouly, as I began to gain confidence and “lighten up” in the classroom, I engaged in a more democratic style, empowering my students to choose performance materials of their own – opening my world to theirs. This indeed encouraged me to “wise” up and face the fear and be brave “to teach the unfamiliar and to learn the familiar.” Their music, enriched my life, introducing me to music with such depth I can still barely comprehend; for example, a 15 year old boy, stands up and pleads with me to teach the class an unfamiliar song, “Awake my Soul” by Mumford and Sons (you should listen to this band by the way). Consequently, I’m now their biggest fan. I wholeheartedly believe that a democratic environment can create spaces for “self revelation,” allowing enriching experiences and growth to occur naturally. I view the teacher-learner as a symbiotic relationship – a cyclical process, but I firmly agree that “recipriocity” and “respect” are vital elements in creating such an environment. I think that insecurity, low self esteem and confidence with the dreaded fear of change, has led many teachers to develop the traditional “sage on the stage” style of teaching, which, as far as I’m concerned, is dated in the music classroom. As a performer, I never challenged myself outside the role of “interpreter,” strictly loyal to the dots on the page a vehicle to voice the ideas of a composer. The very notion of “composition,” has always terrified me, with feelings of inadeqacy stirring deep within me for fear that the product would not be “the best” or it “sounding ridiculous.” I despised the notion of being judged for something that I created and to this day, I still have a mental block about creating something new. Even as a teacher I have avoided this element in the curriculum as much as possible for fear of being found out! In this democratic setting, I am very excited about banishing these negative thoughts and I look forward to creating music in this fashion. I think that the analogy of the Irish traditional “session” could lend itself to a democratic classroom, where players perform together in an informal setting – they participate fully and learn “tunes” from one another in a relaxed environment (ie. the pub). Each musician enjoys the process of “living” each note, rather than preparing for some far off competition or concert. All players contribute and are given a chance to perform their tune and if they recognise it, members simply join in on the repeat of the tune. “Shy or less experienced members” (the “unheard” voices) are encouraged discreetly to give a tune “a go.” It’s a place where members learn and exchange ideas in the form of recording unfamiliar tunes so that they can learn for the following week. Effectively, the method, displays elements of peer learning and allows a “process of discovery” to take place. It awakens people to endless possibilities, encouraging the mutual exchange of ideas and developing friendships along the way. (similar to the garage band concept minus the compositional element). In reality however, with pressures of exams and the curriculum, it is easier said than done. Speaking of curriculum, (considering the detrimental outcome I experienced from the overemphasis of achievement), the combination of “a love of process” with a “love-of product” would indeed be the ideal. However, striking a balance of tradition and change will always be omnipresent for the music teacher. Ironically, on the subway, the day after class last week, I overheard a heated discussion between two high school students; one advocating that R. Kelly’s song, “Sex in the Kitchen” should be integrated to the curriculum, whilst the other student was outraged with such an idea. He claimed that a comparison of such a pop song with Don Giovanni, for example was absurd. His friend retorted by stating that the emotions and words of the song were just as effective as those in the music of Mozart. It was insightful to gain a glimpse into “their music” momentarily. What do you think about this “absurd” suggestion?