Here is our official review of the new movie "El Sistema." Please see our forum to connect with others who are interested in this ground-breaking idea.

"El Sistema cries out for music in a time when music programs are getting cut and government dollars are dwindling. Largely funded by the government of Venezuela, this nation-wide music education program is teaching over 250,000 youth not only how to play instruments, but also how to play a positive role in society. Paul Smaczny and Maria Stodtmeier do a fantastic job bringing the real struggle of Venezuelan citizens to life – including several interviews with people who are scared each day for their own lives and the lives of their children. It is in just this kind of intense environment that El Sistema has thrived! José Antonio Abreu, the founder of el Sistema, makes frequent appearance in the film and it is clear that his perseverance has inspired those around him to continue to promote and sustain el Sistema for years to come. The profound impact of el Sistema has given thousands of Venezuelan children a new chance at living. Musical expression has given them a way to create a bright future in a country where that future once seemed questionable."
 
- Music Ed for All

As I continue to reflect in my first two months of teaching, I have started to notice what pushes my buttons- this week, it was incessant chatter during rehearsal.

If students are goofing around during rehearsal time and time again, one's natural inclination might be to get mad at the students.  "Why aren't you paying attention?! You're distracting everyone!  If I have to tell you one more time..." But should I really be mad at my students? No- I should be "mad" at myself for not having better classroom management. 

Why are students goofing around? Oh, she's probably bored.  Why is she bored?  She plays percussion and hasn't been assigned to either of the last two pieces I was rehearsing.  Hmm... maybe I should find something for my percussionists to do when they're sitting... 

These are the internal conversations I need to have.  I am still young enough to vividly remember rehearsals as a trumpet player in middle school.  I was used to getting the melody- if I had a "boring" part on a lyrical piece, my mind was anywhere but in that rehearsal. If I, the student who knew he wanted to be a band director since middle school, still find myself antsy in professional ensemble rehearsals, surely I shouldn't blame my own students.

Yes, some students have ADHD.  Yes, some students are being disrespectful of other students, teachers, and the learning environment. Yes, we all have "off" days.  But I still think our focus should revolve around our ability as teachers to foster an environment where students are engaged and excited about what they are learning.

-Dan Leeman

Technology has created new concert etiquette challenges...


While checking my Facebook page, I noticed one of my younger brothers friends post: 

I've found that teaching tuning and intonation to students can be very challenging. It is not something that can be learned instantaneously, but is a skill that must be carefully developed over time.

In my experiences, tuning is taught by saying, "Get rid of the beats," "Pull out," or "push in." This probably sounds very familiar to some people, but is there an understanding of what is actually happening? My instincts tell me that there isn't. Amidst the time crunches and pressures from administrators and parents to put on a concert, we become completely engulfed in preparing that concert. When really as MUSIC educators we neglect teaching the skills necessary to become fine musicians.


To nurture a sense of intonation, one must get students to listen. Not hear, but listen. Once a student becomes focused and listens to the sound, work with intonation can begin. 


It seems that there is a giant black hole where knowledge about tuning exists, but so many are afraid to delve into it in the correct manor. More to come in future posts about my specific thoughts on the sequencing of instruction needed to nurture Intonationally independent students.


~Neal Raskin

As I have thought about how to advocate for music, there is a theme that keeps coming up. Do I stand up for music because it helps students' standardized test scores? Or, do I argue that music for musics' sake is enough for people to understand? 


The obvious answer is a hybrid of the two questions, but nevertheless, I would like to lay down a framework of ideas that have come up.


#1:  When we make connections between music and student achievement in other disciplines, we need to explore WHY this achievement has climbed. Music gives students a new way to see math. The dimension of time relationships in music is a way that students can feel math. They can sense proportions of 2 to 1, 2 to 3, etc... when they perform the differences between quarter notes, half notes, and triplet figures. This is a way to experience mathematical ideas in a different way. Students who may never have understood fractions can still perform notes of different lengths. When a student can begin to understand how their performance relates to what is printed on a page of music, that student can make connections between performance and mathematics.


#2: Students "Read" music in a way that creates connections with English test scores. In traditional reading, students can stumble over words and spend a lot of time fumbling around for understanding with what they read. In music reading, students must read in a given tempo, which forces them to read at a faster rate. Since musical line can be left up for interpretation, a student learns to make inferences about possible meanings of notes on a page. This kind of creative thinking adds depth to that student's understanding of classroom texts in reading and other reading-based disciplines.


#3: Students who participate in a music ensemble have a chance to be part of a group in which NO SINGLE person is un-important. If one musician does not play a solo, or if one player holds onto a note for too long, an entire performance can be jeopardized. This is a unique situation that does not happen in a normal classroom or any sport (except for individual sports). This kind of accountability teaches students much more about life than many experiences in their adolescent years. 


While I do not claim to be an expert in cognitive research and music, I do think that, as musicians, we must find ways to speak up for ourselves as important independent from our affect on test scores. This is a short list of items I believe are crucial to advocating for the arts and music specifically. I hope to add more as time goes on and I hope to edit these as I learn new things about music and education.


-Andrew Beard

With the philosophy of music education for all, I have been thinking a lot about the social groups that instrumental music tends to “leave out” - ELL students and students with special needs.

In my own experience, I have worked this year with students who are in the process of being diagnosed with specific learning disabilities and others who have already been diagnosed with mild learning disorders. Without a para or a team teaching situation, I have found it difficult to set an appropriate pace for the class to accommodate a variety of learning styles and needs in the classroom.

The most positive interactions I have had with students with special needs are always in a one-on-one teaching scenario. Even taking a few minutes outside of class can make a world of difference to a student. One brass student had difficulty finding the appropriate register when asked to play a note, even a trumpet C4 would sound half an octave below due to lack of an aural target and air support. With time spent on pitch matching back and forth (and without the pressure of other students in the classroom), he/she was able to match the pitches and identify any discrepancies between my pitch and the one that he/she performed.

I also have been considering the expectations we place on our students from the very beginning of instrumental lessons. Think of how many physical and mental processes we foster in our students: appropriate posture, constancy and stability of breathing, steadiness of tempo (internally as well as tapping a foot), identification of musical symbols, reading notation at a steady tempo... the list goes on and on! For a student with learning disabilities, some steps may fall into place more easily than others. While I may be able to have a student emulate pitches by rote, expecting them to “read” music at a steady beat is often too difficult of a task to complete right away. In individual situations, I'll spend time to “break down” the notational components into smaller, more recognizable chunks. I really strive to constantly encourage and reinforce the correct habits so that each student can feel successful in their playing while isolating more difficult areas and spending time on individual components that need additional work.

-Dan Leeman