Sound-to-Symbol: The connection between language and music

Music is an enjoyable part of being a human being. Even if it is "auditory cheesecake", as Steven Pinker suggests, there are many undeniable benefits of music listening and participation. These benefits may start as early as conception. In utero, the fetus responds to music. The heart rate goes up and down according to the tempo of a piece of music, and there is evidence that babies can recognize the pieces they heard while in utero. Babies respond to the specific piece of music heard in utero by turning the head more often than chance can account for. I say all of this because I think that musicality, like language acquisition, is influenced by the child's environment. Exposure to lots of music at a young age can help a child develop his or her musicality. Musicality may occur naturally, but musical literacy, like language literacy, is not an innate skill.

In order to develop the skills necessary for music literacy, young children must be exposed to the elements of music, including rhythm and melody. These skills can be developed through the established practices of Music Learning Theory, Kodaly, and Suzuki. These approaches introduce musical elements aurally, then follow with the sign or symbol the elements represent. This is a process that makes sense to me. It is very similar to breaking down a word which has meaning (musically: a rhythm, for instance) into its constituent elements to decode and discover the sounds that the letters make (the musical equivalent to discovering how a rhythm is notated). This is a meaningful way of going about both language and musical acquisition.

I think that there are a few problems with how most method books teach musical literacy. If there is no context to the sound outside of the written notation, notes and rhythms may become meaningless symbols on a page. When this happens outside of the context of what is happening outside of the band or orchestra room, written musical notation runs a high risk of becoming too abstract for a student to grasp. The student becomes preoccupied with symbols and "nuts and bolts" elements of instrument playing and forgets about or doesn't realize larger musical goals. The musical goals in a complex piece of music are so outside of the zone of proximal development that students may give up and quit playing an instrument without help outside of school.

In light of these issues, it is important to recognize that band and orchestra directors must choose appropriate pieces that match the skill level of most of his or her students. If he or she chooses appropriate, skill matched pieces, the larger musical goals may be realized. To make a language analogy, a typically developing fifth grade student cannot be expected to understand and appreciate a Shakespearian masterpiece, much as a fifth grade student cannot be expected to play a Beethoven symphony with appreciation for its musical intricacies. The insight into what a student can and cannot do is an essential part of being an effective music teacher regardless of the grade level. Knowing when to "go back" to re-visit the essential components of musical literacy using sound to symbol strategies can help bring a student into his or her zone of proximal development in regards to musical literacy.

The "professional personality" as part of recruitment and retention

There are several factors that should be considered when a band or orchestra director decides to recruit students for an instrumental music program. One of these factors is the fact that band or orchestra is an optional activity. Unlike math, science, or English, participation in music is voluntary. As such, instrumental music directors must actively ask students to participate in ensembles. This is essential to the success or failure of an instrumental music program.

I think that, in order to positively affect program growth and retention, a teacher must adopt a proactive approach as a part of his or her "professional personality." This "professional personality" is different from what I will call a "personal personality." The "professional personality" is the person who students, colleagues, and administrators see on a daily basis, and is always focused on the growth and well-being of his or her students. To me, there is an inherent selflessness in this "professional personality." This personality must be sincerely interested in his or her students as people, but must not cross the line where students consider the teacher a friend.

To me, being sincerely interested in individuals means, among many other things, remembering student's names and important details. This is especially important in recruitment and retention. If a teacher is known to be personable and genuinely interested in the growth and well-being of an individual student, other students will want to gain the benefit of being a part of that band director's group. I think that the "professional personality" is a huge part of the recruitment and retention of any successful band or orchestra in a public school.

Unfortunately, band and orchestra organizations in public schools are not compulsory parts of a curriculum. If they were, recruitment and retention would not be a problem. Regardless, I can provide personal interaction and positive experiences to the students who are part of a voluntary band or orchestra program. Being an excellent teacher with a positive and motivating "professional personality" may help administrators support and advocate for band and orchestra programs on my behalf. Providing positive experiences in band and orchestra may also help the future administrators and leaders in the world advocate on behalf of the importance of excellent music education in public schools.

Philosophical Foundations of Instrumental Music Teaching

There are obvious connections between aesthetic education and music performance. Teachers need to know how to make these connections meaningful for their students. In performance classes, there are often many technical obstacles that students and teachers face, especially when students are learning a new instrument. The main purpose of learning these instruments is to provide students with meaningful experiences. These musical experiences may give meaning to other experiences in school and in outside life, which will enrich the lives of our students.

In my personal experience as a student, the teachers that stood out to me were the ones who made me feel as if I were transcending the specific technical skills necessary to play the horn. This experience was multifaceted, and, as in any other discipline, relied on my willingness to put in the necessary work. This work, to me, was worthwhile because of the social connectedness I felt as a result of playing in an ensemble.

As I progressed as a student, a person, and a musician, I found that there were many more meaningful connections I could make between the music ensemble experience and my personal experiences. These connections included emotional connections to my friends and colleagues in the ensemble and emotional connections to the music itself. Intellectually, I found that music study and listening were connected to other intellectual pursuits. As I learned about the stories related to some of the orchestral excerpts I was learning, (Till Eulenspeigel, for example) the music came to life for me.

The emotional, intellectual, physical, and social experiences were all affected by my teachers. When I was learning an instrument, my teacher made it fun to be in an ensemble. This was his greatest strength as an educator. As I grew as a person and a musician, I continued to have enjoyable social interactions. I began to be able to make meaningful emotional connections to the music because my teachers were able to help me make my own connections to the music. Intellectual connections were also made during this time that continue to grow as a result of good teachers.

Using my own experience as a barometer, I believe that it is possible to affect positive student experiences with music that can connect to any number of other things in life, including physical, spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and social pursuits. This is why music is an indispensable part of any complete education. Using developmentally appropriate pieces to study can make early music experiences socially enjoyable. As students grow, using more sophisticated and emotionally meaningful pieces can help students grow. One such piece for me was the Simple Gifts suite by Frank Ticheli, which I played in eighth grade band. Intellectually, providing meaningful experiences through connections to historical contexts and stories can be a meaningful way to affect many students.