MusicEdMajor.net» #MusEdChat

A Massively Musical Monday

Andy Zweibel — Mon, 02 May 2011 00:22:59 +0000

I have some very exciting news about tomorrow, Monday, May 2nd! We have some incredible events occurring in the evening hours, and I want to extend to you an invitation to join us for these great initiatives. Check it out:

iSchoolMusic Kickstarter Launch Party

You may have heard of iSchoolBand before (Andy R has written about it), but tomorrow night, all your preconceptions will be thrown out the window! I am excited to announce that I have joined the iSchoolMusic team as they launch a Kickstarter campaign to raise funding for the project. If our project is fully funded, everyone will receive access to iSchoolMusic absolutely FREE for LIFE! Join us online tomorrow at 7pm EST for a live webcast of the Kickstarter Launch Party in Nashville by clicking this link (NOTE: Google Chrome not supported). Just after the launch party ends, hop on Twitter for a…

Special Edition #MusEdChat

I am thrilled to have a special edition #MusEdChat for this week’s chat. We are excited to welcome Leslie Denning, former public school teacher and author of the book How the West was Sung: The Story of the American Cowboy and His Songs. Leslie has been providing resources for Music Teachers for years, and is going to join us this week as the guest moderator for our chat. The discussion topic will be:

What methods and procedures work best for engaging elementary general music students in singing?

Be sure to stick around until the end of the chat, when Leslie will give away a free copy of her book! Hope to see you at these great events tomorrow night!

#MusEdChat Turns One

Andy Zweibel — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:48:49 +0000

In all the hubub of my internship, I forgot to announce the very exciting news that #MusEdChat, the weekly Twitter chat for Music Educators, celebrated its’ first birthday on April 1! It has been an incredible year for #MusEdChat, which has grown into a worldwide weekly phenomenon. I wanted to take this opportunity to provide a few updates about the chat:Frequency/Attendance

I am pleased to say that since #MusEdChat began, we have only missed one chat (May 31, 2010 due to Memorial Day)! We have had some fantastic discussions over the year, and attendance has grown to incredible levels. The most exciting thing about the attendance for me, by far, has been seeing all the new faces that appear each week. I am unbelievably excited with the amount of traction #MusEdChat has received around the music education community. This is no small part thanks to all of you who have been so vocal about the benefits of this chat; our fantastic attendance this year is thanks to you!

Discussion Topics

We have had the ability to discuss a wide variety of topics over the course of the past year. While it seems we have discussed every topic under the sun so far, the creativity of the community never fails to come up with more new and interesting discussion topics each week! A special thanks goes out to Tom West (@thomasjwest) for submitting the most topics so far. Not only has Tom submitted an incredible number of topic ideas, almost all of them have ended up winning a topic poll at some point! Don’t forget, you can always enter your topic ideas by filling out the Topic Submission Form.

An Admission…

I must admit, however, that I have faltered a bit in the administration of the chat. I know I have fallen woefully behind in posting chat transcripts, and have also fallen behind in the time of week during which I post the topic poll (when I do post a poll). As a very bright person once told me, “you can’t do it all alone!” This is a mantra I am going to struggle with when I have my own program as well; I tend to follow the “if you want something done right, do it yourself” mantra. I have, however, righted the ship. I plan to have all the chat transcripts (including one from our chat this evening) published tomorrow, and I have enlisted the help of Tom West to aid me in the back-end administration of the chat. Tom will help me ensure that you all receive prompt transcripts after each chat and have ample time to vote in our topic poll. I don’t anticipate this being a problem any more! Thank you, though, for your patience as I let #MusEdChat be the catalyst for my learning how to ask for help!

The Future

I have no intentions of #MusEdChat ending any time soon! We have a vibrant community built up, and there is no reason we cannot keep having thought-provoking discussions about music education by using the Twitter medium. I do, however, have a few ideas brewing in my head about ways we can continue to improve the chat experience. Be on the lookout in the future for better publicity and access to the weekly topic poll, more interactive information regarding chat metrics and transcripts, and perhaps some special discussion topics and very special guest moderators! If you have any ideas for how the #MusEdChat can be improved, I encourage you to Contact me and let me know. This is a community-driven discussion, and the community has plenty of incredible ideas… let’s hear ‘em!

Finally

I would like to take this opportunity to express my sincere thanks and gratitude to every person who has helped #MusEdChat become what it is today! If I took the time to name each and every one of you, this post would go on for pages, but suffice it to say that I had no earthly idea this time last year that #MusEdChat would still be thriving and would have become such an incredible community resource. It is thanks to all of your participation, publicity, and perspective that this chat has taken off, and for that I will be eternally grateful.

See you at #MusEdChat!

#MusEdChat Recap – Time Savers (12-6-10)

Andrew Ritenour — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 00:42:35 +0000

The #MusEdChat held on December 6, 2010 discussed time savers that could be used in the music office or classroom.

Time Savers in the Office

The #MusEdChat participants began by discussing multiple tips and tricks to staying organized and being efficient in a music teacher’s office and classroom. One tip was to write the agenda for the class on the board. This helps to keep the teacher and the students on task.@lovedrummin suggested using a variety of forms for students to fill out which include forms for excused absences, repairs and needed supplies. Students then put the forms into their respective folders. As far as ensembles go, @tubachic suggested instituted a no-talk rehearsal. This keeps the rambling of the teacher to a minimum and also makes the students work more efficiently. Student leadership was also an invaluable resource for teachers to be productive. Giving easier tasks to students to complete helps the teacher to be more efficient, and also gives students responsibility which could in turn motivate them But the overwhelming majority of tips had to do with technology. Many teachers use iDevices to take attendance and do grades. In addition, participants stated that class or department websites can be useful in keeping students informed about updates and class information. Check out some of the technology tools music educators are using below!

Web Applications

Twitter – A Twitter account for your band can be useful to post updates. Students also can sign up to have Twitter updates pushed to their phones by texting “Follow @username” to 40404
Evernote – with the use of a scanner, teachers can use Evernote as a filing cabinet to store students’ work. Can work in conjunction with the iPhone/iPad app.
Dropbox - Dropbox can be very useful in the administrative tasks of a music teacher. Teachers can easily share documents with students using Dropbox. Can work in conjunction with teh iPhone/iPad app.
Wiggio – A great way to get messages out to all students.
Cinchcast – Can be used to record and analyze rehearsals.

iPhone/iPad Applications

Seize the Day – An application that helps to organize tasks and makes your to-do list portable.
Dropbox – Adding this App allows you to sync your iDevice to files that were added to your dropbox via computer, and vice versa.
Evernote – Syncs any notes made on your computer to your iDevice, and vice versa. Allows you to access and take notes no matter where you are.

#MusEdChat Recap- Connecting With Repertoire (11-29-10)

Elizabeth Heist — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 13:30:38 +0000

Having students connect with the music is very important to help them have a musical experience and also is the middle step towards them connecting emotionally with the audience through the music. – @MrAhrens

The #MusEdChat participants on 11/29/10 moderated by @LindsayMorelli discussed ways to make personal connections between students and repertoire and and how we as music teachers can help everyone relate.

Connecting with the Music

The #MusEdChat participants started the chat by discussing what connecting with music and ensemble repertoire means. When the students connect with a piece of music it also helps to show them the importance of music education. @thomasjwest started off the chat by saying “Connecting with the music for me means getting students past the nuts and bolts of playing an instrument and music so they can perform expressively.” Only once students are able to perform expressively can they begin to make deeper connections with the music. When connecting with the music it is crucial that both the director and students internalize the music on multiple levels so that you and the students are not simply a technician, but and artist. @barfield music said “In order for students to truly connect with a piece of music they must take ownership of the piece.” When the students don’t take ownership they cannot fully and emotionally connect with the music. Connecting with the music is all about the students getting personal with the piece. As the ensemble director it is our job to encourage our ensembles to pour their life experiences into the music and performance. Connecting with music is also about emotions. Music is very powerful because it affects us on a very emotional level. Music is full of joy, sadness, exhilaration, peace, anger, mystery, etc. @MrAhrens said “As human being students automatically put their emotional experiences into the music causing them to connect with it to an extent. It is our job to provide more experiences so that they can fully connect to it.”

Selecting Repertoire

All of the #MusEdChat participants agreed that selecting good and apropriate repertoire is one of the best ways to help our students connect with repertoire. When choosing repertoire for a program variety is key. If you pick all the same styles of music students will get bored and will not be able to connect with the music. Also allowing student choice in picking repertoire is a great way to get students to begin connecting with music. @barfieldmusic said “What I do to allow student choice is pre-select several of pieces I believe will work for my ensemble and then allow the students to help choose the program from those pieces. This way I know the music will work, but students still feel ownership.” @thomasjwest also suggests having a cycle of standard repertoire that you believe all your students should have some exposure to. This is a good chance to pick music you know are good pieces for students to connect with. Check out this article by @thomasjwest for more information on selecting repertoire for your ensembles. Below are some specific pieces shared by #MusEdChat participants that are great in helping students connect with repertoire.

Grainger’s Ye Band and Braes- a standard band piece
Bach’s Prelude and Fuge in G minor- a standard classical piece. Great classical literature can easily draw the students in.
Rutter’s Candlelight Carol- a beautiful choral piece thats gorgeous harmonies help to draw students in
Ticheli’s American Elegy- written for a community that sent lots of sons and daughters overseas and were sacrificed. A great piece for students to connect with.
Clifton William’s Caccia and Chorale- a very emotional piece because as his last piece he wrote it depicts Williams literally running for his life
Andrew Boysen’s I Am- a piece students can easily connect with because it is about a student dying in a car crash
New World Symphony- a piece easy to connect to without telling a story
Michael Oare’s To Dream in Brushstrokes- a piece written in memory of two sisters in band who died in a housefire
Greg Jasperse’s Oh How Beautiful This Woven Earth- a beautiful choral piece inspired by 9/11

Making Personal Connections

The #MusEdChat participants ended the chat by sharing specific ideas for how we can help our students make personal connections with the music. It is important for us as the director to find strategies to help our students make these personal connections. Below are some of the ways the chat participants suggested to help the students connect with music.

History of the piece- giving age appropriate amounts of background about the piece can help students to connect with the music better
Biographical information on the composer
Play a recording- this helps reinforce style and musical intent
Guided listening example- give the students a specific moment to listen for in the piece
Reinforce basic technique- until the students have a hold on basic technique they are unable to make a deeper connection with the music
Create a story- help the students to create as story based on the music they are performing
Text-in choral music talk through the text and have students offer personal stories to relate with the text
Expose students to other pieces by the same composer
Get the student leaders connected first- the student leaders can then help the other students connect with the music
Write the melody out for the lower instruments- this helps to give these students a better idea of what they are supporting
Art- have students create artistic representations of a piece they are performing
Emotional connections- choose some pieces that have an emotional connection for your students
Play some pieces from movie soundtracks- students can easily connect to these and they usually have more musical depth than pop tunes

Getting students to connect with the repertoire is all in how you as the director connect with the music as well. If the students don’t see you connecting with the music there is no way they will. @LindsayMorelli summed up the chat by saying “I think the moments when the entire ensemble expresses the same emotion together are some of the most memorable and moving moments.”

#MusEdChat Recap- Retention (11-22-10)

Elizabeth Heist — Sat, 15 Jan 2011 18:54:32 +0000

I believe that a good balance of challenging and familiar music, good community, and good student teacher relationships will lead to continuity and student retention. – @LindsayMorelli

The #MusEdChat participants on 11/22/10 moderated by @LindsayMorelli discussed retention techniques and why students often quit our ensembles.

Why Students Quit Ensembles

Unfortunately it is becoming more and more common for a student to join an ensemble at the elementary level and not stick with it through high school. The #MusEdChat participants started off the chat by discussing reasons why students often quit an ensemble. It is important for music teachers to know why students quit ensembles so that we can better find ways to keep students in our ensembles. One reason students often quit ensembles is because of scheduling issues especially at the high school level. Often music classes are scheduled at the same time as AP and honors courses which most music students are involved in. Also at the high school level students want more study halls so they can spend more time with their friends. Usually music students don’t have study halls so students will quit ensembles to gain a study hall. Many times at the elementary level band is scheduled during recess or free choice time so students don’t want to join an ensemble because they don’t want to miss fun times during the school day. @Dianawinds456 said “At the elementary level students are pulled out of classes for lessons causing them to either have more homework or making them stay in from recess to make up the miss work.” This often causes students extra stress leading to them either not joining or quiting an ensemble. Frustration is another reason that students quit ensembles. Many students don’t like to practice at home which causes them to get frustrated when they don’t sound good leading to them quiting. Inconsistency and lack of program continuity is also another reason students quit ensembles. Finally @padgets said “Many students get made fun of for being in band or choir and it is seens as not cool, so students will quit.”

How to Build a Community

The necessity of community was mentioned a lot during the chat. All the #MusEdChat participants agreed that building a sense of community in an ensemble is one of the best and most effective ways to keep students involved in ensembles. Students are more likely to saty involved in an ensemble if they feel like they are apart of something and that they are valued. The chat participants spent some of the chat sharing ideas of how we can create a sense of community within our ensembles. One idea to build a community suggested by @Dianawinds456 is to have rehearsals more than once a week. Once a week rehearsals do not give enough time for directors to make quality music and build a community atmosphere. Performance trips or other trips are another way to help bond a group and build a community. Also having ensemble retreats or social activities can help students feel like they are apart of something and help to bring the ensemble together as a team and community. Finally, @rhodabernard suggested giving students leadership opportunities in your ensembles. This gives them ownership and makes them feel like they are apart of something important. Read the chat recap on community for more suggestions on how to build a community in your classroom.

Retention Techniques

The #MusEdChat partitipcants ended the chat by sharing ideas for how we can keep our students in our ensembles. It is important that we try everything we can to keep students in our ensembles and show them the importance of music education. Below are some of the retention techniques that the chat participants suggested.

Give students plenty of encouragement, praise, and support. This helps motivate them to continue.
Set up students for success- Pick music that the students can succeed with, especially at the elementary level.
Include a few fun pieces that students enjoy playing at every concert-play some popular music, Music that the students can relate to.
Student ownership of the group- it is important to get the students to buy into your system
Believe in the students and help them to achieve- the sense of pride from hard work as a group is very motivating
Trips- while this isn’t the only answr trips can really help motivate students to stay with an ensemble
After school ensembles- this is a great idea especially if you have a lot of students who can fit your ensemble into their school schedule
Let students play the instrument they want- don’t force a student to play an instrument just because you need a certain instrument in your ensemble
Motivate students through their own success
Encouragement-many students like music over other classes because the teachers are on a more personal level with them
Challenge the students- students are motivated by a challenge, especially gifted students , and that’s who we are often dealing with
Sense of collective purpose- the product is important, but the journey getting there is more vital

Keeping students in our ensembles can sometimes be a challenge, but using the above techniques can help. It is important that we don’t just use one technique, but instead find a balance between using challenging and familiar music, have a good community atmosphere, and have good student to teacher relationships. When all of these things happen in good balance there is a better chance of students staying involved in our ensembles. @MrAhrens summed up the chat by saying “I believe however it happens, when the music takes on value for the students personally they will be more likely to stick with it.”

#MusEdChat Recap- Recruitment (11-15-10)

Elizabeth Heist — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:00:06 +0000

In general having kids play for and with each other when you can is perhaps the best recruitment strategy we can use. Students inspire each other the most. -@rizzrazz

The #MusEdChat participants on 11/15/10 moderated by @LindsayMorelli disscused recruitment and what are some effective techniques for recruiting students for your music program.

Reasons Music Programs are Shrinking

The #MusEdChat participants started the chat by discussing why music programs are continually shrinking and why there is an extreme need for music educators to recruit students to join their music classes and ensembles. Part of our job and time as music teachers is spent recruiting students for our ensembles. Unfortunately ensembles all over the country are shrinking in size causing this need for recruitment even more. One of the biggest reasons that ensmbles are shrinking is because music programs are slowly being cut due to budget cuts and schools constantly focusing on improving standarized test scores. Often administrators, school boards, and community members don’t see the need and importance of music education resulting in more and more music department cuts. It is crucial that we as music educators find ways to show why music in schools is so important and necessary. Scheduling is another main reason that music programs are continually shrinking. Many times AP and Honors courses are scheduled at the same time as ensembles forcing our students to choose which one to take. @orbital7 said “Another problem with scheduling is that often schools do not have enough class periods in the day for students to be in more than one ensemble causing them to make a choice between which ensembles to join.” Many times there are problems between music teachers which can cause turmoil leading to students dropping out of ensembles. Finally, bad feeder programs at the elementary level can cause students to not want to continue in the upper grades or to even join an ensemble at all.

When Should we Recruit?

Next the #MusEdChat participants discussed when we should recruit students to join our ensembles. Starting recruitment early is very important in order to get students to join our ensembles. @musiccargirl14 said “We should use elementary general music as a time to get students playing and singing together and to show students how important and fun music can be.” If we spark a students interest at the elementary level there is a greater chance they will continue with music later on. @rizzrazz said that we also need to think strategically. “Planning a big event before you hold sign-ups for ensembles can help to recruit more students.” When we strategically plan it often helps us to recruit more students. Middle school is another important time to recruit students. Middle school is when students are transitioning from elementary school to high school. At this age students often begin to find music as ‘un-cool’ so it is important that we shoud middle school students that music is still fun to be apart of. All the #MusEdChat participants agree that while there are some more critical times than others to recruit we should be working on recruiting all the time. @BradVolek said “Not to sound “smart”, but I think all of the time is the ideal time to recruit. We need to make our students, parents, adminstration, and community members understand that what we do is a big deal.”

Recruitment Techniques

Recruitment may sound simple, but it actually takes a lot of time and hard work in order to reach out to our students and show them the importance of music. The #MusEdChat participants ended the chat by discussing ways we can recruit students for our ensembles. Below are some of the recruitment techniques that the chat participants suggested.

Individual phone calls to parents-this shows that you will care about your students which is important to parents
Meeting with parents and students- keeps the parents informed and the more parents know the more they let their kids do
Educating the administration- show them the importance of music education and get their students involved in your program
Have a social night-helps get students interested
Program continuity- see your program as one K-12 program not two individual programs. Continuity helps to recruit and retain students
Invite middle school students to sit in on a high school ensemble rehearsal-gives them an idea of what your ensembles are like
Find out who in the school has mucical talent, but is not in your ensemble- often students with piano experience can become the best mallet players in a band
Recruit from general music and music technology classes
Instrumental petting zoo- gives students a chance to actually touch, play, and hear the different instruments
Parent education
After school ensembles- great for students who are not able to join mulitple in school ensembles because of scheduling
Buddy system- pair up elementary and high school students. Gives elementary students one-on-one attention
Have your high school ensemble play for the elementary students

Recruitment takes a lot of time and effort, but is important to show the importance of music education. Using some of the above strategies can help to make recruiting easier and more fun for both you and your students. @musiccargirl14 summed up the chat by saying “As long as you give your students a love for music at an early age and show the importance of music, you will always have students for your programs and ensembles at the higher levels.”

#MusEdChat Recap- Aptitude Tests (11-8-10)

Elizabeth Heist — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 17:13:38 +0000

The key point of using musical aptitude tests is so that we as teachers can better know where our student’s strengths and weaknesses lie. After we know this then we can better help our students achieve higher results. – @rizzrazz

The #MusEdChat participants on 11/8/10 moderated by @rizzrazz discussed musical aptitude and what role music aptitude tests should play in the music education classroom.

Musical Aptitude

The #MusEdChat participants started the chat by discussing what they believe musical aptitude is and what it consists of. A very broad and general definition of musical aptitude is finding out what area or areas of music a student excels in. The #MusEdChat participants agreed that musical aptitude is usually more specifically considered as a student’s innate ability to sense pitch and rhythm. According to @rizzrazz students usually are higher in one aptitude or another (tonal or rhythmic). For example some students may have a very high tonal aptitude, but they may not understand the mechanics behind singing. Some of the #MusEdChat participants believe that musical aptitude is not important. @JaworskiMusic said “I believe musical aptitude is just an allusion and just a way to market talent to parents and teachers.” Musical experiences especially at an early age are more important than musical aptitude. If teachers nurture musical experiences and lay a solid foundation musical aptitude and achievement will follow later on. All the #MusEdChat participants agreed that musical aptitude is only a small part of achievement in music education. Getting students to achieve in music class still takes a lot of practice, work, time, and dedication from both the teacher and students.

Challenges of Musical Aptitude Tests

Next the #MusEdChat participants discussed challenges that musical aptitude tests bring to music teachers. First of all musical aptitude tests usually only measure tonal and rhythmic abiliities and don’t take into consideration the many other aspects of music. @jp52smith said “The problem I have with musical aptitude tests is that tonal and rhythmic abilities alone do not guarantee a musical performance and experience for students.” Even aptitude tests that measure multiple aspects of musicianship do not give us as music teachers a clear picture of a student’s musical talent and ability. Musical aptitude tests also do not consider student exploration and experience, which is an important process when considering a students musical aptitude and ability level. @ElissaMilne said “I believe it is more interesting and helpful to have an understanding of the musical knowledge and understanding that my students are bring to class rather than their musical aptitude.” Another challenge with musical aptitude tests is there practicality. These tests usually are given individually and take a lot of time. @MrAhrens said “I don’t disagree with musical aptitude tests; I am just concerned about how much time they take. I already don’t have enough time in my ensembles to get everything acomplished.” The biggest challenge with musical aptitude tests is that they are not a one-fix solution. @rizzrazz said “Just like you can’t build a house with just a hammer, you can’t improve musical aptitude and achievement with just aptitude tests. You also need teacher skills on top of aptitude tests.” Aptitude is a starting point only. All the rest is experience and hard work.

Importance of Musical Aptitude Tests

Next the chat participants shifted to discussing the importance of aptitude tests in music education. @thomasjwest said that aptitude has a direct effect on how we teach our students. It is important to know our students aptitudes to help us adapt instruction and meet their individual needs and help them to learn easier. Aptitude tests help us get to know our students better. We will have students with perfect pitch and students who can’t match pitch in the same classroom. Knowing their aptitudes help us give all our students a better musical experience. Musical aptitude tests can be a great way to help us challenge our students appropriately. For example if we have a student we know has a high musical aptitude, but is not performing well we can ask their parents if they are practicing. Knowing this helps us to make sure our students are achieving to the best of their abilities. Aptitude tests help us know our students true musical ability. It is important to remember that just because a student is low achieving doesn’t mean that they have a low aptitude. Aptitude tests also help us identify our students that have a high aptitude. Without using aptitude tests 30-40% of our students are likely slipping under the radar and are not receiving the challenges they need. Finally, aptitude tests also help keep parents informed of their child’s musical abilities.

Types of Musical Aptitude Tests

The #MusEdChat participants ended the chat by sharing different types of music aptitude tests that are avaliable. Most of the aptitude tests that exist are from Gordon and are based on his Music Learning Theory and audiation. These aptitude tests have been around for a long time, but are not widely used. @rizzrazz said “There are other musical aptitude tests that exist, but many of them do not have good research tied to them.” Below are some of the musical aptitude tests and a brief description of what they measure.

PMMA (Primary Measures of Music Audiation) – This music aptitude test is for children in grades K-3. It is designed to diagnose and measure music potential. The test is divided into 2 sections, tonal and rhythm.
IMMA (Intermediate Measures of Music Audiation)- This music aptitude test is similar to PMMA and is for students in grades 1-6. IMMA is designed to diagnose and measure music potential of older children or younger students who find the PMMA too easy. IMMA has more difficult patterns for students to audiate, but is in the same format as PMMA.
AMMA (Advanced Measures of Music Audiation)- A music aptitude test for students in grades 7-12, but is best for high school students and students entering college. AMMA measures the same skills as PMMA and IMMA only at a much more advanced level.
MAP (Music Aptitude Profile)- MAP is condsidered to be the grandaddy of music aptitude tests and is the most researched aptitude test avaliable. It tests seven components including; melody, harmony, tempo, meter, phrasing, balance, and style.
HIRR (Harmonic Improvisation Readiness Record) and RIRR (Rhythm Improvisation Readiness Record)- designed for students in grades 4-12. These tests are designed to serve as aids to teachers in assisting their students to improvise music. They help determine readiness for improvisation.

Musical aptitude tests have a lot of good benefits, but can be very challenging to incorporate into the music classroom. @thomasjwest summed up the chat by saying “Even if we do not use musical aptitude tests in the classroom we can and should teach and assess the concepts that the musical aptitude tests are based on.”

#MusEdChat Recap- Differentiating Literacy (11-1-10)

Elizabeth Heist — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 05:00:01 +0000

It is critical for music teachers to establish and put into place the foundation of tuneful, beautiful, and artful before we can begin to teach literacy. This foundation needs to begin to be established in kindergarten and first grade. – @lovedrummin

The #MusEdChat participants on 11/1/10 discussed how we can differentiate music literacy in kindergarten through second grade classrooms to meet the needs of all our students.

Components of Literacy

The #MusEdChat participants started off the chat by defining literacy and disccusing the different components of literacy. When we hear the term literacy in music we usually think of reading and writing standard musical notation. Especially in the elementary grades there are other parts to being literate in music rather than just reading and writing notation. At the elementary level music literacy starts by students understanding music. @DrTimony said “Students really need to understand that they already know how to read music. The ‘mysticism’ of music drives me crazy.” Part of being literate in music is the students being able to feel, hear, and internalize the music. Early elementary students are able to indetify what is going on in music such as if it is high, low, fast, or slow. This is the beginning of music literacy even though you are not having them read or write musical notation. @clb1015 said “I teach my kindergarten students basic composition by using symbols not standard notation. I believe that this is still considered musical literacy.” Composition whether it is with symbols, patterns, or actual notation is a great example of musical literacy. #MusEdChat participants believe that having student write about music and how music makes them feel can also be considered a component of musical literacy even though it is not the traditional literacy we often think of.

Music Literacy and Audiation

All the #MusEdChat participants agreed that audiation needs to occur first before reading and writing notation should be taught. @lovedrummin said she has had great results reaching her elementary students by teaching audiation before reading and writing musical notation. Audiation is the ability to hear music internally before hearing it out loud and is based on patterns. @rizzrazz said “Patterns are the building blocks of understanding musical context. Until students are able to audiate musical context thay should not read and write traditional musical notation.” Literacy needs to start with listening, ear training, and audiation. The chat participants believe we should not teach our students to read music before they are able to understand it. This is similar to how kids do not learn to write until after they can talk. @gakingmusic said “Literacy must begin with ear training. There is little sense in reading and writing music that you can’t understand and comprehend aurally.” Teaching audiation is a great way to begin teaching elementary students musical literacy and lead them into reading and writing traditional notation. @lovedrummin said “I think if many more music teachers would lay the foundation of audiation at the elementary level we would see an extreme increase in our student’s ability, musical literacy, and musicianship.

When do we Begin Teaching Literacy?

Next the #MusEdChat participants began discussing when we should begin teaching reading and writing musical notation to our students. The #MusEdChat participants believe that music teachers need to prioritize aural training and audiation at the elementary and middle school levels so that a solid foundation is built. The chat participants believe in the philosophy of sound before sight. After the students are successful with audiation then you can move on to teaching traditional notation. @lovedrummin said “I don’t use any traditional notation at the kindergarten level. In 1^st and 2^nd grade I begin introducting musical notation starting with patterns and symbols and then I progress into standard notation.” In kindergarten and early first grade we should really focus on finding their singing voice, feeling a beat, and being expressive before moving to musical notation. The chat participants summed up this part of this chat by saying when to begin teaching literacy is not set in stone. It depends on each individual class. Some classes will be ready by first grades while other classes may not be ready until 2^nd or even early 3^rd grade.

How do we Differentiate Literacy?

The chat participants ended the chat by discussing how to differentiate literacy in the K-2 music classroom. Differentiating literacy is very important so that all students are on the same skill at the same time. Below are some of the ways that the #MusEdChat participants suggest to differentiate musical literacy.

Patterns- have students sing tonal and rhythmic patterns
Teach basic composition to lower elementary students by using symbols
Use SmartBoard to build rhythms giving the students specific rules. For example give them 4 boxes(4 beats) and three notational possibilities(ta, titti, rest)
Differ how students demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of reading. For example have the students say, move, chant, and play the rhythm on a drum
Kodaly method
Give each student a chance to answer questions individually
When a student answers a question right do not say good job. Instead ask the students if that student was right or not
Make time for both group and individual assessment
Have the students read patterns, turn them into ostinatos, and then add instruments
Model musicality and healthy singing so that pre-kindergarten and kindergarten can imitate and then later make their own conscious decisions
Use as many senses as possible (Howard Gardner)
When giving a written test read the questions aloud so the non-readers have the same opportunities
When songs have different parts, switch up the parts so that all students are challenged the same
Show contour of melodies by using visual aids
Creativity-a great way to show who understands a concept and who doesn’t
Have the students that have mastered a certain skill volunteer to help those that are struggling

To read more about audiation and how to teach it read the chat recap from 10/25/10. To see audiation and musical literacy taking place in the elementary classroom check out this video of @rizzrazz students http://bit.ly/b5ZfND.

#MusEdChat Recap- Audiation (10-25-10)

Elizabeth Heist — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:37:29 +0000

Listening is the most critical aspect of the music curriculum. You need to be able to hear music and internalize it before you can ever attempt to play or sing it. – @Zweibz7

The #MusEdChat participants on 10/25/10 discussed audiation and how our understanding of audiation as music teachers affects what, when, and how we teach music to our students.

What is Audiation?

The #MusEdChat participants started the chat by defining and describing what is audiation. Audiation is a complex suject that has many definitions. Most musicians and music teachers define audiation by saying it is inner hearing. The #MusEdChat participants disagreed and said that definition of audiation is not specific enough. @michellek107 said “In order to be true audiation that inner hearing must have some meaning attached to it.” @Zweib7 agreed saying that context and meaning is a big concept that many overlook when attempting to define audiation. A great way to better understand audiation is by comparing it to art. @richardmccready said “In art, visualization is being able to see in your mind and in music audiation is being able to hear music in your head without hearing it out loud first.” @lovedrummin said “To me audiation is when you can look at music and hear and understand it before even putting out any sound.” @DrTimony said “Audiation is a just a name given to what students already do. What we are talking about here is calibrating what they already do.” The Gordon definition of audiation seems to encompass all of the qualities of audiation that the #MusEdChat participants suggested. The Gordon definition of audiation says “Audiation takes place only when we hear, comprehend, and internalize music for which the sound is no longer or may never have been present.”

Audiation in Relationship to Sight Reading and Solfeggio

Next the chat shifted to discussing how audiation is related to sight reading and solfeggio. Most of the chat participants agreed that audiation and sight reading are not correlated. Your students can be a great sight reader, but still not be audiating in their head. @brandtschneider said “some students can sight read very well, but they have no idea about what they are singing. Instead of knowing what they are singing they are just doing the mechanics.” @lovedrummin said “I was a fantastic sight reader when I was growing-up, but never truly audiated until after I started teaching.” Next the chat shifted to discussing audiation in correlation to solfeggio. Kodaly, Orff, and Dalcroze all claim that solfeggio facilitates the inner ear which would lead to solfeggio helping with audiation. @Dianawinds456 agreed saying “Teaching solfeggio and sight reading by example with help improve the performance of our students. Solfeggio and sight reading is all about singing before you play, which I believe is a big part of audiation.” The majority of the #MusEdChat participants believe that solfeggio does not help with audiation and that it may actually hinder developing the skills of auditation. Most of the chat participants said that they have never used solfeggio and that has never been a hinderance in reading or audiation. @richardmccready said “I learned how to audiate by having good sight reading skills and from singing the notes on the page. I could never hack solfeggio, but I am still able to audiate.” @DrTimony ended this portion of the chat by saying “I am not a fan of using solfeggio for reading or audiation. Solfeggio can be good for warmups and intervals, but it does not help to build audiation skills.”

How to Teach Audiation

Next the chat participants shared ideas on how we can teach audiation to our students. One way is by using Conversational Solfeggio created by Feierbend who studied under Gordon. Conversational solfege is a watered down version of Gordon’s Music Learning Theory. Conversational solfege helps students become independent musical thinkers by using an ear-before-eye approach to music literacy. The goal of conversational solfege is to create fully engaged, indpendent musicians who can hear, understand, read, write, compose, and improvise. Many of the chat participants who have used conversational solfege said they have found a huge difference in the musicality of their students because they are audiating. Another way to teach audiation is to emphasize active listening. @michellek107 said “Listening needs to begin in Kindergarten even if it is not in the curriculum. I believe that there never can be enough emphasis placed on listening.” Teaching improvisation is another great way to help students improve their audiation skills. @brandtschneider said “In my ensembles we do a lot of silent band performances as students sing and play. I hold out one hand for out loud and the other hand for in head.” Audiation can also be taight in classes such as music technology by using a sequencer window. @lovedrummin said “When teaching audiation it is important to keep it simple and practical. Too often audiation is so technical and students don’t get anything out of it.” In order to help our students get better at audiation we need experience, experimentation, calibration, and regular practice.

Importance of Audiation

The #MusEdChat participants ended the chat by discussing the importance of auditation. Audiation is an important skill for students to learn in order to become more musical. @lovedrummin said “I have become a much better musician over the past three years since I began audiating.” It is especially important that we start teaching audiation in the primary grades. Instrumental students usually make less mistakes when they audiate and hear the music before they try playing. It is vital that we teach our students to hear first. It is also important for us to teach them to hear the whole ensemble sound not just their individual note. @brandtschneider summed up the chat by saying “As music teachers our mantra about auditation should be think, hear, breather, and then play.

#MusEdChat Recap- Life Lessons (10-18-10)

Elizabeth Heist — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 01:39:45 +0000

Students may not understand why the hair on their neck is standing up, or why tears are forming, but we as educators can capture that emerging moment, and begin the conversation where feelings can become something tangible. – @travisjweller

The #MusEdChat participants on 10/18/10 moderated by @MrAhrens discussed what some life lessons are that we teach our students and ourselves through music education and what life lessons in general we can learn from music.

Students

The #MusEdChat participants started the chat by discussing what life lessons we teach our students through music education. All the participants agree that in general music teaches students many life lessons that other subjects don’t and can’t teach. Music also teaches students life skills that will help them become better human beings. Below are some of the main life lessons that the #MusEdChat participants believe that we teach our students through music.

Music teaches students to set goals and it also teaches perseverance to reach those goals
How to get along with each other- in ensembles everyone has to work together in order for the ensemble to be effective
Practice like you are performing- music teaches students to never do anything only half way
There is music in the rests also-we have to teach our students to play the entire piece including the rests in order to encapture the full meaning of the piece
Performing music together in an ensemble is a great equalizer-geek, jock, popular, not popular in music we all work together for a common goal
Ensembles teach situational awareness- the skill of observation is very important
Community- performing in an ensemble builds a sense of community and makes students feel apart of something
Strong work ethic- practicing music teaches students to pay attention to detail, never give up, and concentrate
Music especially ensembles build trust, competence, courage, communication, and collective responsibility
Music unlocks emotions in our students that they may be unaware they possess
Practice establishes a sense of discipline and routine
Teamwork and respect
Music helps students to gain self-confidence through learning to play instruments and successful performances
Music teaches students and allows students to think about the “what” and “why” not just the how

Teachers

Teaching music also teaches us as teachers a lot of important life lessons about both teaching and also life in general. Below are some of the life lessons that the #MusEdChat participants have learned through teaching music.

Teaching music teaches us that loving our craft is more important than anything
Don’t be afraid to sometime let your students play loudly and just have fun
Personal responsibility
Teaching helps us to learn punctuality
Accountability to your ensembles
Always be prepared
Expect the unexpected
Always have fun- don’t be afraid to have fun and act silly especially with elementary students because they will love it

General Life Lessons

The #MusEdChat participants ended the chat by discussing general life lessons that music can teach everyone. Overall the chat participants kept stressing that music has the ability to reach and grab us in a way that no other subject can. Below are some overall life lessons that the #MusEdChat participants believe music teaches us.

True beauty can’t be measured my a number two pencil
Seeking excellence- in an era where doing things to the minimum is valued, music teaches us the importance of seeking excellence
We are all musical
Practice makes perfect
You never know who is in the room or concert hall that needs to hear the message the music has to offer
Listening can be just if not more important than speaking, singing, or playing
Music teaches us that everyone has a voice, that they are all different, and are all valuable
Music education teaches us how to be in the moment
Music helps us identify what aspects of music are truly beautiful to us as an individual
Music teaches the importance of feeling, creating, and experiencing
Ensemble music teaches trust and respect
Music teaches us how to enjoy a process

Music teaches us numerous amounts of invaluable life lessons we cannot learn anywhere else. As musicians and music teachers it should be our daily goal to make each day our own masterpiece. @travisjweller summed up the chat by saying “We should enter each day by saying; I have this day with my students to make music with my students. We will make this music together, and makes us all better people.”