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LarryMiller PhilosophyforMusicEducationAdvocacy 1May2013 EmbracingOurHumanNatureThroughMusic Inmanycoursessuchasbiology,physics,andcalculus,thereisasetamountof informationthatstudentsareexpectedtointernalizetopassatest.Teachersofthesecourses present,repeat,andtestthisinformation.Amusiceducator,however,hasabroaderspectrum ofwhatcanbetaughtintheclassroom.Whiletherearemusicalconceptsthatshouldbe coveredinasequentialmanner,therearemanylifelessonstobelearnedalongtheway,by meansofwhatiscalledanaestheticeducation.Anaestheticeducationrevolvesaroundthe ideaofanalyzingtheemotionalsenseinapieceofartwork,asopposedtomerelycreatingthe image(visualorotherwise)oftheartwork(Bowman1).Throughaqualitymusiceducation,a studentisgiventheopportunitytogrowasanindividual,gaininganunderstandingofhuman emotion,teamwork,andcommunication.Music,insideoroutsideoftheclassroom,canprovide ahealingoutletforthestressfultimesinstudentslives.Formanystudents,amusicclassisa safezonethatallowsthemtogrowtowardbeingastrongermemberofsociety,whilewatching theirpeersmakethesameprogress!Inessence,amusicaleducationcanprovidestudentsthe opportunitytoembracethehumannatureinthemselvesandothersthroughthecreationof music. Theexperienceoflearning,rehearsing,orperformingmusicislikenoother.When immersedinmusicmaking,astudentcanbetakenawayfromthemselvesandplacedintoan opensocialplayingfield.Throughmusicalcontribution,prejudicescanbestrippedfromthe mind,allowingstudentstoexpressthemselvesasnaturallyaspossible.Notonlycanthis meditativepropertyofperformanceberelaxing,butitcanalsobeveryhealing.Meditative

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musicalpracticecanbeusedasaguidewhenoneiscopingwithemotionalstressorsthatmay beplaguinghis/hermind.Musiceducatorsalsohavetheabilitytoallowstudentstotakemusic intotheirownhands,creatingtheemotionalconnectiontheyfeelisappropriate.Iwillneverforget beingamong240singersinthe2011WVMEAAllStateChorusconductingourselveswith closedeyesaswesangPalestrinasSuperFluminaBabylonis.Beingincompletecontrolof themusiccreatedapersonalbondbetweenstudentandsong. The2011WVMEAAllStateChorusallowedmetoseethepowerofnaturalhuman communication.Comingintotherehearsalprocess,Ionlyknewsevenofthe240singers.Upon singingourfirstwarmup,Iwastakenabackbythestrengthofourcollectivesound,passion, andmusicianship.Afterworkingthroughacoupleofrehearsals,InoticedaconnectionIfeltwith thesestudentsknowingthateveryonehadgonethroughthesameprocessofpreparingthe repertoirefortheperformancewasabondthatIcouldnotcomparetoanythingelse.Eachand everystudenthadcreatedtheirownjourneyswiththepieces,andinasingleweekend,we aimedtocollaborateinawaythatsurpassedthephysicalityofsinging. Attheendofourperformance,wewereecstatictohaveperformedwithgreatfriendsthat wereoncecompletestrangers.Throughoutworkingwiththisgroupofstudents,myeyeswere openedtothenaturalkindnessofhumanexpression.DavidElliott,anotedphilosopherofmusic education,conveyedasimilarideainhispraxialphilosophy.Bypraxial,Elliottreferstoa philosophycenteredaroundtheideaofemotionalintentmusicisusedtocreateasenseof onesselfhoodandonesrelationshipwithothersinacommunity.Theinstantrespectandlove createdbythelearningprocessinspiredmeaboveallelse.Atthistime,IdecidedthatIwantedto sharethisexperiencewithmyownstudents.

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MygoalisnottosystematicallyteachmusictocreatealeagueofperfectperformersI plantousemusictocreateaconnectionamongmystudents.Indoingthis,Iplantoutilizethe growingcultureIshalllearnasmuchfrommystudentsasIintendmystudentstolearnfrom me.Lessonplanscanbeadaptedtoapplymoredirectlytothelivesofthecurrentstudents.As aneducator,itisimportanttofindthebenefitsinthestudentspreviousknowledge.Musical conceptsthatstudentsalreadyunderstandcanbeusedandmanipulatedtocreateabroader senseofmusicality.Forexample,songsinpopularculturecanbeusedtoteachthe compositionalconceptswithinthem,suchasmeter,phrasing,articulation,tonality,and harmonicstructure.ZoltanKodlypresentedasimilarideabyutilizingHungarianfolksongsin hismusicalpractice(Trinka).Thiscreatesanengaginglesson,takingadvantageofpreexisting musicalinterest. Studyingmusic,whetheraloneorinanensemble,canfurtherthedevelopmentofa studentssenseofindependence.Musiceducatorsareabletodanceinthefieldofdevelopinga senseofindividualityamongyoungminds,especiallyasstudentsentertheirteenageyears. Whenperformersaregiventheresponsibilityofcontributingtoamusicalexperience,their buddingsensesofindependencetakeover,whichcanaidincreatingastrongminded,active musicianandhumanbeing.Similarly,whenamusicalexperienceisgivenliteralmeaning, perhapsthroughanemotionaltextofachoralpiece,performerstakeontheresponsibilityof deliveringthismessageashonestlyaspossible.Throughacceptingtheseroles,studentsare exposedtoemotionalsituationsinasafeenvironment,allowingthemtogrowasagroupof individualsinresponsetothelifeexperiencepresentedbythemusic.

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Notonlycanagrouplearninthishypotheticalmanner,butstudentscanlearnfromeach otherthroughmusic.AtWestminsterChoirCollege,itisatraditiontosingforthosewhoare facingtrouble.Whetheritbethedifficultdecisiontotransfertoanotheruniversity,the hospitalizationofamother,orthelossofahome,studentsatWestminstersupportoneanother throughsong.ThesenseofcommunityamongtheWestminsterchoirshaslongsincebeen attributedtothismusicalactofkindness.Whilecomingtogethertopresentamusicalmessage foranaudiencecanuniteagroupofpeopleimmensely,usingthemusicalmessagetohelpa friendcancreateanimpermeablecommunityamongstudents. Whilethereareperformancestandardstomyplannedteaching,suchastheabilityto sightreaddiatonicmusicandunderstandsimplisticvocaltechniqueandvocalhealth,Iammuch moreinvestedinwhatstudentscantakeoutofamusicclassroom.Moststudentswillnotstudy musicafterhighschool.However,themusicalexperiencesstudentscreateintheclassroom, whetherinensembleorinprivatestudy,canbeusedtoshapestudentsmindsintobeingmore sensitive,responsive,independent,andemotionallymature.Thismentalendurancehelps preparestudentsforthechallengesthatfacethemastheypassthroughthosedoors,ontotheir ownpersonaljourneys!

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WorksCited Bowman,Wayne."Symposium:BennettReimer'sPhilosophyofMusicEducation."Mayday

Group:ActionforChangeinMusicEducation2.1(2003):Action,Criticism,&
TheoryforMusicEducation.Web.1May2013. Elliott,Daniel."WhatDoesPRAXIALMean?"DavidJElliott.Web.01May2013. Trinka,Jill."ResourcesforElementaryMusicTeachers."ResourcesforElementaryMusic

Teachers.AllianceforActiveMusicMaking,Web.01May2013.