Piano "Poos" Party Pose

Reflection Blog Post (10-03-14)

1.  How would you describe their classroom environment?  This can include room set-up and materials, but also their approach to classroom management and student expectations.  Be as specific as possible.

I would describe the classroom environment as “organized chaos”.  In general, I feel most successful music educators in an elementary school setting must be ready for anything at any time.   I felt that the classroom was set-up pretty similar to other classrooms I have seen.  There was a section of standard musical instruments (xylophones, drums, etc.), a set of risers most likely for older children, and a multicolored rug with row tiles in the center of the room most likely for younger children.  There was both a smart board and a chalk board.  There was also a piano in the far corner of the room.  I found her approach to classroom management very interesting as the school is a PK-6th grade.  As a General Music teacher, they is tasked to teach general music to a variety of age levels and abilities throughout the day.  They also only see various classrooms on a weekly basis, not multiple times a week which makes it hard to establish a routine within each class.  However, I felt that their approach to classroom management was very strong.  There was a clear warning policy in place that gave a student two behavior warnings before they were given a blue slip and they made the student tell them what behavior the student had done that was wrong.   I also felt that the expectations for the students were fairly high.  The students seemed eager to learn for the most part and there was an authoritative presence in the classroom by using various silencing strategies (Ex. “heads up”, repetitive clapping patterns, and hand cymbals).

2.  What techniques does the teacher use to manage student behavior?   This can be evident in planning, pace and type of activities and not just punitive or reactionary behaviors to student behavior.

When there was a discrepancy between two first-grade students, they let the students work out their differences on their own which I found very practical.   This forces the students to take initiative to speak up when they feel offended and to learn to settle their issues without adult intervention.  There seemed to be set established behavior expectations between student and teacher before the students even entered the classroom.  The 6th grade’s mannerisms and respect for each other were very high although their personal abilities varied.  There were set goals in mind for that day’s class activities and of what curriculum they wanted to cover in the lesson.  We were told that a teacher’s greatest downfall is talking too much so the teacher often under explains activities and directs as needed.

3.  What class activities were effective and why?  What were the musical goals?

I felt the musical goals for the classroom, especially in the 6th grade class were very ambitious, but the students were definitely able to handle it.  The 6th grade class was being taught half steps using solfège and its corresponding hand signals and was also working on singing a song in rounds with harmonization.  A high degree of movement was used in the classroom and I feel that this was effective in letting the children explore movement and space without being insecure around their peers.  I also thought it was especially effective when the teacher participated in the movement activities with the students, creating a positive role model for the students to follow.

4.  What questions do you have after observing this classroom?

One of my major questions after observing this classroom was how to go about acquiring classroom materials as a new teacher (instruments, posters, classroom décor, etc.).

Reflection Blog Post (11-21-14)

I really enjoyed our visit last Friday, and getting to talk with the music staff about their experience as music educators.  I know little about band ensemble and teaching band, but I was given an opportunity to conduct the 6-7 grade band which was a great experience.  Reading a band score vs. reading an orchestral score was definitely different, but I enjoyed the atmosphere and high energy of the band.  I found it really interesting how they incorporated technology in their school, with each upper-grade student being issued an iPad by the school.  For example, the choir students used their iPads to read their choral music off of instead of using folders or sheet music.  This would really cut down on the clutter of the classroom and the organizational requirements for the teacher, as well as students losing music and having to keep track of the number of parts.  However, I think that it would be hard for the school to facilitate what the students are using the iPads for in their free time and when they are using their iPads during class time.  It was also nice to sit down with the music department during lunch to talk about their views on the current arts/academic situation in their school.  The level of energy that these teachers have for their jobs and their students amazes me.  Their level of encouragement toward their students and the positive environment that they provide really inspires me as a future music educator.  I also took note on the way that they decorated their classrooms, with decals and inspirational quotes.  I think that the specific environment of a music educator really reflects how that teacher thinks and works well.  Some teachers seem less organized than others, but to them this level of organization helps their classroom succeed.

Saxophone Fingering Chart

Kitty "Cat-certo"

Thoughts on Using SmartMusic

Today I recorded the first 25 measures of J.C. Bach's Concerto in C minor Mvt. II, Adagio molto espressivo using SmartMusic.  I have played along before with SmartMusic's method books for beginner woodwinds which works great for showing immediate rhythm and pitch accuracy.  However, I found recording a solo piece using SmartMusic to be far less seamless.  The selection of solo pieces available on SmartMusic for my primary instrument (viola) is geared more toward beginner-intermediate level solo pieces and/or method solo books like Suzuki, and not so much toward advanced repertoire solo pieces.  The pieces I am currently working on in my Applied Lesson were not available on SmartMusic, so I had to backtrack in my study and play something that I had not worked on in a while.  In my first few takes I struggled with tempo between the accompaniment and solo.  The different takes also sounded very distorted and the accompaniment overpowered the solo line.  I had to try standing in a few different locations to get the "best" possible sounding recording.  After quite a few more takes I had given up playing along with the accompaniment, but I had discovered how to lower the recording and microphone volumes which helped lessen the distortion. In the recording I finally deemed "best", I was attempting to follow the green line on SmartMusic which marked the beat of the metronome, but I had also set the take to follow me through varied tempo changes, which did not happen.  I consistently found myself waiting for the green line in the recording to catch up to where I was in the music, giving my recording an unsteady pulse and distracting me from focusing on pitch.  Overall I would definitely use SmartMusic in the classroom when working on basic method pieces, and even beginning Suzuki pieces where a steady, consistent tempo is stressed.  SmartMusic has the capability to give both teacher and student immediate results on the student's progress, and even redirection from the teacher if the student is practicing something in the wrong way.  Smart Music also provides the student with an accompanist while practicing their solo repertoire which is helpful if the student doesn't have frequent access to an accompanist until right before the performance.With regards to more advanced solo pieces, I feel that using SmartMusic is not the best option.  By this level, students are experimenting with expressive qualities that will result in their pieces having a fluctuating tempo that SmartMusic may not accurately be able to follow.

Why is Music Eduation Important?

Music not only impacts academic achievement, it also shapes the way our students understand themselves and the world around them.  Through music education, students learn to express themselves in multiple ways and become more sensitive to the preferences and feelings of others.  Music is a universal language.  It bridges the mind with the soul, by reflecting on any part of our human experience, whether emotional, mathematical, philosophical, linguistic, physical, historical, or spiritual.  A student stated that "music has affected my life by helping me to relax and really concentrate.  It helps me open my eyes and focus on the task at hand... I really enjoy participating in music classes because I am constantly challenged... Without music, my life would be full of stress, and I would not enjoy things to the fullest."  Statistically it has been found that high school music students have better grades than non-musicians in the same school.  And students in high-quality school music programs score higher on standardized tests compared to students in schools with deficient music education programs, regardless of the socioeconomic level of the school or school district.  As of 2006, schools with music programs had significantly higher graduation and attendance rates than those without music programs.  More importantly, music performance offers opportunities for students to fail.  Through the creative process, students reflect on failures and successes, and derive a sense of their own interests and challenges.  I feel this is an invaluable life skill for students to learn, especially growing up in our current economy.  Through the toils of failure and success, students learn the value of persistence and of working hard for an uncertain outcome.