July 31, 2022 Music Life Lesson #12: The Love of Music Because of it’s close connection to our psyche, we often use music to affect our mood. And it works. An emotion can be felt by a composer who then writes it down musically. A performer brings the printed page to life interjecting his or her personal perspectives along the way. The listener reacts to the music in a physical, emotional and/or spiritual manner and is changed due to this interaction.
July 31, 2022 Music Life Lesson #11: Connecting Emotion The craft of music is generally taught prior to the art of music. Students begin their studies at an age where an appreciation for music’s humanity has not yet been developed. (Some never achieve this). It is our duty as educators to assist student musicians in connecting their personal expression and emotions to what may be to them simply a physical and mental exercise.
July 31, 2022 Music Life Lesson #10: Setting Goals Each time a goal is set and met, the process is reinforced for the student. While they will need to be taught and encouraged to actively set and monitor goals, they will soon adopt the process as their own modus operandi as they experience successes.
July 31, 2022 Music Life Lesson #9: Leadership Leadership comes so naturally within a musical organization because music itself demonstrates leadership. We follow the score written by the composer. The audience is led emotionally by the band. There is a proper blend of individuals within the ensemble to create a successful sound.
July 31, 2022 Music Life Lesson #8: Self-Confidence … But for those who stick with it, the payoff is well worth the struggle. As the bar is continually raised through advancement in music, a child’s struggles and eventual successes compound upon each other, building faith in oneself and bolstering one’s musical mettle.
July 31, 2022 Music Life Lesson #7: Personal Responsibility / Punctuality We have a responsibility to know our parts. We have a responsibility to focus and play musically during rehearsal. We each have a responsibility to better our ensembles. But if we are not at rehearsal, even for a couple of minutes, we are failing in these responsibilities.
July 31, 2022 Music Life Lesson #6: Situational Awareness As musicians, it is our duty beyond awareness of the sound itself to be fully aware of the music that we are creating. We need to know the music on a personal level both phrase by phrase and as an overall composition. Are you familiar with the music in all of its complexity or are you simply reading one note following another?
July 31, 2022 Music Life Lesson #5: Getting Along It is our nature to make strong bonds with those with whom we share our struggles and later successes. A band becomes a team. You can not successfully perform music without constantly observing and reacting to your band-mates. Even the lines and phrases within the composition are a conversation; a cooperative narrative being spun for the audience.
July 30, 2022 Music Life Lesson #4: Critical Thinking Metacognition with regard to music is not something that will necessarily happen on its own. Students should be encouraged and directed to think through their own process of learning and growth via musical performance. Being aware of how we think, how we learn, and how we understand the music we are performing clarifies and strengthens our musical thought processes.
July 30, 2022 Music Life Lesson #3: Listening Trumps Speaking The exciting new adventure of music, it seems, is all about producing. This is fine for a little while, but soon a good teacher will introduce the student to the idea of listening. Listening improves performance. Honestly if one had to choose between only listening or only playing, the best choice would be to listen.
