STANDARD 4: The teacher of PK-12 music has skills in listening to, analyzing, describing, and performing music.
Without skills in listening to, analyzing, describing, and performing music, a music educator could not be deemed successful. Through the continued use and betterment of these skills, I will provide my classroom with excellent music learning experiences. Throughout my life as a musician and educator, I have been provided opportunities on a daily basis to implement and develop the skillset described in Standard 4. There is much more to this standard than meets the eye. Listening may seem simple, but this is a deception. Often, we listen to respond, we do not listen to listen. In the last few years, I have developed my listening skills considerably. In rehearsals, various classroom settings, private lessons, and my own practice have allowed me to learn to listen in different ways. In the choral and classroom settings, I have listened to pieces for textures, harmonies, expressive elements, error detection and more. Active listening is one of the key elements to students’ music education. Students have to be able to listen while they perform so that they can reflect on their own performance and correct mistakes. Music Theory, Aural Skills, and Music History courses have been key in developing my ability to listen to, analyze, and describe music. Music Theory gave me the skills I needed to successfully analyze music and pick out the most important parts of each piece. My background in Music History allows me to explain the significance of pieces both historically and musically. As a student at Kansas State, I analyzed “Inscription of Hope” by Z. Randall Stroope, considering all of the details of the piece to teach to a beginning collegiate ensemble. Getting them to the point of performance was a privilege and really allowed me to see how much Standard 4 impacts the learning experience. Performance combines everything in this standard and presents it in one unified package. I have been lucky enough to have been performing for about 16 years, 11 of those years being primarily music. Performance was a focus during my time at Kansas State. This is the culmination of everything that music has to offer, so it should be a focus. I have performed solo pieces, group works, choral works, even having the opportunity to play a named character in Mozart’s “The Magic Flute” in my sophomore year. The culmination of all my experiences make me a great musician and educator and allow me to provide my students with the tools and resources they need to be successful.
The skills described in Standard 4 are building blocks essential to student success in the music classroom. Students listen to the world around them from the moment they are born, analyzing what they hear, describing things, and performing. At first this will appear as speech and basic motor functions. Once students reach elementary school, they are able to listen to and analyze more complex things like music. Listening is one of the first things they will do in the music classroom. Students are asked to listen to music and talk about it even before the lesson is taught. Allowing student discussion of musical elements, they have observed allows them to fully understand what they have just heard as well as appreciate it at a deeper level. This also allows students, and the educator, to hear multiple perspectives of a piece. Performing music is often the end goal in a music education class. While this is an important piece to the puzzle that is music education, the inclusion of listening, analyzing, and describing provides the performer and listener of the whole picture, rather than a confusing and fragmented image. Listening, analyzing, describing, and performing are all key parts to creating the whole musician.
The skills described in Standard 4 are building blocks essential to student success in the music classroom. Students listen to the world around them from the moment they are born, analyzing what they hear, describing things, and performing. At first this will appear as speech and basic motor functions. Once students reach elementary school, they are able to listen to and analyze more complex things like music. Listening is one of the first things they will do in the music classroom. Students are asked to listen to music and talk about it even before the lesson is taught. Allowing student discussion of musical elements, they have observed allows them to fully understand what they have just heard as well as appreciate it at a deeper level. This also allows students, and the educator, to hear multiple perspectives of a piece. Performing music is often the end goal in a music education class. While this is an important piece to the puzzle that is music education, the inclusion of listening, analyzing, and describing provides the performer and listener of the whole picture, rather than a confusing and fragmented image. Listening, analyzing, describing, and performing are all key parts to creating the whole musician.
ARTIFACT 1: Song Analysis Table
The song analysis table was used to break down and analyze the various songs used in my elementary unit plan, exploring the concept "sol-mi." This analysis is for "Song of the Land Shell." As a teacher, it is vitally important to be aware of as much information about the music as possible prior to teaching it to students. In this example, I broke down the piece in terms of the information that would be most useful when teaching in an elementary general music course for first grade students. Information from this table can and and will be included in classroom instruction when teaching the song. Students could also use similar tables and charts when analyzing aspects of a piece. Tables like this are also useful when analyzing music at the secondary level. For secondary music, it might include more detailed information including key changes, a more complex phrase/form analysis, an advanced diction guide, etc.
ARTIFACT 2: Orchestra Concert Performance Excerpt
This excerpt from the 2018 Winter Orchestra Concert provides an example of song analysis and performance. Preparing for this performance was also preparation for my senior recital. For my recital, I analyzed different genres and pieces of music that I had previously performed. I selected this piece as the closing selection for my recital as well as one of my aria selections. In October, I auditioned with this piece ("Laurie's Song" from Aaron Copland's The Tender Land) for the aria competition, to sing with the orchestra in December. When preparing this aria, I observed the text, vocal range, and rhythms of the piece. The slightly unstable B section posed a challenge to begin with, but was well within my skill set and abilities. The piece fit my voice, ability, and range well, which is why I selected it. This is a skill that I can translate into selecting music for my classroom ensemble. Finding music that will challenge my students but still allow them to be successful is the key to musical growth and developing their skills as musicians.