STANDARD 5: The teacher of PK-12 music has skills in selecting, analyzing, interpreting, presenting, and evaluating music and music performance within the context of music education.
In the music classroom, the selection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and evaluation of music and the performance of said music is of the utmost importance. As a music educator, it is my job to use this process in the selection of all of my pieces. This process should be done with the students in mind, and the process can be redone once students have provided their input and opinions. The process of selecting, analyzing, interpreting, presenting, and evaluating music will be ever-present in students’ music learning and should be not be taken lightly.
As a performer and educator, I am constantly selecting, analyzing, and interpreting the music than I am teaching and the music I am learning for myself. Having spent the time to develop these skills allowed me to understand and overcome challenges when selecting music, understand my student skill level, and plan ahead. Much, if not all, of the analysis I do is done long before the students ever see or hear the music. The first consideration a teacher must make is the students’ skill and ability level. This way, students can have a successful music-making experience, but they are still challenged. Music selection is so important, because you have to ensure that the music is appropriate for the students and the audience. Some considerations when selecting music include difficulty level, culture of a piece, language and text of a piece, and if there is a theme. If the concert or performance has a theme, this makes the selection process a bit easier as the text will likely align with the theme. While I didn’t select a great deal of repertoire, I did analyze, interpret, and evaluate a great deal of music. In University Choir, I taught a large choral work, Karl Jenkin’s “Peacemakers,” and also sang in the ensemble. This experience allowed me to analyze and interpret the piece as both a director and an ensemble member. My analysis helped me to present the work to the choir, with prior knowledge of the movements that would be more challenging and the amount of time I estimated it would take. I have also analyzed a number of other pieces, at both the elementary and secondary levels, in my practicum teaching.
As an educator, I strive to employ this standard in my classroom on a daily basis. Additionally, I want to make my decisions as transparent to the students as possible, so that they can see what I’m thinking and why. I also hope to encourage students to do their own analysis and reflection of their music. Student analysis and reflection of a piece will help them not only develop their music literacy skills, but also their general musicianship. Students should be part of the process of music analysis to help them understand and enjoy a piece more, but also because this allows them to be hands on in the music classroom, from the very beginning. Each of us has had different life experiences, which in turn means that we will each have a different interpretation or take on the meaning of a piece. Students should have the opportunity to interpret music along with the teacher and their peers, and share this interpretation, through reflections, journals, discussion, and collaboration. These strategies will allow students to learn from each other in both a personal and a musical capacity. The understanding of the music we are making impacts how we interpret and perform it, how we choose to go about teaching and learning it and how we will eventually present it.
The selection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and evaluation of music and the performance of said music is of the utmost importance. As a music educator, it is my job to use this process in the selection of all of my pieces. This process should be done with the students in mind, should continue with the students having a voice in the process. The process of selecting, analyzing, interpreting, presenting, and evaluating music will be ever-present in students’ music learning, and everyone involved should have a voice in the process.
As a performer and educator, I am constantly selecting, analyzing, and interpreting the music than I am teaching and the music I am learning for myself. Having spent the time to develop these skills allowed me to understand and overcome challenges when selecting music, understand my student skill level, and plan ahead. Much, if not all, of the analysis I do is done long before the students ever see or hear the music. The first consideration a teacher must make is the students’ skill and ability level. This way, students can have a successful music-making experience, but they are still challenged. Music selection is so important, because you have to ensure that the music is appropriate for the students and the audience. Some considerations when selecting music include difficulty level, culture of a piece, language and text of a piece, and if there is a theme. If the concert or performance has a theme, this makes the selection process a bit easier as the text will likely align with the theme. While I didn’t select a great deal of repertoire, I did analyze, interpret, and evaluate a great deal of music. In University Choir, I taught a large choral work, Karl Jenkin’s “Peacemakers,” and also sang in the ensemble. This experience allowed me to analyze and interpret the piece as both a director and an ensemble member. My analysis helped me to present the work to the choir, with prior knowledge of the movements that would be more challenging and the amount of time I estimated it would take. I have also analyzed a number of other pieces, at both the elementary and secondary levels, in my practicum teaching.
As an educator, I strive to employ this standard in my classroom on a daily basis. Additionally, I want to make my decisions as transparent to the students as possible, so that they can see what I’m thinking and why. I also hope to encourage students to do their own analysis and reflection of their music. Student analysis and reflection of a piece will help them not only develop their music literacy skills, but also their general musicianship. Students should be part of the process of music analysis to help them understand and enjoy a piece more, but also because this allows them to be hands on in the music classroom, from the very beginning. Each of us has had different life experiences, which in turn means that we will each have a different interpretation or take on the meaning of a piece. Students should have the opportunity to interpret music along with the teacher and their peers, and share this interpretation, through reflections, journals, discussion, and collaboration. These strategies will allow students to learn from each other in both a personal and a musical capacity. The understanding of the music we are making impacts how we interpret and perform it, how we choose to go about teaching and learning it and how we will eventually present it.
The selection, analysis, interpretation, presentation, and evaluation of music and the performance of said music is of the utmost importance. As a music educator, it is my job to use this process in the selection of all of my pieces. This process should be done with the students in mind, should continue with the students having a voice in the process. The process of selecting, analyzing, interpreting, presenting, and evaluating music will be ever-present in students’ music learning, and everyone involved should have a voice in the process.
ARTIFACT 1: Wind Band Literature
This artifact comes form my undergraduate work in conducting. This artifact speaks to my ability to select and analyze music prior to purchasing the music for my ensemble. It is important for educators to be able to look at sample scores and assess the difficulty of the music and its appropriateness for their ensemble. While not for the choral classroom, I think this analysis is important as it speaks to my knowledge of instrumental repertoire as well as my ability to program for this type of ensemble. I have done similar analyses for the choral classroom, in fact one that spans an entire year of music selection and rationale for 6 grade levels. However, versatility and knowledge of many different types of music are both very important for us as music educators, which is why I have decided to include this artifact.
ARTIFACT 2: Secondary Music Unit
For this artifact, I selected my Secondary Music Unit. For this unit, I was given the opportunity to select and analyze a piece for the secondary choral classroom at the grade level of my choice. I selected the piece "I Am Not Yours," David Dickau's setting of Sara Teasdale's poem. This piece allowed me to analyze not only the musical aspects of the piece, but also the text and the historical importance of Sara Teasdale's poetry. Too frequently, music educators and musicians analyze the musical aspects of the piece, leaving the text and historical significance by the wayside or are only used as program notes. I selected this piece for its text as well as its aural depiction of the text. Dickau's setting of "I Am Not Yours" is masterful, including brilliant dissonances and resolutions that give the audience incredible images. The interplay between the piano and vocal lines is not to be ignored, as its delicacy adds to the feeling of love and warmth in the piece. Throughout this unit, I was able to present a number of concepts to the students, including a poetry project that I hope will help them develop as individuals and get to know themselves. The performance of the piece is important but the journey to the performance is just as important.