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Date Posted: 17:34:23 02/27/05 Sun
Author: Lisa
Subject: Re: Pop music in the ensemble setting
In reply to: Lindsay 's message, "Pop music in the ensemble setting" on 17:35:52 02/22/05 Tue

Pop Music is a big influence many students lives. Being able to sing some of that pop music can make the student alive and be excited about what they are singing/playing. Being able to perform Pop Music in music ensembles has definitely impacted the way I personnaly look back on my music ensemble days. It also provides the students with wonderful memories.

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Replies:

[> Re: Pop music in the ensemble setting -- Rosemary, 05:00:57 02/28/05 Mon [1]

Pop music is great as long as that's not all you focus on in your music program. Use it for variety and choose pop music that has musical value.


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[> [> Re: Pop music in the ensemble setting -- Dr. O., 09:54:43 03/01/05 Tue [1]

Since this conversation is going one direction, let me play devils' advocate here and for the sake of discussion, offer a different perspective.

First, isn't it our responsibility as teachers to utilize the BEST music available in our classrooms and ensembles? There is a very limited amount of time available for instruction and rehearsal: do we owe it to our students to maximize that time by using only the best materials we can find? This wouldn't necessarily exclude pop music, or automatically include everything written by the "Dead white guy" composers. However, I would suggest that most pop music does not fall into the category of great music; some doesn't even fall into the category of good music, since it is intended to be consumed and forgotten.

Secondly, one could argue that students bring with them a deep understanding of popular music already, and very little understanding of other musical types and forms. Should instruction center on what they already know rather than seeking to broaden their knowledge base?

Thirdly: is it honest to use pop music as a "hook", and then hope that we can expose students to other things? You know, sort of "I'll let you sing music you like, but you also have to sing some of 'my' music also." Wouldn't this be like saying to a child "Sure you can have candy for supper, you just have to eat some of the food I want you to eat also."

There is a lot more that could be said, but I have to go to class. I'll be interested in reading your responses.


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[> [> [> Re: Pop music in the ensemble setting -- Lindsay, 21:14:59 03/02/05 Wed [1]

From my extensive experience with pop music at the high school level, I came out not really liking it all that much. Yeah, some of it was fun, but I never really got that much out of it, and it never really stuck with me like some other pieces did, particularly the Moses Hogan stuff.

One thing I noticed when we did do pop music was that people threw all their knowledge of musicality and technique out the window, because it was pop music, and they didn't use good technique when singing along to the radio, so why use it when you're singing it in choir? I think that's one of the dangers of pop music, familiarity.

On the other hand though, all music was new once, so who knows who today's Beethoven or Brahms would be? Are the Beatles any less musically valid than Bach? I find myself struggling with this issue - is there as much to learn from the Beatles as there is from Bach? Will kids get more out of Beatles because that's what they're familiar with, or will it just be empty fun, while they slog through "boring Bach?"


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