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Date Posted: 19:23:51 02/13/05 Sun
Author: Jaynee Hight
Subject: unity within the music program

I've found it surprising in my student teaching experience that the teachers of differents areas of music (general music, choir, band) do not work together. It's not really like they are competing but they don't help each other. I think it is essential that the music program work together as a whole. Many students are involved both instrumental and choral emsembles. I think that the band should support the choir and vice versa. It needs to be more than the jazz band playing for the show choir. The teachers need to be involved as much as possible also. At my high school my symphonic band played a jazz piece and our choir director played a saxophone solo. I hope that as more new music educators go out into the field that there is more unity within the music program.

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Replies:

[> Re: unity within the music program -- Dr. O., 07:32:00 02/21/05 Mon [1]

It does seem strange that as musicians we wouldn't be more supportive of one another. It is the case in many schools, though, that the ensembles compete with one another instead. Perhaps this is because while we share the same overall goal, our goals for our individual ensembles might differ radically. One teacher might place a high premium on doing well at contest; another at producing very versatile musicians who can do many things, though perhaps not excell in any one thing; another might be very much into competitions and bringing home trophies (like Harry Dinkle); still another might view music as more of an entertainment and have the goal of insuring that students enjoy music and "have a good time"; and so on. These goals are often incompatible with one another. Also, there are some who believe that their success can only be had at the expense of others. They might espouse the philosophy that a given school can support only one truly outstanding musical ensemble, and all others must play second fiddle (so to speak). This sounds like a harsh philosophy, but it's much more common than you might think.
Dr.O.


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[> Re: unity within the music program -- Nickie, 09:33:07 02/21/05 Mon [1]

My experiences, I think, have proved to be even worse than just the teachers not supporting one another. At my high school, there was a strong hatred between the choir director and the band directors. My senior year, our showchoir couldn't even find instrumentalists to be in our combo. And prior to that, we almost could not do "The Messiah" because the string players were not willing to work under the direction of the choir director. The relationship that the music educators had greatly affected each and every music student.

I understand that not everyone is going to like everyone, but in my opinion, students should NEVER know when professionals don't get along. The one band director also taught theory, and in class, he would talk badly about the choir director, while the choir director did the same during choir. This outraged me.

Personally, as a student, I don't want to know who hates who and why. And as a future educator, I don't want my students to know my personal biases or issues with other educators. Especially with music, I think it's important that there is TEAMWORK, despite personal, outside, issues.


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[> [> Re: unity within the music program -- Dr. O., 09:44:49 03/01/05 Tue [1]

Thanks, Nickie, for making an excellent point. There is a difference between our personal and professional lives. While you might find someone personally troublesome and just in fact dislike them, there is no reason for your students to know that. If you criticize other teachers to the students, in my opinion you are being unethical and certainly unprofessional. During my years of teaching I have worked with a number of people who I did not like on a personal basis, but I've always tried very hard not to let that personal feeling spill into the professional arena. To me, that is what it means to be professional: that we place the demands of our jobs and the welfare of students above the personal feelings we have. What do others think about this?


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[> [> [> Re: unity within the music program -- Brigid, 14:38:54 03/01/05 Tue [1]

Although we've been discussing this more as happening in other schools, I think it's also an issue in Brenneman. There is an almost tangible tension between students who are purely vocally oriented and purely instrumentally oriented. By this, I'm dicussing the students who are only involved in one area of the music department. Instrumentalists are always complaining that vocalists have no sense of rhythm and vocalists are always challenging the emotion in music that doesn't have text. Those are only two generalized examamples, and there's plenty more exchanges that can be heard in Beethoven lounge. It's not only an issue between students, but I've also noticed it among some professors. I'm involved in both instrumental and choral ensembles and I wonder what it takes (other than those of us who are involved in both spectrums) to bridge the gap?


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[> [> [> [> Re: unity within the music program -- Nickie, 08:40:26 03/02/05 Wed [1]

I think we all need to value and respect the other side of the spectrum for what it is. Being a voice major and being an instrumental major are different things. We need to accept the other side for what it is. The only other way to really bridge the gap is to experience both "sides." I think it's crucial to be in both an instrumental ensemble and a choral ensemble, if for nothing else, then just to understand how the other works. (Hopefully sometime soon I'll be able to do this!!)


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