Music is a curricular subject

1. School X Music Department Music is a curricular subject

2. School X exists as a learning community continually striving for excellence in acquiring academic skills, for knowledgeable decision making, for effective communication, and for social responsibility.*

3. Modern Perspectives on Progressive Education • “Education must: • prepare students for active participation in a democratic society. • focus on students' social, emotional, academic, cognitive and physical development. • nurture and support students' natural curiosity and innate desire to learn. • foster internal motivation in students. • be responsive to the developmental needs of students. • foster respectful relationships between teachers and students. • encourage the active participation of students in their learning, which arises from previous experience.” (Progressive Education Network)

4. Comprehensive Musicianship • Primary goal: • to develop a total understanding and competency of all areas of music through performing, creating, composing, conducting, listening to, and discussing music. • Learning about music through experiences in music. • Active Learning

5. “Intelligence is a computational capacity – a capacity to process a certain kind of information – that originates in human biology and human psychology.” (Gardner, 5) • His list of intelligences was selected based on certain criteria. • They had to be unique to the human species. • They must also have been valued in one or more cultural settings. • The intelligences listed by Gardner include: • Musical Intelligence, Bodily-Kinesthetic Intelligence, Logical Mathematical Intelligence, Linguistic Intelligence, Spatial Intelligence, Interpersonal Intelligence, and Intrapersonal Intelligence. (Gardner, 6-8) What is Intelligence, according to HOward Gardner?

6. Musical intelligence: • “Biological link” to musical intelligence. • Prodigies • Different parts of the brain are required in the production and perception of music. • Studies of different cultures shows that music is a universal faculty. • The musical notation system, is a versatile and successful symbol system. (Gardner 8-9) Musical Intelligence According to Gardner

7. Gardner believes that every person has some level of ability in each of these intelligences. The level of these abilities differs from person to person. Teaching to diverse learners. Nurturing a component of intelligence. How does this apply to education?

8. Music uses the following cognitive skills described in Blooms Taxonomy: • Knowledge • Comprehension • Application • Analysis • Synthesis • Evaluation Music and Higher Order Thinking

9. Additionally, music facilitates all three domains of learning: • Cognitive (mental skills) • Ex. Remembering musical concepts and utilization of all higher order thinking levels • Affective: (emotional skills) • Ex. Students being able to put their own personal inflection into musical activities, valuing music and evaluating music performance • Psychomotor: (physical skills) • Ex. Playing, singing, conducting Music and Higher Order Thinking

10. Standard No. 8; Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts. • We can see that students are asked to Compare the relationships between other arts and outside subjects. (Hanna, 12) Music, Bloom and the National Standards

11. Assessment of musical activities builds both problem finding and problem solving skills (Sawyer, 153). • i.e. error detection • Evaluation and problem solving not solely problem finding. Music and Problem Solving

12. Learning Styles and Music • Auditory: music is an aural art form; listening, evaluating performances, listening across the ensemble • Visual: reading music, notation symbol system • Kinesthetic: manipulating an instrument, singing • Music provides opportunities for success for learners who might not find success elsewhere in school. (Gardner, Learning Styles, Active Learning)

13. Music is it’s own language and has it’s own numerical system, which comprise the notation symbol system. • Notation dictates notes, rhythms, numbers, beats, accidentals, and all other aspects of music necessary for effective interpretation, performance and expression. Notation Symbol System

14. Music Notation Relates To Math: • To understand the use of notation, the student must have the basic knowledge of math and the numeric system. • The use of numbers in music is ubiquitous. • Time Signatures • Division of beats. • How to count a measure, proceeding to a very complex level in advanced repertoire. • Music Notation Relates To Language: • “Music is the universal language of mankind” (Longfellow) • It provides us with a medium of expression like the written word. • Music as language is about understanding and interpreting the intent of the composer and the performers. Music and it’s Cross-Curricular Connections: Math and Language

15. “Music is meaningful and useful to people across the globe…[it] can help educators to design and direct experiences that will enhance their students’ development of a ‘multimusical’ understanding…” (Campbell xv). • “Performance of world musics… validates and empowers, both goals of multicultural education” (Solis / Trimillos 26). • It provides a medium to study new cultures and connect to social studies. • Music is a universal language that can be used to communicate with others across the world. Music and Multicultural Education

16. Aesthetic experience in education is unique to the fine arts. • Music allows students to connect with people of all ages and life experiences. • i.e. peers, audience members, parents • Emotional development of students and opportunities to communicate those emotions through music. • Educating students “…to discover emotions in performances or activities” (Maattanen, 63). • Positive or negative Music and Aesthetic Experience

17. Music: Develops Musical Intelligence Provides for cognitive development through the fostering of higher-order thinking Develops problem-solving skills Educates all students and inherently targets different learning styles Has it’s own, unique notation system Provides opportunities for cross-curricular connections Allows for multi-cultural education and community involvement Provides opportunities for aesthetic experiences and fosters creativity and expression Music Belongs in the Curriculum

18. School X exists as a learning community continually striving for excellence in acquiring academic skills, for knowledgeable decision making, for effective communication, and for social responsibility.*

19. Please see handout for further information and artifacts QUESTIONS?