![]() Traditional band, orchestral and choir ensembles would be augmented by chamber ensembles of various types. Students would learn much earlier about forming their own music ensembles. Parents would be treated not only to the performance of the music of others but also children’s own music. Imagine how this might change the public face of the music teaching and learning. Students asked to analyze their own musical performances, perhaps their own music, become more intrinsically engaged. Listening to one’s recorded performances focuses attention on the need to improve sound. ![]() Instead, there is added a personal investment in improving one’s playing or singing. Practice time is not based only on a teacher-directed and teacher-centered set of technical challenges, devoid of any student engagement. With the rich opportunities to create music comes an inherent desire to learn more about technique. From the very start, creative exploration of music listening should be a big part of our work with students and include a wide variety of musical styles.Ĭonsider for a moment how this might affect motivation. For example, from the moment we begin teaching a young trumpet player how to play the most basic sounds, we should encourage improvisation and some prototypical composition. Certainly we want to provide solid technical and conceptual understanding for playing and singing, but this is only part of the musical experience. In addition, parents of young artists, drama students, and poets see the result almost immediately of their children’s art making in the hallways of schools, refrigerator doors at home, and school assemblies.Ĭhildren studying music in performance venues, however, may go for months and even years before they have any opportunity to perform music of their own. Often teachers of poetry in language classes ask students to create their own poetic structures while experiencing others’ poetry. Drama teachers work the same way when helping young performers work on dramatic roles. Drawing, painting, and working with clay is a personal experience as one learns about technique. Almost from the very beginning, students studying art learn about technique by making art. Consider how an art teacher works with children with drawing or painting. Perhaps it is time to take a lesson from our arts colleagues. The kind of music teaching that merges conceptual and technical information with opportunities to experiment with one’s own personal music making and to listen to and discuss a variety of music with one’s teacher is simply not common in my experience. ![]() ![]() I have come to think of this as a core principle of good music teaching and learning. Singing on pitch and rhythm is even more enjoyable and has positive impacts on your health and self-esteem.This idea is one that has consumed me since my earliest days as a music teacher. Just to know that you can control your voice in terms of pitch, improves your self confidence. Singing on pitch and time, and not shouting during a silent period, are the main issues to sing along with an acompaniment. Do not give up after just two tries: If you can see that you can make any progress by the various feedbacks you get, have got something you can work on. Do not worry if you have a low score, try to repeat the exercises, and see if you can make progress and feel more comfortable the next time. See how good you can hit the notes and what level you can reach. Interested in advantages of active learning? Visit Interactive Music Teacherĭownload the free trial of listening singing Teacher at The program will give you feedback on pitch, rhythm and loadness. The computer analyzes your voice and shows you if you sang in tune, too low or too high. Listening Singing Teacher is always ready and never gets bored. If you do not feel comfortable, just keep on practicing. So if you hear yourself singing out of tune, you know, you can correct your voice within seconds and be back in tune with the accompaniment. And knowing that you can hit the notes at the right time gives you the needed self confidence to avoid total failures. And sooner or later you will be able to control your voice faster and preciser, in terms of pitch, rhythm and loudness. By seeing what changes your voice produces to your efforts, you realize, what you must do to go up or down. Learning how to control your voice is easy, if you get visual feedback.
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