Music education

Music education comprises the application of education methods in teaching music. Music education encompasses many areas of teaching, including music history, music theory, proficiency in a musical instrument, singing skills, and general music skills.

The incorporation of music training from preschool to postsecondary education is common in North America and Europe, because involvement in music is thought to teach basic skills such as concentration, counting, listening, self-discipline and cooperation while also promoting understanding of language, improving the ability to recall information, fostering creativity, and creating an environment more conducive to learning in other areas.

There are many additional benefits training young children, as well as older children and teenagers, in music. Brain activity is increased which, in turn, strengthens spatial-temporal reasoning and skills in abstract reasoning (skills used in math and science). The brain learns to organize better and perform several tasks at the same time, by practicing the many facets involved in playing a musical instrument.

The many personal benefits achieved are confidence, self-esteem, and a sense of accomplishment. It shapes and molds the character with self-assurance and stability; and has the added bonus of public performance, which helps to conquer the fear getting up in front of people. Furthermore, learning a musical instrument fosters good habits like focus, mental discipline, staying with a task until it is complete, and allows for the expression feelings.

In elementary schools, children often learn to play instruments such as the recorder, sing in small choirs, and learn about the history of Western art music. In primary and secondary schools, students may have the opportunity to perform some type of musical ensemble, including choir, concert band, marching band, jazz band, or orchestra. In some secondary schools, music classes may also be available.

At the university level, students in most arts and humanities programs can receive credit for taking music courses, which typically takes the form of an overview course on the history of music, or a music appreciation course that focuses on listening to music and learning about different musical styles. In addition, most North American and European universities have some type of music ensemble that non-music students are able to participate in, such as choir, concert band, marching band, or orchestra.

The study of Western art music is increasingly common in music education outside of North America and Europe, including Asian naitons such as South Korea, Japan, and China. At the same time, Western universities and colleges are widening their curriculum to include music of non-Western cultures, such as the music of Africa or Bali (e.g. Gamelan music).

Both amateur and professional musicians typically take music lessons, short private sessions with an individual teacher. Amateur musicians typically take lessons to learn musical rudiments and beginner- to intermediate-level musical techniques.

History

17th century

Music education in North America can be traced to the colonies of the seventeenth century. In the South, there existed no organized music education system. However, rote learning played a major role in the transmission of music traditions. In the Northern colonies, music was already an important consideration in the lives of the Pilgrims. The Bay Psalm Book, especially later editions, provided methods for solmization along with performance instruction. Thus Northern colonists could succeed in teaching themselves rudimentary music skills, as related to psalm singing.

Standards

For much of its existence, music education standards in the United States were determined locally or by individual teachers. In modern times there has been a significant move toward regional and/or national standards. MENC: The National Association for Music Education, created nine content standards, called the National Standards for Music Education, adopted in 1994:

Singing, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
Performing on instruments, alone and with others, a varied repertoire of music.
Improvising melodies, variations, and accompaniments.
Composing and arranging music within specified guidelines.
Reading and notating music.
Listening to, analyzing, and describing music.
Evaluating music and music performances.
Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.
Understanding music in relation to history and culture.

Many states and school districts have adopted their own standards for music education. Often, these local standards are derived in some form from the National Standards. For example, in Florida, the Sunshine State Standards ^* set grade-level expectations for music students from pre-kindergarten through 12th grade.

Instructional Theories

Kodaly Method

Orff Schulwerk

The Orff Schulwerk is considered an "approach" to music education. It begins with a student's innate abilities to engage in rudimentary forms of music, using basic rythms and melodies. The student is lead to develop his or her music abilities in a way that parallels the development of western music. The approach encourages improvisation and discourages adult pressures and mechanical drill, fostering student self-discovery. Carl Orff developed a special group of instruments, including the glockenspiel, xylophone, metallophone, drum, and other percussion instruments to accommodate the requirements of the Schulwerk courses.^*

Integration With Other Subjects

Some schools and organizations promote integration of arts classes, such as music, with other subjects, such as math, science, or English. It is thought that by integrating the different curricula will help each subject to build off of one another, enhancing the overall quality of education.

One example is the Kennedy Center's Changing Education Through the Arts program. CETA defines arts integration as finding a natural connection(s) between one or more art forms (dance, drama/theater, music, visual arts, storytelling, puppetry, and/or creative writing) and one or more other curricular areas (science, social studies, English language arts, mathematics, and others) in order to teach and assess objectives in both the art form and the other subject area. This allows a simultaneous focus on creating, performing, and/or responding to the arts while still addressing content in other subject areas.^*

Settings

United States

Music education in the United States occurs in different classroom settings.

General music instruction.
Ensemble classes, such as a school chorus, concert band, or orchestra.

Musical ensembles may be considered a curricular class; additionally, there may also be auxiliary or extracurricular ensembles available.

Great Britain

The British education system in schools up to the age of 14 is defined by the National Curriculum. Under the National Curriculum music is a compulsory subject. The National Curriculum divides music education into three Key Stages which roughly align with the Primary/Middle/Secondary School division. In areas where a Primary/Secondary School division exists, both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 are taught at the Primary School level. Each Key Stage is divided into 5 programmes of study: performing, composing, appraising, listening and breadth of study. Each programme is of equal weight (e.g. composing is equally as important as listening). After 14 years of age (Year 10 onwards) the study of music is optional, but all schools are legally obliged to offer music education to those pupils aged 14-16 who desire it. Music is examined at 16 at GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) level and may be studied further at those schools and colleges that choose to offer the higher qualifications of AS and A levels in music.

The teaching of instrumental technique is an extracurricular activity. Pupils are often excused from lessons on a weekly basis for their instrumental lessons. The provision of these lessons depends very much on the Local Education Authority, and so varies wildly in different areas of the United Kingdom.

School ensembles generally rehearse at lunchtimes or after school. Each school is free to make its own arrangements regarding such teaching. A successful school orchestra is viewed as good material towards the "value added" criteria of OFSTED, the national school inspection authority.

International professional organizations

International Society for Music Education ^*
International Association of Jazz Educators ^*
OAKE: Organization of Kodaly Educators ^*

National professional organizations

MENC: The National Association for Music Education ^*
Music Teachers National Association ^*
American Choral Directors Association ^*

Bibliography

DeBakey, Michael E., MD. Leading Heart Surgeon, Baylor College of Music.
Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra. "The Singing Muse: Three Centuries of Music Education in Germany." Journal of Historical Research in Music Education XXVI no. 1 (2004): 8-27.
Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra. "Didaktik of Music: A German Concept and its Comparison to American Music Pedagogy." International Journal of Music Education (Practice) 22 No. 3 (2004): 277-286.
Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra. "General Music Education in Germany Today: A Look at How Popular Music is Engaging Students." General Music Today 18 no. 2 (Winter 2005): 14-16.
Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra. "Performing with Understanding: Die National Standards for Music Education und ihre internationale Bedeutung." Diskussion Musikpädagogik 27 (2005): 34-39.
Kertz-Welzel, Alexandra. Every Child for Music? Musikpädagogik und Musikunterricht in den USA. Schriftenreihe Musikwissenschaft/Musikpädagogik. Essen, Germany: Verlag Die Blaue Eule, Publication in Fall 2006.
National Standards for Arts Education. Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference (MENC), 1994. ISBN 1-56545-036-1.
Neurological Research, Vol. 19, February 1997.
Ratey, John J., MD. A User’s Guide to the Brain. New York: Pantheon Books, 2001.
Rauscher, F.H., et al. “Music and Spatial Task Performance: A Causal Relationship,” University of California, Irvine, 1994.
Weinberger, Norm. “The Impact of Arts on Learning.” MuSICa Research Notes 7, no. 2 (Spring 200).

External links