MUSIC 23241: MUSIC TEACHING AS A PROFESSION
Mr. Marcus L. Neiman, Assistant Professor
Kent State University School of Music
Fall, 2011
CRN: 200910 – Section number: 001 – Class Days: TR 7:45a – 8:35 am - Classroom: SOM E202
Office: Band Office - 330.672.2965 - Telephone: 330.672.2965 (Kent Campus) - E-mail: mneiman@kent.edu
Office Hours: TR 9:00 – 9:55 am (Additional hours available by appointment)
BlackBoard and Text Readings
Submitted by: Ryan Critchfield
Submitted for: Mr. Marcus L. Neiman, lecturer
Date: September 11, 2011
TRIAD, 51, 16-17, 28.
This article offered a good history of what band competition’s used to be, and how they have grown since then. It also tells the story on the birth of the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA), which as its name suggests, is a very important organization for music education in Ohio. From both the evolution of how the scoring system has changed and how the programs have expanded, to the overall gender makeup of the bands, this article offers great insight to how things were, and how things changed.
One thing I found that surprised me was that within the bands, only fifteen girls were involved with three of the bands; the Akron West, Mansfield and Sandusky bands. To me, that is very strange. I have played with many musicians, and I have never seen a gender gap anywhere close to that. Why things were so split then I have no idea, but it is good to know that people of both genders are very involved with music in the school system. I am also glad that, aside from the gender gap, things have more or less stayed the same. It is good to have consistency and continuity in places that do not need it, and changing things that evolve into problems. The scoring system has evolved to compensate for larger competitions, but the idea that it is a fun thing to be involved with, and that it is children that are performing has stayed. Though the awards have changed from something like best looking bass drum, there are still things to add humor and lighten the event from a strict competition, and that needs to stay.
I enjoyed this article. I always love finding out how things have changed, and more importantly how they haven’t. The more you know how things started, and you see the similarities between the then and now, you start to appreciate the similarities and the history of the programs. And 50 years from now, I think things that we question today will have changed, and the things we love about it today will be there still. Will we reach a point where it is a perfect season? Probably not, but the things we love about it will never change as long as people love them.
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