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: October 6, 2011
Music and teacher: an orientation to music education, Pages 86-103.
Summary of the Article: In the fifth chapter of her book, Campbell discusses the impact of schools on their local communities, and even points out that the school is a community itself. They are sources of local activity, and offer a wide variety of options and groups to be a part of. She follows the programs of three different schools; Jackson high school, Daniel Webster middle school, and Maplewood elementary. She goes into extensive detail to make sure that each schools local community is shown, and how similar and different each is from the other.
At Jackson high school, the local community is, as Campbell describes, “rough around the edges” (Pg. 88). There are 1,800 students from seven different middle schools, and about twelve percent will not graduate. It is known for its gang activity, and its strong music program. There are three full time teachers, and each one of them is very familiar and knowledgeable about the best way to make the music program run at such a prestigious way that it has. At the middle school, only the music program is similar to Jackson. Three out of four families have a musical instrument, and almost 70 percent of the students are enrolled in the music program. At Maplewood elementary school, which was voted number one neighborhood elementary school, the principal held his ground on keeping a music program from people who wanted it to be replaced. The students are taught by one teacher, who has a wide variety of age appropriate musical instruments and materials, and the classes offer singing, dancing, playing and the absolute basics of the profession.
Personal statements: It was interesting to read this chapter, because I got three good looks of three real schools, all with good, functioning music programs, even if the communities around it were not the best. This shows to me the importance of the community within the school, or the “local” that the school can provide. At the end, it also talked about how a music program can grow if the community around it is involved, and a program can reach any height in time, though the exact opposite can happen if the community values around it are ignored, and students have no interest in it. This is an important concept to know, because you do not want to be the one to destroy a music program by doing things your own way. You want it to grow, to have something the students can attach themselves to. And the best way to do that is show them something they are familiar with through the community they grew up with.
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