Posts Tagged world music
Learning Objectives For a Solid Music Education Program
There are many learning objectives needed in order to establish a solid Music Education program so when looking for one, make sure it consists of the following basic objectives. A viable program trains its students to read and write music notation and its values in both, the treble and bass clef. When these skills are learned, playing in both clefs, on the piano, can be accomplished effectively.
A strong program develops vocal skills, not just for vocal students but for its instrumental students, as well. Teaching instrumentalists the essence of singing music notation in both, the treble and bass clef using different note values and time signatures is significant because it promotes good ear training, sight singing and rhythm. Also, it prepares the student for other skills such as directing or accompanying choirs should he/she decide to enter that profession.
Learning Music Theory is important because it is the key to analyzing compositions and good musicians should have this ability. Understanding the structure of a song is laying the foundation of new songs to be created.
Lastly, learning world Music History allows students to appreciate different genres. This is really important for composition students. Coupled with their understanding of theory, they can draw from various styles of music to create their own original styles.
When looking for a strong Music Education program, make sure all of the above objectives are in place. They are necessary because a quality program that contains these objectives, builds strong cognitive skills, logical thought patterns, discipline, solid creative skills and music appreciation… the elements needed in developing a well-rounded musician.
Tags: ear training, education, learning, learning music, learning music theory, music, music education, music notation, music theory, piano, sight singing, teaching, world musicRelated posts
Bass Music Theory Is Essential For Beginner To Advanced Jazz
Bass music theory is what you must know to improvise with jazz chords and scales. As one of the key building blocks of learning the bass and music, music theory is a subject that you will need to delve into serious at some point in order to become the type of player that can solo and improvise of all kinds of chords changes with jazz and any other style of music as well.
For example, since generally more than three tones are used to construct jazz chords due to the extra chordal notes which are inherent to the nature of the jazz style, you will need know that scales come in many names and alterations. This means that there is a great deal of music theory to be understood in regards to improvising with them. Beginners will never have a clue as to what to do at all unless they can just rely on their “ear” for playing, because there is going to be a lot of music theory to learn and they might as well get down to the business of learning right away instead of waiting for some easy way. However, more importantly it is the intermediate and advance player who must get beyond the limited knowledge of theory, the traditional concepts and the memorized applications that have no underlying logical explanation to them.
One can simply memorize and use certain concepts for soloing and improvising and there is nothing wrong with that except for the fact that it is very limiting for the bass player because they can’t go beyond a certain level of creative expression or even understand some of the great players thinking because they don’t have a truly innovative and clarifying explanation of underlying principals of the theory being used. As a player, you want to be able to play lead bass over as many different musical styles and chord progressions within a style as possible without being limited by your missing and or traditional explanations of music theory that have not given you the satisfaction of understanding or ability to express yourself as much as you desire to do so.
Learning your bass music theory for jazz will apply to all other musical styles as well. Many times for example, classical bass players can read music great and have excellent technique playing classical pieces on their instrument, but they often lack the great world music theory which holds many of them back from being free to improvise. Or some jazz bass players have great ears and have learned many licks and progressions and solos, but they feel very inadequate in understanding what they are playing or in being able to perform with a confidence that they know what they heck they are doing. Bass players will eventually recognize how rewarding and fulfilling not only learning music theory can be, but also when they get the right system of teaching innovative and modern theory, they will be able to actually use it in more ways and styles of music than they can imagine.
Tags: chord progression, learning, learning music, learning music theory, music, music theory, read music, teaching, world musicRelated posts
Does Music Help Children
Why is Music Important for Kids?
This question has been debated for as long as time has existed. Even the great Greek and Roman philosophers approached the question: is music something that should be taught and does it help the development of children? Plato answered “I would teach children music, physics, and philosophy; but most importantly music, for in the patterns of music and all arts are the keys to learning.” And again “what then is the education to be? Perhaps we could hardly find a better than that which the experience of the past has already discovered, which consists, I believe, in gymnastic, for the body, and music for the mind.”
In all cultures of the world music plays an important role. While these roles may change depending on the culture it is impossible to separate music from the life of an individual. While some may argue the role of music in our lives it is impossible to escape it. Even in the popular culture of Australia it is impossible to go shopping without hearing music. Music provides a means of communication and expression of culture and individual identity.
Children are immersed in music from birth and will be for their entire life. If this is the case why teach it? Is not the constant immersion in music enough? To this I say; is the fact that we witness the results of scientific principals on a day to day basis result in the understanding of those scientific principles? No it does not and likewise for music it does not either. The day to day encounters we have with music can move us but the understanding of this music can help us grow as individuals.
In many cultures the family plays the main role in music education. Families are most commonly the ones that teach children the music of their culture. As young children, we are commonly sung nursery rhymes. These provide entertainment for the child and often information in small repeated fashion. Children learn through the repetition and structure that the information was delivered in. many nursery rhymes teach fundamental life lesson and therefore sets music up as a means of educating. Children learn from music from a young age and will continue to for the rest of their lives. In a world where globalization and consumerism are dominating cultural identities are drifting into the background and children are more likely to be sung pop songs as lullaby’s than nursery rhymes. The benefit of nursery rhymes and progressive learning has become an issue. Children are missing out on fundamental learning opportunities.
The Mozart effect which gained a large following in the 1990’s claimed that listening to Mozart as a baby will make a child smarter. While this movement was short lived and there is little proof that it works there has been no denying that children who learn music will achieve higher in other aspects of their academic life. In earning music children learn to express their identities, gain confidence and develop sense of time and space. A research team at the university of Munster in Germany discovered that students who study music have more developed abstract reasoning skills which are closely linked to learning in the areas of science and maths.
I do not believe that there is any argument to this question…music is a vital part of a child’s education and should be taken seriously. Listening to music is not enough! A child must learn to think musically and that is what will help assist the development of the child and their academic development.
Tags: education, learn music, learning, music, music education, study music, world musicRelated posts