Popular music and modern band principles response:
Powell, B. & Berstein, S. (2017). Popular Music and Modern Band Principles. Routledge Research Companion to Popular Music Education (2017).
Throughout this article I was surprised to see all the different components that go into popular music pedagogy, before reading the article I did not realise how integrated popular music has become in the US education system, as in Britain it is a new concept. The article was concise and informative, and I was pleasantly surprised at how important popular music is now to the education system, as there seems to be a ‘prestigious’ nature around western classical music, whenever musicians start out it is drilled into us that ‘classical music’ or being ‘classically trained’ is the only route. This expansion from only classical music to jazz and other popular genres being introduced allows students to explore the type of musician they want to be, and the variety of career paths that can follow in music education.
I believe the introduction of popular music into the education systems syllabus’ will provide students with a broader knowledge on the subject, I know I connect more with popular music like Aretha Franklin than I do with Schumann, therefore I agree that introducing popular music in the curriculum will “bridge the gap” between students and the subject. The most interesting section of the subject for me was the discussion about MPA (musicians performance anxiety) as I suffer badly from this, I was intrigued to know why we suffer from it and for such sustained periods of time. I believe that offering ‘safe zones’ for students would allow them to possibly overcome their performance anxiety, I know as the only music student in my school there was no way of forming these large groups in order to conquer my fear, nevertheless once coming to university and joining ensembles my performance anxiety dropped massively so I agree that this would help with MPA. The only issue I believe could arise is how would these safe zones would equip students for their performance anxiety when performing in front of large audiences by themselves?
Another section I found interesting was when discussing the definition of ‘amateurs’ usually when the word is mentioned I instantly think of someone doing a ‘hobby’ or not taking something ‘seriously’ to be good enough to be professional in it, however within the article it states “amateurs are individuals who do what they do for the love of it. Promoting a love of music for all children is a central component of teaching music, and creating an environment where approximation is embraced can help lead to a classroom full of musical amateurs” If the definition of an amateur is something who studies music solely because it is what they love then I would happily deem myself an amateur, and I would love to take an amateur approach when teaching in a classroom. If an amateur approach is teaching students to love their instrument, the history of music and theory all the same way, and to know music as something they love, for them to not associate it with stress, overwhelming practice and exams then I would teach a class full of amateurs any day.
Overall this article exposes some very interesting topics in music that need to be talked about and brought to the forfront of music education. Each new generation of students that walk through the classroom doors should be moulded into the musician they want to be, and with the help of a broader spectrum of genres being introduced to them, and with teachers understanding the mental health impacts, and all the different components (approximation, scoffolding, composition etc.) that can come with being a musician I believe that this type of education would help the students feel safe, confident and well educated musicians.
Comments:
In terms of music performance anxiety (MPA), do you think “safe zones” can also be provided and implemented in the classical music realm? Or do those two concepts contradict each other completely? You ask in your response how the safe zones equip students if they are performing on their own in front of a large audience, and I don’t think the students would be performing on their own at all as part of a popular music group. But if they were in a different situation, I hope being part of a musical safe zone more regularly would help diminish this. I appreciate how your own philosophy of music education is displayed through your reflective sentences regarding the teaching of amateurs. It makes me wonder why music education has so often been associated with those realities of stress, overwhelming practice, and exams. Could these same associations be prevalent within popular music education? If so, how?
Answer:
I believe that safe zones can and should be provided within the classical music realm as performance is still a huge aspect of classical music training. I believe that when taking music no matter what instrument you play you will have to do a solo performance so it is criritcal that students get practice of doing this, I would too hope that these safe zones would help students diminish their anxiety as I am a bad sufferer myself! I believe that stress, overwhelming practice and exams are going to be associated with both classical and pop music however less so for pop because of the 'pop is easy' stigma that I know a lot of people have - I believe it is hard to be well trained musician in both genres but pop because we are surrounded by it more, it is deemed easier I think that being classically trained gives you the foundation to be a good musician in the popular music world however to truly get your 'chops' and be a well rounded musician you must be able to explore both genres and appreciate what skills they can offer.