Month: November 2016

What is music? This is a difficult question to answer, indeed. One may as well ask, “What is the meaning of life?” In a world without music, life would have very little meaning. This is not to say that music is a necessity. It is a phenomenon, something perceived or experienced, especially as it is apprehended by the human senses.

Music is a phenomenon that exists in every culture throughout the world, and each culture is responsible for defining music in accordance to their values. Music is emotion. It is power. It is expression. It can mean many different things to many different people.

From a listener’s perspective, music can be defined through Alison’s theory of taste, which travels through a three-step process. First, when music is perceived, an emotion is produced in the mind. Second, this emotion ignites the imagination, which in turn, produces a complex association of ideas. As individuals, these associations are extremely personal, and as a result, music can mean anything to anybody. Under these circumstances, the definition of music certainly lies within the eye, or should I say ear, of the beholder.

If these perceived emotions are strong enough, one can have an aesthetic experience. Such experiences are powerful tools for music educators. I ask you, “Who out there has never had an aesthetic experience to music? Have you never experienced the joy, the bliss, the uncontrollable chills one feels when listening to that special piece of music?” As an educator, I believe students who have an aesthetic experience are much more likely to continue listening, enjoying, performing, studying, and defining music for the rest of their lives. From this perspective, I believe that music is power.

Musicians and composers, on the other hand, have the ability to form a unique bond with their music. They are able to express their most personal feelings and emotions directly to the listener. People who are able to indulge in such a creative form of expression are truly fortunate. Music is, and always will be, one of our most sophisticated forms of expression.

Whether you are a listener, an educator, a composer, a musician, or any combination thereof, music should be an enjoyable experience. It brings joy and happiness to what otherwise could be a sad and miserable world. In conclusion, if you were to ask me, “What is music?” I would respond by saying, “Music is one of life’s great experiences, and that is a good thing: a very good thing, indeed.”

I realize this post is a bit late, but a few months after the fact certainly does not cause the feelings towards my experiences at ISME 2016 to wane a single bit.  The International Society of Music Education chose an ideal location: Glasgow, Scotland!  I have been told my mother’s father was born in Glasgow.  This certainly must have been the case, as I felt an immediate connection to this wonderful city.  The people, the history, everything about it made me feel at home.  Of course, Lani Garner (OU Ph.D candidate) and I went to present our research (see abstract is below).  Our research study was well received, and we hope to be submitting our manuscript for publication very soon.  It is my plan to return to Scotland some day, but in the mean time Dr. Brian Russell and I will be presenting our latest research at the ISAME conference in Birmingham, UK next April.

Describing K-12 Music Programs Using the Whole School Effectiveness Guidelines for Music Programs: A Nationwide Investigation

Abstract

In the United States, music’s role in the K-12 curriculum has endured its share of economic and political struggles. In response to this dilemma, Ciorba and Rand (2006) developed the Whole School Effectiveness Guidelines Survey for Music Programs as a means to describe the operations of music programs. A well-developed understanding of these operations may provide a means to improve the role of music education in the K-12 educational system, and better prepare music educators to deal with the economic and political struggles set before them. The nine areas for assessment included (a) Music Educator as Leader; (b) Clearly Stated Vision and Mission; (c) Safe, Caring, and Orderly Environment; (d) High Expectations; (e) Assessment and Monitoring; (f) Parent and Community Involvement; (g) Instructional Delivery; (h) Professional Development; and (i) Music Program Culture. The measure consisted of 36 statements, which were aligned with the following Likert-type response scale: (a) not applicable (N/A), (b) never, (c) sometimes, (d) often, and (e) always. Using an online database from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) website, a stratified random sample of 25 districts per state was chosen based on the characteristics of each state population. The researchers then visited each school website and collected the email addresses of 7,031 music educators. Invitations to participate were sent to each potential participant using SurveyMonkey, a web-based service used to administer online surveys. At the end of the data collection period, 1,585 participants completed the survey for a 22.5% response rate. Participants reported positive self-perceptions regarding their (a) teaching abilities; (b) leadership qualities; and (c) ability to provide a non-threatening, non-oppressive learning environment. Furthermore, participants were less certain when communicating goals, expectations, vision, mission, and current research with parents and the rest of the educational community. These results are similar to those reported by Ciorba and McClay (2009), indicating that consistent trends may exist regarding the classroom operations of K-12 music educators.