Effects of Varied Repertoire in Music Classes
Introduction
Every music teacher must choose repertoire for classes. Ensembles and other classes need repertoire to perform and listen to. Choosing repertoire can be difficult because there are so many periods, genres, and styles. Some argue that older music is a good source for educational repertoire (Cosenza, 2002). Others wonder why our curricula do not reflect the evolving musical world that we live in (Woody, 2007). I find this topic interesting because I did not get to experience varied repertoire in grade school. We performed and studied similar or even the same music year after year. This makes me wonder how my experiences may have differed if I had been introduced to a wider variety of music. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of using a wide variety of repertoire in music classes.
Summary
The authors of two of the articles I reviewed were in favor of modern music in the classroom while one concentrated on the value of older music. Campbell and Clements (2006) and Woody (2007) all discussed how vernacular music is useful in the classroom. Woody points out that performers of modern popular music listen to recordings a lot, have strong aural skills, and learn to improvise well. Campbell & Clements show that popular music will help keep students engaged in the class material. All three articles agree that it is important for students to enjoy the music they are performing or learning about. Cosenza says that medieval music would be well suited for male sixth graders because a study concluded that they enjoy it more than other groups of middle school students do.
Campbell & Clements and Woody also talk about the difficulties of incorporating popular music. Campbell & Clements discuss the already extensive list of genres that must be covered in a good music education curriculum. Woody mentions the amount of control that needs to be taken from the teacher and given to the students in order to create an authentic experience. Not every teacher would be comfortable with this idea.
All three articles support the belief that varied repertoire is important. Cosenza points out that while the study results did show medieval music as the overall least favorite, some students did choose it to be their most favorite. So in order to keep all students engaged, a varied repertoire including medieval music should be put into use. Woody supports the 1967 Tanglewood Symposium that asked music teachers to include music of all styles and cultures in their classrooms. Campbell and Clements proudly go over the various genres, cultures, and time periods that their Universities music program uses in its teaching.
Conclusion
I found Cosenza’s article to be very interesting. I would imagine that defending the status quo of using older music in schools would be an easy point to defend. In this article though, Cosenza is focusing on a main point of the opposition, that young students prefer newer music. The results of this study suggested that students generally do not prefer older music over newer music, a result that does not support her argument. I think the interesting fact to take away from her article is that younger students were more open to medieval music. In my current studies, I go infront of pre-school students and sing songs. Instead of sticking to the duple-major songs, the repertoire includes different meters and other tonalities such as dorian. It surprises me, but the students do not seem to notice. From these experiences, and from these articles, I am learning that it is not just important to introduce students to varied repertoire, it is important to do so as early as possible.
I enjoyed Woody’s article but did not agree with all of it. He says that theoretically analyzing Madonna music would not be appropriate. While I agree that it is not the same as analyzing Bach, it could still serve a purpose. It could be used to mix things up a bit and keep the students engaged. After weeks of classical music, it might be beneficial to study a modern piece that the students were not expecting. If the song is very basic and only contains I and V chords, then use it during the first week of class when that is all the students know. The same piece could also be used at the end of the year to show students a contrast between Bach and Madonna.
I really liked what Woody had to say regarding the strengths of young vernacular musicians. I think it is an important thing to point out because many classical musicians do not think very highly of the students who only play guitar and can only read tablature. The average school band would sound a lot better if all of the students spent more time listening to music and had stronger aural skills. I was also interested in what he had to say about authenticity, particularly the part about student control. When I took a guitar class (coincidentally taught by Clements) I was asked to form a rock band with fellow classmates for a grade. Clements contributed nothing to the ensemble, the students were given full control. We chose what song to perform, who would play each part, where the solos and features would be, and when we would meet and practice together. If these choices had been made for us, the experience would have been very different, less engaging, and, as Woody would say, not as authentic.
Campbell & Clements discuss the biggest obstacle keeping popular music out of schools. This is the fact that the curriculum is already full, its difficult to find time to teach vernacular music. Many people are behind the idea of popular music in schools but very few of them would support eliminating Bach or Sousa from the curriculum in order to make room.
I also really enjoyed the story about the banjo player. I think that it shows how many students get stuck in the cracks when musical individuality is not catered to. We need to be careful about suggesting that one instrument or one genre of music is more important than another. Being open to all forms of musical expression will help teachers address the needs of all students.
Overall, I can say that I can agree with all three articles. Cosenza has a good point in saying that young students should be exposed to various repertoire before they settle on only enjoying and understanding a narrow slice of the music world. I like Campbell & Clements idea that music education can make great use of popular music. Woody adds to this by saying that the music needs to be used correctly in order to be affective. One thing I learned from these articles is that when proving that vernacular music is important to music education, you need to use arguments that show what popular music can do that classical music can not. Music teachers will not feel the need to add to their repertoire unless there is a promise of better results, not just the same results.
Cambell, P. S. & Clements, A. C. (2006). Global music: rap, rock, race, and rhythm: music and more in methods class. The Mountain Lake Reader, 4, 16-23. Retrieved September 18, 2007, from International Index to Music Periodicals database.
Bernard, H. (1997, June 1). Classical view: why waste when recycling is so savvy? The New York Times, p. 2: 29. Retrieved September 18, 2007, from International Index to Music Periodicals database.
Woody, R H. (2007). Popular music in school: remixing the issues. Music Educators Journal, 93(4), 32-37.