Move Along Mozart....

Can we just get on with it already? I'm here to argue that the Mozart Effect did more harm than good for music education.  Rather than concentrating on real life examples of why music is good for everyone, we instead propped up the data as a reason to advocate for keeping music programs in our schools. Now that we know the study was misquoted and misconstrued pretty much from the get go, the back pedaling begins. 

There were 2 articles regarding this subject that came to our attention this week. The first was a post by Chad Criswell at MusicedMagic called Music Advocacy - First Tell No Lies. To their credit they point out the "ambiguity of the findings" and conclude that this study carried "little or no scientific, data driven weight" but that it  was "the popular media" that "grabbed at the headline of 'music makes you smarter' when in reality the study clearly says that no long term improvements were found."  Kudos for a well written post.

The second was an article by Nick Collins published in the Telegraph (UK) Science section titled Learning instrument does not make children more intelligent, experts claim.  The quick conclusion is that "kids who take music lessons have different personalities, and many or virtually all of the findings that have shown links between music and cognition may be an artifact of individual differences in personality."  In short, "people with specific personalities and with higher levels of cognitive abilities and from more well-off families are more likely to take music lessons."  Well, duh!

Let's stop kidding ourselves shall we? Do we really want to "save" music education?  Then let's start by fostering music making opportunities in our own communities and making music learning fun, hip, and accessible to people of all ages. Let's also remember that's it's NOT about making kids better at math or spatial reasoning, it's about making better communities and more positive human connections through music. 

Perhaps Dan Levitin a psychologist from McGill University in Montreal, said it best, "There are benefits to having a society where more people are engaged with the arts, so even if music instruction doesn't make you a better mathematician or a better athlete, even if it only gives you the enjoyment of music, I think that is a good end in and of itself."  Amen brother!

We've loved Gary Marcus ever since we read and blogged about his book Guitar Zero around this time last year.  A friend of ours sent along his January 1, 2013 article from the New Yorker called Happy New Year: Pick Up a New Skill and as usual, it did not disappoint. 

In it he discusses the challenges and benefits of learning new things as an adult and in particular, debunking the long held scientific view called “critical-period effect”. Lucky for us old guys (and you too my dear readers!), Gary says "evidence for this belief was far weaker than widely supposed." 

"The critical-period effect is the idea that you can’t do certain things—like learn a language, or learn an instrument—unless you start early in life. It’s a discouraging thought for anyone past adolescence. But, recently, the evidence for this idea had started to unwind." 

When he decided to learn guitar at 40, Mr. Marcus said he did the best he could to "tackle the guitar bit-a-bit, keeping my expectations low and my persistence high." This should be the first commandment of music learning!  And shortly after his book was published, he began finding new data that showed that the myth of critical periods itself had in fact kept people from even trying to learn new things. 

By now we all know the power and far reaching benefits of learning music and casual music making - it's not just for 'school-kids' anymore.  Folks of all ages are finding that learning music can "facilitate getting better at other things" with "results that last for decades." It's never too late to start and as Mr. Marcus says - the most important thing about learning something new is "...it can certainly make you happier."  There's commandment #2!

Once again Gary Marcus sums things up perfectly; "We can’t all be rock stars. But, as the cliché goes, the journey can be every bit as rewarding as the destination." Amen to that brotha!  

When you're ready to learn music, be sure to check out the DLP Program.  You can read Gary's full New Yorker article here.  Now go out and make this a very good year! 

Intuition - a 6th Sense for Learning (and Teaching)

We've written about Annie Murphy Paul in the past - if you are learning or teaching anything - it's well worth following on twitter and reading her blog! 

In her piece The Science of Intuition: An Eye-Opening Guide to Your Sixth Sense she encourages all of us to be more sensitive to the "body's signals and tap the inner powers of your mind."  

For this article she presents results of studies that include almost every one of the senses; from sights, sounds, and even smells, to simple gut reactions. The findings are interesting to say the least, and sometimes even counter-intuitive.  

"Our brains are processing information even when we're not paying attention", says Ken Paller, PhD. "and with the brain's analytical system occupied by another task, the intuitive system—which excels at picking up the gist of a scene or situation—is better able to do its work." 

In one study, Ap Dijksterhuis, a psychologist at Radboud University in the Netherlands found that distraction can help us make better decisions. It seems that while focusing on something else, "the unconscious mind was processing information and integrating it into a valid selection." Leading Annie Murphy Paul to conclude, "Focus schmocus!"

As an educator I could really benefit from tapping into the clues I'm sending (and receiving). Intuitiveness in teaching is a two-way street, especially in our niche of one-on-one music instruction. I will try and be more sensitive to my "gut" and see if I can make use of my sixth sense throughout the day. Read the full article here and see if there may be some practical applications in your classroom, home, or workplace.  I look forward to your feedback!

Meet DLP Member Sibylle P - Renaissance Woman and Determined Learner!

Sibylle P is a vocalist who is working through the DLP Music Program. She had contacted us with 2 very thoughtful, interesting, and almost philosophical music questions so we thought we'd try to learn a little more about her. Lucky for us (and you) she was happy to share her story. And her reply of "I totally understand your perspective on this" was music to our ears! 

We hope you enjoy meeting Sibylle as much as we have:

"I moved to rural New Mexico in June, so I guess I'm currently from New Mexico. I am a Canadian citizen, and was born in Germany. I am a singer and I am doing the Kore Course for Soprano Voice. I intend to go on to the Jazz Course when I am done withKore. I don't hope to be a jazz artist, however I am well aware that if you can do jazz, you have the tools needed to connect with musicians working in many different musical styles. 

My musical history...

I took piano lessons as a child and sang in the church choir. My piano lessons, frankly, were pretty horrific, and turned me off to such an extent that I didn't start up again with any kind of formal music studies till I was 30. I took singing lessons at a pace of one to two per month for almost 20 years, and also studied rudimentary composition one-on-one for several years. I have recorded music I have written, however it's not currently publicly available.

Over the course of my adult life, I never had the time or money needed to focus in a more concentrated way on music so I could get to what I consider a truly professional level. I was delighted to discover the DLP program because I've always wanted to methodically fill in the gaps in my knowledge. Returning to school in the regular sense of the word was out of the question for me... not only because of time and money restrictions, but because I did not have the solid music theory background needed to enter a college-level program. I'm currently able to spend three or four mornings a week working with the DLP materials and I'm finding the self-paced review and learning to be perfect for my needs.

I have been unable to download the Finale Notepad software (it's a long story but I expect to have the program up and running before October is over). I decided to take my lack of sheet music as an opportunity and with a little help here and there from my keyboard, I have been transcribing the melodic line to many of the songs so that I can improve my listening and notation skills, and really close the gap between what I know theoretically and what I know practically. I'm looking forward to installing the software soon so I can double-check my notations against the professionally prepared sheet music.

After I'm done transcribing, I sing the piece, and wow do I enjoy that! (Mike Finkel's ability to set simple melodic lines so that they sound like real music is teaching me a lot about composition!)  I plan to continue transcribing about three songs per lesson even after I have Notepad because I consider that activity to be good for developing my fundamental musicianship.

"I consider music miraculous."

Music represents the most profound form of expression I am capable of, and for me it is primarily a spiritual experience when I'm really singing well. I truly love making music with others. I really enjoy "soloing" with the DLP songs because it gives me practice in improving my abilities to work with other musicians. I consider music miraculous. When I listen and watch people making music together, it reminds me that peace, co-operation, and harmony are all possible on our planet. To me, co-operative music making represents a creative, very pleasurable, and powerful alternative to war.

So to summarize, music is about my personal relationship to Source.  It is a way to invite others into a deep connection with Source, and it is also about how social relationships could be modeled differently than they generally are." 

Editor's Note: Wow, what an interesting lady!  And there's more.  Sibylle is an artist who will be contributing an installation "Guerilla Sprouting" at an upcoming art exhibit in Taos called "Seed 4."  The installation will feature live sprouts, re-purposed plastic, and information on the 'whys' of my chosen title.  She also writes about her passions on her blog Praise to Incarnation.

Music Educators - Seize the Day!

What an exciting time!  This morning I checked my office and teaching schedule, twitter, and a few news feeds from my Samsung Galaxy phone before my feet even hit the floor.  I am connected to and sharing information with students, teachers, and colleagues for hours each day. Never before have we had this much information and unprecedented connectivity available at our fingertips.


People of all ages are accessing data on the go; it's ready whenever and wherever they choose and younger generations not only expect but assume that the information they need and want will be available digitally.  So, will music educators take note? (groan...) or will the profession continue to rely on outdated methods and models simply because it has 'worked in the past?'  Technology in and of itself will not make a teacher 'better', but denying current trends may prove very costly to the profession.


A NY Times story from January, 2012 reports 'For the first time in history, digital music sales topped the physical sale of music'. This trend they say, will surely creep into other areas of the music business - no doubt making traditional print music publishers and record labels a bit uneasy. And how long before music educators feel the heat if they haven't all ready?  Mike More of Headliner.fm says,


"I think you have a whole generation who doesn't care if they own anything. Accessibility has become paramount. This is what consumers want -- they want it everywhere and on all their devices."


Music learners (and by that I mean ALL music makers, not only El-Hi 12 to 18 year-olds, but enthusiasts and 'consumers' of all ages) are turning to digital outlets for their information and guidance. Interest in traditional print method books and current teaching models is waning as savvy students and teachers alike are finding that there's 'more than one way to skin a cat'. The challenge for our profession is to embrace new trends and at the same time produce quality materials, products, and services and deliver them in ways that meet the growing demands and expectations of current and future learners.


Brian Chesky of airbnb was recently featured on Nightline in a segment called New American Dream: Rent Not Own.  The show addressed the growing trend toward renting vs.owning in categories from cars to houses, furniture, golf clubs, baby clothes, and more.  But his quote "Access is more powerful than ownership, and more economically sustainable" really hit home with us.


As you might imagine, at DLP we choose to see these trends as a great opportunity.  It's a chance for us and fellow music educators to reach new markets, to create more music makers, and in the end, a stronger profession over-all.  So, let's seize the day, embrace change, and be open to new ideas and avenues for music teaching and learning. Our future and the future of music education may very well depend on it!


Editor's Note: This blog posted last week on the dlp website and since then we've gotten feedback from music educators the world over. The first was Heath Vercher who said:


As a music educator (and by proxy someone interested in the future of music education) I'd be very interested in reading and hearing more discourse on what the future could hold for music teachers, and how we can "seize the

day."


I see a lot of posts here on the DSM site and the DLP blog encouraging music educators to think outside, become more entrepreneurial, and embrace the use of technology and the advantages of the online world.
Now, granted I haven't had the time to read your entire archive of blog posts (though I am a regular reader) but I'd like to read about more concrete ideas about how it might be possible for music educators to "seize the day:"


Or, if you have more blog posts on these topics, point me to them! 


- Heath


Here is our reply:

Heath - first of all thank you very much for being a reader and for taking the time to comment - much appreciated! We certainly don't have all the answers, but we have been thinking for more than 20 years about the very concept of 'what is a profession' and does teaching music (as it is currently perceived) even qualify. In fact, Dr. Bob Lawrence did his doctoral thesis on this very subject. I'd be happy to share some of his findings with you sometime.

We choose our words carefully as this is a delicate subject for many - but since you asked, here are just a few thoughts that puzzle my colleagues and I and maybe a few ideas about how we can 'seize the day'. 

Music education exists almost entirely within academia. Our training of future teachers is almost 100% geared toward working with El-Hi aged folks (band, choir, orchestra students). Yet, study after study shows how music is great for the brain, its elasticity and memory, etc., how it can help the aging process and even trigger incredible results in Alzheimer patients. And what do we do with this data? We use it to try and 'save music in schools' by asking for donations so that music programs can make kids better at math. I know that's an over-simplification, but I imagine an outsider might have that perception and that's not good. 

The actual number of people interested in music, playing learning writing etc is astounding - just look at the numbers from the NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) shows, there is alot interest and $ spent on music and music related products. In fact, it may be at unprecedented highs, even in this economy.

So how about we fend for ourselves and CREATE music teaching firms outside of academia? What if some of us move outside of classrooms and set up professional shops within our communities to reach the HUGE market of people interested in music? People who by the way, have the ability to pay for our professional services.

To do this we'll need to include business classes as part of our training and teach college-aged kids that music teaching can be a successful and profitable venture (as well as a noble endeavor). PS -I welcome you to visit DSM for a day and see 4 year olds coming for lessons alongside 80 yr olds - it's a beautiful thing! I believe we can save music education from within if we open up to these ideas. I am not afraid this direction might take away from school programs, instead I feel it will strengthen them by getting more people involved and making a healthier profession over-all.

2. Embrace technology - the internet and web devices are perfect for information sharing and delivery. What is music teaching really? It's imparting our passion for music on to new folks and explaining the steps needed to move through a process to reach a goal. Current and future generations will not accept the current method book norm (as good or bad as some may be). We need music educators to accept and embrace technology not for technology's sake, but to assure that we remain relevant!

One of the main reasons we have been tinkering with DLP for almost 12 years is we realized more and more of our students had come to expect that this kind of program 'must exist somewhere'? But when we pitched it to 3 of the largest print music publishers in the world, they all passed...(lucky for us in hindsight). 

3. (some short ones) Do not be pigeon-holed by the instrument you play.

3a. Remember that it's not about the music, it's about people.

3b. Make the process memorable for every learner.

3c. And, ....continue to be passionate about teaching (I know you will) or don't teach at all.

Speaking of, here comes an adult student! Gotta run...

PS - here is a link to a true story that you may find interesting.