One of my students, an avid thinker and audiophile, gave me This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin a while back. I put it on the proverbial and ever increasing 'stack of stuff' that I try to slog through at any given moment and finally began reading it just a week or so ago.
I was interested to learn that like me, Dan has a history with saxophone, had spent some time at Berklee School of Music in Boston and has an incredibly eclectic history of interests and professions including; automobile mechanic, graphic designer, typographer, chauffeur, product manager, data analyst, dishwasher, computer operator, television repairman, fry cook, door-to-door salesman, camp counselor and wood stove salesman. Now this is a guy that I can relate to! Dan takes both a scientific and practical look at the mysteries of music so you don't need to have passed Acoustics 101 or an intimate relationship with the complete works of Schumann to enjoy the book. In fact, he asserts 'the average person has more musical ability than is often believed'. This is something my collegues and I agree with wholeheartedly and is hopefully reflected in our work at MusickEd.com. One of my musical and artistic heroes David Byrne had this to say about Dan's book; 'Despite illuminating alot of what goes on, this book doesn't spoil enjoyment - it only deepens the beautiful mystery that is music.'
There's no need for me to try and sum up the contents here. Instead, I suggest that if the title intrigues you at all....even in the slightest bit...run out and grab your very own copy. I have recommended it to many of my colleagues and students and I highly recommend it to you.
Why Does My Head Spin?...when I read the following list from NAMM - the National Association of Music Merchants. Here they proudly announce gifts of '$848,807 to support Innovative Music Learning Programs, Research and Student Projects'.
Granted, the 31 groups who benefit from NAMM's generousity may be worthy and are undoubtedly appreciative, but it is such a crying shame that our industry (music education in particular) has come to rely on these kinds of gifts for its very existence.
It seems that other industries have been very, very good at this; doctors, lawyers, accountants...the PGA! Organizations within these groups actually raise money and are able to help their communities. Why don't music educators learn from these models? When will we break the stereotype of being 'needy, do-gooders' and take the bull by the horns to promote music education as a viable service that can be accessed by our general communities? Here are a few shocking statements from a veteran music educator:
1. All music teachers do not aspire to be Mr. Holland - the 'band guy'. 2. Every person who studies music does not aspire to play professionally. 3. Not every kid who studies music is made smarter. 4. Not all music schools rely on the 'kindness of strangers' for support. 5. We don't need grants and funding to realize that learning music is important.
This is a reply I posted on a Clarinet Bulletin Board (I know, I know...nerd alert!). Someone had asked if anyone knew anything about 'musicked.com'. As I read the responses I felt a little like a father overhearing kids pick on a son or daughter so I figured I'd set the record straight as best I could. Here is what I wrote:
I know this is probably an old post but I wanted to clear a few things up about MusickEd.com, the software and what we have in store for the future. First off - the version that is currently available is the 2nd incarnation of what essentially was a beta product offered way back in 2004. It contained solid information but was delivered differently and had a tricky interface to navigate through our learning process. The current software was updated in 2007 - we made the delivery simpler and navigation easier.
The MusickEd curriculum is not meant to displace teachers although it can (and should) be used by individual learners who need help with everything from taking the instrument out of the case, assembling and making a sound all the way to learning chord/scale relationships. It can (and should) be used by teachers who all too often ‘scatter-shoot’ with students because they A.) assume the student will lose interest or B.) don’t have a plan. MusickEd software comes with educational support – that’s something that print ‘method’ books cannot deliver.
All concepts are presented clearly and concisely and most important - in sequential order - which is why it is perfect for students at all levels. I have advanced students who have used the software to go back to basics and cover things they have missed and beginning students who excel past their classmates because they use the same learning process from lesson to lesson. We are currently completing the latest version called the Kore Series which is the culmination of literally 10 years of work. The content, design, learning process, amazing songs and play-alongs, support and community aspects make this product an amazing value - you can take a tour here:
We are also working on a Jazz Series which we hope to launch within a year. It will use the same (trademarked and patented) learning process as the Kore Series and continues on with the jazz soloist/improviser in mind.
Thanks for the ear – Eugene Cantera – Partner MusickEd.com
Does this sound like you? You are into music and thinking about learning an instrument. You weren't a band geek in high school but you do enjoy jazz so maybe the saxophone strikes your fancy? You like old 70's rock so maybe guitar or electric bass is the way to go? You cracked up at Will Farrell in Anchorman but thought that 'yazz flute' actually 'really sounded pretty cool'! That's it! You've made up your mind... now off you go to your local music dealer.
The bright lights and shiny instruments beckon. You plunk a few notes as you walk past the demo keyboard. Walls of cool extras and rows of sheet music give you pause but you press on.
'Which one do I choose? Do I rent or purchase?'
You finally find a salesman and start asking questions and soon realize that whichever one you choose, you are still days, if not weeks and maybe months, away from making music. Who will show me how to put it together? Where do my fingers go? Can anyone help me? Is this a futile endeavor? AHHHH!
Now imagine you could purchase or rent an instrument that included a full music curriculum along with 24 hour educational support. Talk about a 'no-brainer'! And how is that for added value?!
Impossible you say? That would take one visionary company, an amazing team of educators and possibly the foresight of...gulp...instrument manufacturers and distributors. Ha Ha Ha! Like that will ever happen!
Well, laugh all ya want, but we're not kidding. MusickEd.com is positioning itself to make this (and much more) a possibility for any shrewd instrument manufacturer or local dealer who wants to separate themselves from the pack. Heck, we're even open to the idea of Yahoo or Google or even Best Buy coming aboard. Our software program and support is poised to change the course of music education as we know it and it can be attached to any instrument rented or sold more easily and economically than any freebie DVD.
Now, we're not talking about reaching the 'El-Hi band, choir and orchestra programs' or 'saving the music'. If all goes well, they will benefit when the time is right. We're talking about making world class music education services and support available to anyone with a laptop and an instrument.
We're talking to you Mr. and Mrs. 20 Something gen-googler with an IPod and a hankering for solid, well delivered information.
Does this even exist in music? It sure does. And it's right here at MusickEd.com. Sit back and take the tour of our program and be sure to follow us on Twitter so you can stay up to date on the latest news and product releases.
These questions arise many times every year. Sometimes they're posed by people calling DSM for lessons and sometimes they're e-mailed to MusickEd.com by people searching the internet for uh.... 'music education'.
'I want to learn music, but do I have to learn how to read music?' Or 'I just want to play for fun and not learn any of that theory stuff.'
There are a bunch of fantastic tales about guys who 'just pick up an instrument and play!' and countless other threads to be found regarding famous musicians who 'can't read music'. There's no doubt that it can be done and done well.
The following jazzers are all said to have limited music reading ability; trumpeter Chet Baker, guitarists Wes Montgomery and Joe Pass, and pianist Erroll Garner. They all played wonderfully yet each struggled with (music) reading during their lives and some admittedly sadly never mastered the skill. Some of these stories are exaggerated. Erroll Garner may not have been able to sight read Chopin Ballades, but he could certainly explain the theory behind the chords and melodies.
The pop world is littered with formidable players who do not read music. There is the somewhat dubious tale of Prince handing Beyonce a piece of sheet music at a recording session only to have her gasp in horror and then sheepishly admit she couldn't read music. The nameless symbol-one was so taken aback that he reportedly abruptly ended the date and told Miss Knowles to 'come back when you've learned'. (Note to readers; it's a great story... but repeated searches for verification of the myth have turned up nada. If anyone has more insight, by all means, do tell.)
The bottom line is that some folks are gifted with great ears, musical minds and the dogged determination to play their instrument at a very high level. Eventually they learn the 'language' and are able to 'converse' with fellow musicians to make great art. The people who are searching for 'shortcuts' online or calling a music school for help are most likely not in this camp.
Searching for a shortcut to learning music is like learning a language but never developing the skills to read or write, building a house using only a screwdriver, or being an artist using only a pencil. The more knowledge you gain and the more tools you acquire, the more you can do with your instrument. This makes learning more fun and far less frustrating. With the correct approach however, there is no doubt that anyone and everyone can learn musical concepts and become musically 'literate' on their chosen instrument. With that in mind, the question 'Do I need to know how to read music?' might be answered in true Socratic fashion by any potential teacher like so; 'How do you propose I teach you music?'.
In putting the MusickEd.com Kore Series software together it was blatantly obvious that a step by step approach of introducing concepts using the actual language of music was the best idea for both potential students and educators who would be using the product. Note reading, ear training and theory components (such as articulations, dynamics, tempo markings, etc.) are all important pieces of a large puzzle that of course also includes 'hands on' and 'how to' for each instrument.
We have been using the software curriculum for about 2 years on campus at DSM. The program provides teachers with lots of options and it's a great way for students to gauge their progress. Almost every student (both young and old) are delighted to know that they are following a set course of study rather than meandering through a random set of tasks that often lead to frustration.
The 'market' (and in particular, the internet) is flooded with cheat-sheet short cuts that sound more like used car deals than actual curricula. This approach almost always causes frustration for both the learner and the instructor because what's missing is a clear and consistent flow of sequential information.
So if you are one of the chosen few who are truly musically gifted and highly determined, then you may not need to learn 'music' in order to play your instrument at a high level. If you are like the rest of us however, be certain to choose a solid curriculum and a teacher who will help you through it for the best results!
One of my students, an avid thinker and audiophile, gave me This is Your Brain on Music by Daniel J. Levitin a while back. I put it on the proverbial and ever increasing 'stack of stuff' that I try to slog through at any given moment and finally began reading it just a week or so ago.
