lots to respond to.
i see 2 ways of listening-
*party- to listen and just simply enjoy (passive/ textural experience) basic consuming
*active/ musicianly- to be hearing structure and patterns as a dominant part of the experience
a great overall goal of the music program is to bring people (serious music students and lay people alike) closer to the latter category.
lesson ideas- ---have students participate with the sound they are used to passively consuming
***students bring a song [or just start right in with any ramones song (my fave of the moment- sheena is a punk rocker)]- it gets used/ analyzed for structure. pick it apart as if it were a lesson for actually learning how to play it. include discussion (specific examples in the song) of structure/ form (building/ releasing tension, repetition, chord structures, verse/ chorus)
***find the basic rhythmic pulse, ask student to maintain this (extremely simple) rhythm (simply tapping the table/ book) through the song (tapping along with recording) beginning to end- very important to go all the way through the song- we're working on shifting the essential way the student relates to time and to get them to actively participate/ break the barrier.
***find a simple bass line (one that represents the chord structure) and teacher plays this through the song. if possible, go for having students do the same (or just come in on the chorus) on 1- or 2-string guitar/ bass. coming in on cue will be a good test of being there with the music and will emphasize the function of the chorus.
getting students to record is a great thing- gotta make the technology super simple. immediate. people say "garage band" is easy for this, but as of now i have no experience to offer (but i bet this would be good). starting with cassettes would work and be low-pressure.
webcasting radio stations- could be great. would involve good material on learning the computer/ microphone. could be a great hook to draw in students.
- paired playing and composing at the piano-------great stuff. does wonders. i like the idea of having one pair teach another pair to do their thing. there's something about working in a group (pair) that makes more structure happen (would likely make the compositions easier to learn).
- beginning guitar instruction----also great. bass too. and dare i say it- drums...
- group singing, led by a current student----yes-do it if there's interest. have sporadic visits from a voice teacher.
- the instrument workshop------i am interested in getting ideas from all people. tell me more about the audience idea.
- Vic's other visits for guitar, banjo, mandolin, etc-----i'm hoping for 3 or 4 visits/ year. happy to fill in where my knowledge helps most. want to make the sound-oriented event be more approachable- would like suggestions/feedback on that.
- outside instrument instructors (for an extra fee)---getting more happening is good. yes. follow the interest.
vic
There is a third way of listening, I think.
ReplyDelete* Background/passive/party listening
* musical/structural listening
* EMOTIONAL listening
Emotional listening would be along the lines of paying deep attention to the subjective experience of a performance or piece of music. Basically:
"What is your internal/subjective correlate to the piece of music?"
Not simply "how does it make you feel", but the immediate experience of FEELING that the music evokes and how it changes. Simple words are not adequate. Action, response, responding with poetry, music, drawing, movement. Communicating WITH the performer or composer. Not simply "consuming" and not complex-ly "analyzing".
This:
ReplyDelete***students bring a song [or just start right in with any ramones song (my fave of the moment- sheena is a punk rocker)]- it gets used/ analyzed for structure. pick it apart as if it were a lesson for actually learning how to play it. include discussion (specific examples in the song) of structure/ form (building/ releasing tension, repetition, chord structures, verse/ chorus)
***find the basic rhythmic pulse, ask student to maintain this (extremely simple) rhythm (simply tapping the table/ book) through the song (tapping along with recording) beginning to end- very important to go all the way through the song- we're working on shifting the essential way the student relates to time and to get them to actively participate/ break the barrier.
***find a simple bass line (one that represents the chord structure) and teacher plays this through the song. if possible, go for having students do the same (or just come in on the chorus) on 1- or 2-string guitar/ bass. coming in on cue will be a good test of being there with the music and will emphasize the function of the chorus.
Is a very good idea. Good approach. Lets fit it in.
BTW this is going well.