Monday, December 12, 2011

Lapses of Posting, Finals, and an official response to John August's Blog Post regarding music education

As I'm sure you've noticed, It's been a few weeks since I've updated. My life has been somewhat chaotic and full of promising terror. At the end of this month I'll be moving to LA. I'm transferring with my current company to a similar position down there and moving in with some friends in the Los Feliz area. Very exciting.

 And it just means that in addition to finishing out my last semester at San Jose State, I also have the responsibilities of making sure my work transfer goes through, mailing checks to my future room mates, canceling my internet, finding the best deals on moving trucks, packing, and giving my landlord a thirty-day notice. Did I remember to cancel the PG&E?

 Anyway, I wanted to apologize (because I know you wait with bated breath for every one of my updates) and reassure you. No, you are not forgotten. Yes, I will be continuing to update this blog. Yes, I am mostly saying that for my own benefit.

 The other thing I wanted to address here is a blog post that John August made on Saturday regarding the music education of the country's children. John (I feel like that's kinda informal, but we're in my living room now) made an update more or less claiming that rather than teach kids the instruments of a traditional symphonic band, we should just have them learn piano and guitar.

I totally follow his logic. I played music all through high school and even went to a summer band-camp that I continue to be a counselor at every summer. I'm 24 and that is in no way weird. I realized one thing about the kids that tended to sit first trumpet or first clarinet. For the most part, they played piano as well. It's clear that there is a correlation between children that play piano in addition to their symphonic instrument and their success as music students. Piano is an incredibly visual instrument that makes for an intuitive association between the written music and the way it is played. I really wish I had started playing on piano, but I wanted to be like Lisa Simpson so I just went straight to the saxomaphone.

However, as he points out, the sound of twenty-four pianos being played together in a concert isn't something to behold. It is in this vein that I maintain that the traditional symphonic band must be maintained in schools. That the instruments that have always been taught ought to continue to be taught. Because playing in a symphonic band brings in entire new dynamics to the performance of music. There is a dialogue that takes place between conductor and musician as well as amongst the musicians themselves. They listen to each other and respond. They communicate cues and indicate, in a very dynamic way, the direction of the ensemble. It is a very different experience from playing piano or guitar alone.

It doesn't matter if you're five or fifty with thirty years of piano playing, the first time you play the violin it's gonna squeak and sound terrible. At least when you're five you're just happy that you're playing an instrument. So here's what I'd suggest. If your child shows an interest in playing music get them a piano or a guitar and some lessons. But also let them enroll in their schools music program and play trombone, clarinet, or violin.  They'll gain all the benefit of an education in piano or guitar, as well as the invaluable experience of playing in an ensemble.

Alright, back to studying. Three final exams and a 6 page paper left until freedom.