Midweek Meanderings & Miscellany

HAPPY First Day of SPRING!
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt."***

It's the birthday of Johann Sebastian Bach!
According to The Writers Almanac (3/21/07) (Garrison Keillor's soothing morning ode)
"Members of his congregation were annoyed by his habit of improvising while playing hymns, which made it difficult for people to sing along." "Bach earned a decent living in Leipzig, but he had a grueling workload. He had to write a cantata every month, so in order to get ahead of the deadlines, he wrote one every week for the first two years. In addition to serving as organist and musical director at church services, he had to teach a boys' class in Latin and music, and he was continually frustrated by his undisciplined students and the inexperienced musicians he had to work with."


IN TOUCH WITH THE FIELD
It's that time of year again - music program cutbacks, as administrators think about the upcoming school year. In the last week, we've received 7 - 10 requests from members asking for help because their administration was either cutting music, drastically changing the schedule (from in school to after school, or changing the day rotation from 5 days to 6); reassigning the teachers to different grades, or generally minimizing the program. We've also heard from several grad students (one doing a survey on student behavior in the classroom, one needing elementary teaching resources, one needing advocacy info), a British musician who is immigrating to the States and wants to teach music here; a music teacher from Spain who is working with the National Organization of Blind People, looking for the best practices from the US regarding teaching music to visually impaired/ blind students; and a writer working on an article re: jazz competitions. Plus several students and parents seeking career and school report info!


IN THE NEWS - Something Different!
The Australian Federal Government will form a music advisory group to raise the national status of music education in Australia. This in response to a report released by the Education Minister of the country. The report called for a national music curriculum for ages K - 10 and better training for music teachers, as well as up to date resources and overall support for the field.

I wonder how something like that would go down here in the States? When music educators/researchers/students from overseas write to MENC, asking about the US Music curriculum, they are frequently suprised to learn that the US does NOT have a national music curriculum or system. Would having a national curriculum make your life easier, or harder? Would you love it or hate it? On the one hand, I suppose, having a nationally mandated curriculum would mean the government would have to back it with funds, schools would HAVE to have regular music classes, and sufficient number of music teachers. On the other hand, might having a nationalized curriculum restrict some of the (relative) freedom music teachers currently have? (although some of you may feel you actually don't have much freedom in your particular teaching situation!) What do you think? Write to info@menc.org; thoughtful/interesting responses may be shared here in coming weeks!


SIDE NOTE
A coworker told me the other day that she played both the trombone AND piccolo in her high school band, as the band did not have anyone assigned to those instruments (her HS graduating class had only 31 students). She noted, "It was particularly challenging on the days when the music called for both instruments in the same piece!" (I'm sure she didn't mean at the same time!) Talk about being a versatile musician!


RESOURCES OF THE WEEK
(note: MENC does not "endorse these sites/articles.... just thought these were interesting....)
Orchestras and Diversity
Genes may play a solo in pitch recognition
Music Ed website of note
Music Ed Blog of note


*** Margaret Atwood
See you next Wednesday! SR
Content provided by the Info/Research Dept of MENC. Part of this department's mission is to provide MENC members with resources regarding advocacy, teaching and all things music education. The dept. also answers questions from, and provides resources to, the general public, the press, administrators, parents, students, MENC staff and MENC leaders! This blog will share some of the more interesting resources discovered during the course of day to day business, in addition to providing some insights into this department's activities.
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