"Less is more"

"Less is more," a phrase first written in a poem by Robert Browning in 1855, has a different meaning to everyone. To those who read the Browning poem Andrea del Sarto, it can explain artistic minimalism in a true minimalistic fashion. To others, it can refer to the title of artist Natasha Bedingfield's 2011 North American tour, "Less is More Tour." To me, it refers to teaching more by using less.

NJ Standard 1.1.12.B.1 states "Examine how aspects of meter, rhythm, tonality, intervals, chords, and harmonic progressions are organized and manipulated to establish unity and variety in genres of musical compositions." While this standards resides in 1.1 "The Creative Process" it implies using teaching methods that sit more with 1.3 "Performance." The only way to authentically meet this standard is to lead students in genuine performance of world musics. Instead of conducting a band in 3 concerts of western music each year, I suggest teachers explore music written for other ensembles to teach students. True musicians understand music, not solely western music. How else can a student truly understand this long list of musical ideas?

How can you possibly teach so many cultures in one year? You can't. Pick one each year. By the time your students finish in your program they will have a broader view of music and also of the world. Teaching through performance guarantees that student's will not be as affected by stereotypes seen through technology. Let's face it; there is a point where computers just can't do what humans can do.

To stay on my theme of Less Is More, I will end this post in under 300 words to be sincere in my post without diving in much deeper.

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Copyright vs. technology

The biggest problem with music technology is copyright infringement. It is commonly accepted among musicians that YouTube is both the greatest and most detrimental technology in the musical world. Almost everything posted on the media website is infringing on some part of the US copyright law, but most of these infringements are allowed to remain on the site. Why? Free promotion. Here's another blog post from another source on the issue.

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Interactivity 4

Spreadsheet

I choose this lesson plan because it can draw cross-curricular ties with other subjects and current changing education policy. While the lesson is, as written on the website, not only boring but severely lacking in educational value, with the addition of asking students to write their own music it becomes immediately relevant. Many genres of popular music rely on little to no notation, which is an outcome of this lesson. Students will compose their own pieces without musical notation. In addition, students must understand the function of lyrics in the genre. This could also tie into a social justice unit a music teacher may choose to teach (a common unit focus in the music classroom). The gaps between the three columns of information were bridged with the addition of the final piece of the lesson plan, the composition of music. The use of technology acts as the backbone of the lesson. With that in mind a clear curriculum goal was established while hitting on numerous standards and using both methods of teaching strategies. The technologies used are commonplace in today's classroom and do not require much preparation, another reason I chose this lesson. I am always aware of the problems technology comes with and understand that a back-up plan is always necessary. It is however essential to teaching this curriculum goal; without technology, students of music would continue believing they are the best performers they have ever heard. Without exposure to performers through media technologies, students would not be able to learn anything about performing.