On page 27, during Woodford's discussion of Performance Reconsidered, Woodford lists the uses of music. "Music can be used to celebrate love, sex, religion, or patriotism, but it can just as easily be used to silence opposition or to stoke excessive patriotic, nationalistic, religious, or sexual fervor and thus channel, distort,or wipe out thought."
Do you think it is the role of the Music teacher to teach the different uses of music, or discuss with a class how these things can occur because of music? How would a teacher go about creating an atmosphere where open discussions about how a song made you think or feel are comfortable and acceptable? Also, Are teachers who believe in only teaching one method or Western cannon, using music to silence as Woodford says? What problems could occur in a class if these ideas of musical uses were discusses or even acted upon?
Labels: Partner questions II
posted by Anonymous @ 11:05 AM
1 Comments:
To put it simply, I do believe that it is the role of the music teacher to teach, if not to just expose their students to the different uses of music, especially in a historical context.
Looking at interdisciplinary education, I think it makes complete sense to tie music to it's different uses, especially when they are so intertwined with history, literature, politics, etc. While discussions can get heated or uncomfortable for some students, you should make it very clear before the discussion even begins that the classroom is a safe-haven, and once things begin to even get slightly out of hand that the discussion will be dismissed. There will be differences of opinion, and some feelings could get stepped on, but that is where it is your job as the educator to step in. If the stuents wish to have a professional discussion about topics that interest them then they are responsible for acting professionally. The very nature of a subject like political history can be very heated, but this does not mean that we should not expose our students to it.
I do think in a way that Woodward is right as well. Teaching the Western cannon is obviously very important, but it is also important to teach what your students are living through and the music that they identify with. If you are only teaching what has "tranditionally been taught" and your students are not receptive to that material at first, they will shut you out and it will be very hard to get them back.
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