Abstract
In Remixing the Classroom: Toward an Open Philosophy of Music Education, 1 Randall Allsup posits the notion that music teachers are responsible for presenting curricular materials that draw on music’s vast histories as well as for creating spaces in which future musics can be imagined and created. These two ideas are represented by museums and laboratories—places for getting to know music in two different ways. This is a helpful analogy as we think about what we emphasize and underrepresent in our own programs. The idea that we are responsible for presenting the old as well as inviting the new is one that feels inherently familiar to us as musicians, yet how well do we do at creating spaces where students experiment and create new music?
The musical activities of museum and laboratory compete for curricular attention. Exploring the historical evolution of music through the repertoire that we choose to share with young musicians is a joyful but weighty task. Each selection we make is balanced against works that we will not be able to include in our program of study. This makes each selected piece that much more important. Paired with these choices is the open landscape of creating completely new music. While we recognize that the opportunity to create original music is the foundational step that has brought all historical repertoire into existence, the decision to offer creative opportunities to our students can be somewhat daunting and requires us to take risks in our teaching as we trust students to take the lead in new ways.
Students ready to engage in all aspects of their musicianship must be introduced to the idea of balancing historic practices with original creation. These two ideas are not poised in opposition but travel together, informing practice as preexisting musics are created anew and as new musics blossom from rich traditions. There are particular skills, interests, and engagements that are unique to the study of each, and their potential can be celebrated individually or collectively—but always with intention. In this work, we must be mindful of our very human tendency to play favorites with familiarity while ignoring areas that we find new or challenging in our own teaching practice.
Fortunately, June signals a time for change. We can change our venue, adjust our attitude, open our minds, and just slow down to rest, reflect, and look forward. This is the time to think about our professional goals for the beginning of the year ahead by taking stock of past practices. How much time have we spent in the musical museum? How much in the laboratory? What success have we had in balancing our curricular offerings? What contributed to those successes? Where has our work been out of balance? How might this be addressed? What additional support or training might we need? Thinking through these questions allows us to process the year, learn from it, and put it aside so that we can focus on the future with intention.
As we work to establish goals for the upcoming year, we might consider the suggestions offered by Cal Newport in Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World. 2 Newport argues that meaningful achievement requires setting an uninterrupted work schedule. Time on task doesn’t have to be long, but it does have to be consistent. He suggests taking time to mentally prepare for important work by taking a walk and focusing on a single challenge or problem that needs resolution. This is the perfect suggestion, as we are constantly viewing ourselves through student, parent, or administrator eyes when what we may really need is time to reconnect with who we are at our core. We might ask ourselves, What experiences do I want students to have? Why are these experiences the most important in their development? How might I engage students in different musical roles (singer, player, composer, listener, improviser, critic, and so forth) so that they can have a deeper breadth of understanding of music? What do I need to do to ready myself for this work?
While getting away from the day-to-day act of teaching is critical for rejuvenation, summer also presents opportunities for recommitting to teaching and exploring avenues for enhancing our effectiveness in our work. If our reflections have led us to conclude that we must rebalance our offerings, this is the time to seek out summer professional development that expands our knowledge and challenges us to grow in new ways. Summer is full of institutes, seminars, classes, workshops, and other events where we can join forces with other musicians and educators to explore new musics, develop new understandings, or gain new skills. We, like music, should not be relegated to the museum when laboratories for experimentation and new learning surround us.
We are . . . ready for a summer recharge!