Simpedia

Rosalie C., Australia

I am excited to write this post because I’ve got this idea that I’d like your feedback on.

I loved Gordon’s post and have been following and summarizing the Simpedia entry headed ‘Reading/Playlist’ since. I loved Gordon’s post because I too am concerned and have been thinking about how to integrate the Reading Programs (notes and rhythm) successfully while keeping the distinguishing nature of Simply Music.

I want my students to be confident readers, but I do not want to become just another reading-based teacher once reading has been introduced. This is difficult when the prevailing culture of music education is reading. I have also found that this is usually the prevailing culture in the minds of parents (with a few exceptions) even if they don’t think it is.

But, the challenge is how to keep this perspective right in my mind, and in the minds of my students/parents – from the start of their learning with me, continued through their learning and to their leaving?

I was inspired by Sheri’s post and her analogy of the rainbow. Sheri wrote “it is very misguided to think [reading] is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. It is one aspect of the rainbow and not the most brilliant color there either (and I LOVE to read). The pot of gold contains all the different aspects of musicianship, it is the well-rounded musician, not just the reading, and it is true that many people do need to be convinced of that.”

Inspired by this post, I have since gone out and bought lots of ‘tasteful’ material flowers. They are different colors and beautiful. This bouquet of flowers represents the ‘well-rounded musician’. On each flower I will attacha note about one aspect of musicianship that I think Simply Music attempts to address and develop. No flower stands out more than the other – all are different and beautiful.

The aspects of musicianship I have identified and categorized are as follows:-

• Freedom – to be able to lose yourself in making music

• Self-expression

• Improvisation/Jazz skills

• Composition

• Accompaniment skills

• Empowering level of technique for self-expression – such as finger control to enable expression of dynamics and to be able to comfortably play 16ths in the LH/RH as required during the Reading Rhythm Program

• Self-controlled relationship to learning music – i.e. including STP, valleys-plateaus-peaks, awareness of learning tools etc

• Understanding contemporary music and its common patterning/musical appreciation

• Integrated theory

• Score literacy – decoding notes for transferral i.e. reading for playing

• Aural literacy – decoding sound for transferral i.e. hearing for playing and writing

• Keyboard literacy – decoding patterns for transferral i.e. watching for playing and writing.

So far that is 12 separate, beautiful, distinctive flowers in the bouquet! The ideas I have for using the bouquet are: –

• at the introductory sessions or first lesson

• referring to them in my studio during learning processes and when the issue of reading is raised

• perhaps giving students a particular flower when a particular aspect of musicianship has been worked on – (I will take it back again at the end of the lesson and re-give it at a later lesson when the same aspect is again addressed thus showing learning happening at a deeper and deeper level)

It will also be good to show students and parents that there is a lot to learning music and that it takes a long time… holding the bouquet is the ultimate goal – they have to be in it for the long haul!!

I like my ‘score literacy, aural literacy and keyboard literacy’ categories as it really puts reading in its place in my mind!