My experience interviewing three people from a non-music background was fascinating. I discovered that one can apply anything to a music education setting — it does not matter if that application is derived from a non-music source. Through these interviews, I learned so much about music in society and how I can apply these concepts to my own practice as a future teacher. I have posted a dialogue to follow along with below the video:
MY FATHER
His “Musical River”:
● Started playing the flute in middle school. At this point in his life, music was a mandatory class.
● Also participated in his middle school’s band.
● Felt encouraged by the sense of teamwork and friendship that this band provided. His cat loved the flute, while his parents were not enthusiastic about it. This did not discourage him from continuing his musical journey.
● Continued playing the flute in high school as an elective. He was an active participant in his high school band.
● This particular band won several competitions and participated in national band competitions in Ottawa and Montreal.
● Although music was not his intended career path, he continued to enjoy the sense of camaraderie that the band atmosphere provided.
● He went to McMaster University for aerospace engineering — a program with a very intense workload. Hence, he was too busy to join any university ensembles or continue to play the flute.
What role does music play in his life currently?
As an aerospace engineer, music is not a part of his career. He also claims that music does not play a significant role in his life; active listening is not an activity he takes part in. However, he enjoys dancing to music with my mom at parties and listening to music in the car or on the patio.
Did music help him develop personally?
He claims that music did not help him develop personally. However, he expresses that music helped him build more friendships and become more social with other people. Therefore, I would argue that being a part of an ensemble helped him with his interpersonal skills — an essential skill for the workplace. This partially explains why he describes himself as a team-oriented person at work.
MY SISTER
Her “Musical River”:
● Participated in music classes starting in grade one. Thoroughly enjoyed the rainstick in grade five. At this point, music was a non-optional elective for Claire.
● Showed interest in popular artists such as Lady Gaga, allowing her to build notable confidence.
● Sang a Michael Jackson song at a school assembly in grade seven.
● After this experience, Claire began to play the clarinet in her mandatory music class. She chose the instrument because she thought it looked easy.
● Claire quickly learned that she did not enjoy the instrument. Her teacher neglected to give her proper instruction on the clarinet, making her feel discouraged.
● She then decided to play the trumpet instead. She preferred the trumpet over the clarinet. However, her continued frustration with her music teacher’s education pedagogy (leave it to the student to figure out) caused her to not enjoy music class.
● She also felt that the curriculum failed to relate to the interests of students and did not like having to wipe off her lipstick whenever she had to play the clarinet or trumpet.
● In high school, she chose to not take music as her arts elective.
What role does music play in her life currently?
Claire enjoys listening to pop, rock, and R&B music in her spare time or while in the car. Dancing to music at the club plays a big role in her life because it helps her destress.
Did music help her develop personally?
Her favourite artist, Lady Gaga, writes songs about building confidence and being yourself. The lyric content of these works resonated with Claire, allowing her to build significant confidence while growing up. This particular artist also stands up for the LGBTQ+ community — a cause Claire strongly believes in as an ally.
MY SOPH (FLORENCIA)
Her “Musical River”:
● Took vocal classes in high school. As the classes forced students to perform publicly, she believes they helped her build more confidence.
● Vocal teacher gave her students a lot of freedom in terms of what they could sing in class. She felt it increased student engagement and made the class more enjoyable overall.
● Ultimately, she wanted to pursue criminology in university and needed a specific course load that did not include music.
● She continues to become more involved in music in university by auditioning for musical theatre productions.
What role does music play in her life currently?
She continues to audition for musical theatre productions at Western University as a way to continue her study of vocal performance.
Did music help her develop personally?
As stated in her “Musical River”, her vocal teacher forced her students to perform songs in front of the class in order to display their achievement and progress. This experience significantly developed Florenica’s confidence, as she had to be confident to create a convincing performance.
SIGNIFICANCE
Common phrase 1: “I didn’t have enough course space or time to take music courses.”
Although this assignment certainly isn’t a comprehensive study about music education curriculums, this sentiment demonstrates one important concept: music classes are not prioritized in the school system. In other words, guidance counsellors are probably telling students that this elective is “not relevant” or “useless” to their current career path; thus, it is not worth taking. As music has many transferable skills that extend beyond the classroom, I find this troubling. Music classes can teach teamwork, creativity, and compromise — applicable concepts to the workplace.
Common phrase 2: “I never felt engaged by the classical music curriculum.”
This indicates that the current classical music curriculum may be failing to engage students. Claire’s interview gave a good perspective on this issue. She felt that proficiency on orchestral instruments was not applicable to real life as most students enjoy popular music. Above all, this may be why students do not feel engaged by modern curriculums. An adjustment to the current curriculum may be ideal as seen in Florencia's interview; her teacher allowed her students to sing practically whatever they wanted. Clearly, this unstructured paradigm is effective when done correctly, as it gives students an element of choice — something that the current curriculum fails to do.
Common phrase 3: “I dance to music at the club.”
The commonality of this statement illustrates one medium in which music can be involved in anyone’s life, regardless of if they are a music major or not. They may not be “actively listening” (i.e., listening for details, analyzing form, etc.), but they are still jiving with the music. Hence, whether we realize it or not, music is heavily integrated within our lives. The fact that this is the case yet many schools fail to value it as a legitimate subject surprises me; most students never use calculus in their everyday lives yet it is seen as a more “important” or “useful” subject. Music feeds emotional needs for many and it is sad that we don’t value that more.
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