My OperaMusical Taste - Blog #1
Sunday, December 11, 2005 5:51:40 AM
It seems that everywhere you go you see an ipod or other mp3 player feeding music into someone's ears. This is particularly evident in younger people (i.e., adolescent to college aged). By this we can infer that people are avid music listeners and hold music central to their lives. There is research that shows that adolescents are particularly interested in music, and that they not only hold music as central to their lives but also use it as an "identifier." For adolescents, music is a primary need. It represents their personality, aspects of their soul, and affects. It also is their personal therapist. Adolescents will also identify (and reject) their friends based on the music they listen to, even though ipods have allowed music to become intimate and private. No longer is music primarily a social tool.
Why then, if music is so central to peoples' lives is it so unimportant to be involved with? For example, only approximately 18% of high school students enrolled in North American Schools actively involved and/or participating in music ensembles and school music programs? It is evident that people are active, even rabid consumers and listeners, yet avoid participation in music making. I wonder what the participation in dance is? Somehow I believe in a growing sedentary society that even this involvement in music is isolated and cliquish.
It seems to me that there is a schism between school music programs and adolescent taste. An interesting, research worthy, topic. If we, as music educators, are not showing students how music making can be relevant and useful to ALL students' lives we're missing something. I have a review of literature I wrote that I will be making available when I complete my new website. There is some interesting writing and research on this topic. And there are heated debates and strong philosophies stirring on this subject.
Why then, if music is so central to peoples' lives is it so unimportant to be involved with? For example, only approximately 18% of high school students enrolled in North American Schools actively involved and/or participating in music ensembles and school music programs? It is evident that people are active, even rabid consumers and listeners, yet avoid participation in music making. I wonder what the participation in dance is? Somehow I believe in a growing sedentary society that even this involvement in music is isolated and cliquish.
It seems to me that there is a schism between school music programs and adolescent taste. An interesting, research worthy, topic. If we, as music educators, are not showing students how music making can be relevant and useful to ALL students' lives we're missing something. I have a review of literature I wrote that I will be making available when I complete my new website. There is some interesting writing and research on this topic. And there are heated debates and strong philosophies stirring on this subject.
