Hi, pupisek!
I found this forum after your posts here!
I answered your question here: http://forum.brillkids.com/teaching-your-child-music/‘soft-way-to-mozart’-piano-teaching-for-little-kids-and-beginners/15/
With all due respect, Hellene, I would not say I am asking a question of an expert: I would say I am making a skeptical argument against someone who is using this forum to sell a product. You mainly just asserted your thesis again–that singing and music appreciation, etc., are “not crucial aspects of music education.” I still disagree. What’s your argument? You say only that “music is a written language and literacy is only crucial aspect of learning this language.” That does not prove your point. Yes, learning to read music is the sine qua non of learning the written language of music, but that is different from “music education.” On the one hand, I would agree with you entirely that someone has not been properly educated in music if he has not learned to read music. On the other hand, I would go further to say that someone has not been properly educated in music if he cannot sing, and if he cannot recognize Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Tschaikovsky. I would also say that a person’s musical education is, in fact, very impressive if he has intimate listening familiarity with thousands of classical works of music, and hundreds of composers, but who cannot play any music at all. I don’t know if there have been any such people (I’ll bet there have), but such a person probably would know more than you and I about classical music.
I hope I have made my point.
Yes, I did watch them. Again as someone who took many piano lessons as a kid (and played all through the Hanon book of course), and who has taught music, and who has shown my little 2-year-old boy things on our piano keyboard, I know I could not simply sit him down and cause him to play Hanon’s first exercise (the one in the video). We would have to start with much simpler things… But I thought you would agree with me here, and that the program you’re selling does, in fact, start with simpler things. Doesn’t it? Surely it must.
Well,
It seems like I answered all of your questions (if I overlooked some, pls, let me know!)
DAY TWO.
Let’s continue our music education together!
At first I want you to know that I attitude towards music education for our kids have to change a little. In Russia we have a very interesting saying: ‘How many diplomas should you have in order to be considered ‘educated’? The answer is … 3. Yours, your parents’ and your grand parents’…
Many parents are willing to give their children music education, but just few of them concern about their own music literacy. Success in learning music should be started with you.
Motivation is very important part in any learning. Unfortunately, in our current society majority of people are musically illiterate. I saw many times how my students (even winners of competitions!) were trying to play something for others in different parties. Most of the time peers don’t value personal performances, because they have no clue how much it worth to be able to play piano and read music. For them it is just a waste of time.
I am currently working on spreading music literacy in all the state schools of America. Our company recently wrote letter to Obama and I offered my training and our software to all the state schools for free. I don’t feel it is right that only those who have money can have music literacy. I also want to make music making contagious among people - so our kids would have natural motivation to learn.
But before it would happen, you as parents have to learn and motivate your child to learn music as language. In early childhood you are the only role model that child truly value.
I placed some video exercises: learn all of them! Play them every day! Play it with pleasure and enthusiasm. Your kids would BAGG you to teach them, how to do it!
I know many Master degreed ‘music educators’ who teaches music in schools, unable to read music. I see majority of kids unable to comprehend advanced forms of music and enjoying just pop and rap. They all were having ‘music appreciation’ in school. We raised population of musically illiterate presidents and congressmen and now experiencing music being squeezed out of school curriculum. Why? Because they simply are not musically literate!
With all due respect, Hellene, I would not say I am asking a question of an expert: I would say I am making a skeptical argument against someone who is using this forum to sell a product. You mainly just asserted your thesis again--that singing and music appreciation, etc., are "not crucial aspects of music education." I still disagree. What's your argument? You say only that "music is a written language and literacy is only crucial aspect of learning this language." That does not prove your point. Yes, learning to read music is the [i]sine qua non[/i] of learning [i]the written language of music,[/i] but that is different from "music education." On the one hand, I would agree with you entirely that someone has not been properly educated in music if he has not learned to read music. On the other hand, I would go further to say that someone has not been properly educated in music if he cannot sing, and if he cannot recognize Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Tschaikovsky. I would also say that a person's musical education is, in fact, very impressive if he has intimate listening familiarity with thousands of classical works of music, and hundreds of composers, but who cannot play any music at all. I don't know if there have been any such people (I'll bet there have), but such a person probably would know more than you and I about classical music.I hope I have made my point.
My grandmother loved to listen novels of Tolstoy that my grandfather was reading to her almost every night. But she didn’t know how to read or write. She wasn’t literate. Appreciation is not literacy and definition of literacy is very strict. If you can’t read music or write it by ear, you are illiterate.
Yes, I did watch them. Again as someone who took many piano lessons as a kid (and played all through the Hanon book of course), and who has taught music, and who has shown my little 2-year-old boy things on our piano keyboard, I [i]know[/i] I could not simply sit him down and cause him to play Hanon's first exercise (the one in the video). We would have to start with much simpler things... But I thought you would agree with me here, and that the program you're selling does, in fact, start with simpler things. Doesn't it? Surely it must.
Here some tips for you:
- When you want your child take lesson from you, do not chase the child, because he/she would think that you are about to offer some medicine
- Pretend like you want nothing and do not look streight at childs’ eyes. Let him/her follow you to the instrument
- Start from Hannon #1. PLace your finger on Do (Middle C) and ask your child: ‘Are you strong? Take my hand off the key!’
- Offer your child to place thumb on the same key and check ‘how strong he is’
- Ask ‘do you have good memory’?
- If you do, repeat after me; 'Stretch, 1,2,3,4,5,6,7
- Then start teaching him to ‘walk’ on the keys like on video
Here some videos of a lady, who taught her 3 year old son to play piano and read music.
Here the video of her and her son, when he was 2 year old:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56_8-rGyEBI&feature=channel_page
Here she placed videos of her son when he was 3:
http://video.mail.ru/mail/ism_evgennia/3/66.html
And last thing I want to tell you: I am here selling my knowledge.
ABC or Do Re Mi?
I received my music education in former Soviet Union. We learned both ‘languages’ to name music notes. However, Do Re Mi was extremely helpful in learning music literacy, because we sang everything with ‘sounds of music’ and developed our ear and music memory faster. Alphabetical names were useful later, when we were learning more advanced theory: harmony and polyphony.
As a researcher I was interested, why is that so.
Here is a short video of explanation for you:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5_gr0YN1xb8&feature=channel_page
And before I go today, I want you to take a look at one picture.
Here is Grand Staff’s music notes layout.
Notice the symmetry!
Tomorrow I will explain how we can use this symmetry to our learning advantage.
Someone with a Master’s degree in music education who cannot read music? To put it kindly–I have a hard time believing it. Explain how that’s even possible, if you can. I thought all music majors at whatever level had to demonstrate competency in an instrument, even if they were not performance majors.
In any case, my point is that it is surely possible to appreciate, really appreciate, music without being able to read music from the page. The fact that there are kids who go through “music appreciation” courses and don’t actually end up knowing anything about or actually appreciating music hardly proves that one cannot learn anything important about classical music, or one cannot really appreciate it, without knowing how to read music.
With all due respect, Hellene, I would not say I am asking a question of an expert: I would say I am making a skeptical argument against someone who is using this forum to sell a product. You mainly just asserted your thesis again--that singing and music appreciation, etc., are "not crucial aspects of music education." I still disagree. What's your argument? You say only that "music is a written language and literacy is only crucial aspect of learning this language." That does not prove your point. Yes, learning to read music is the [i]sine qua non[/i] of learning [i]the written language of music,[/i] but that is different from "music education." On the one hand, I would agree with you entirely that someone has not been properly educated in music if he has not learned to read music. On the other hand, I would go further to say that someone has not been properly educated in music if he cannot sing, and if he cannot recognize Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, and Tschaikovsky. I would also say that a person's musical education is, in fact, very impressive if he has intimate listening familiarity with thousands of classical works of music, and hundreds of composers, but who cannot play any music at all. I don't know if there have been any such people (I'll bet there have), but such a person probably would know more than you and I about classical music.I hope I have made my point.
My grandmother loved to listen novels of Tolstoy that my grandfather was reading to her almost every night. But she didn’t know how to read or write. She wasn’t literate. Appreciation is not literacy and definition of literacy is very strict. If you can’t read music or write it by ear, you are illiterate.
You’re missing my point. Of course, if you define “music education” as “musical literacy” and you define “musical literacy” as the ability to read and write musical notation, it might follow that a musical education amounts just to learning to read and write musical notation. But I don’t especially care about your definition of “music education.” I think music education includes more than just musical literacy.
It is quite conceivable that your grandmother could have appreciated and understood Tolstoy better than you did. In a similar way, some of the most brilliant folk musicians, who were far better musicians than most of us could ever dream of being, and who had the most refined understanding of their musical craft, could neither read nor write music. I’ve met some, and they’re better musicians, I’m sure, than I’ll ever be.
My point, Hellene, is that you are overstating your case. I agree with you that learning to read music is important and essential to a good, complete musical education. I merely want to say that there there is more to music education, and that which is more is also very important. After all, I knew how to read and write music as a child, when I knew almost nothing about classical music. Getting deeply acquainted with classical music takes time, attention, patience, and even background reading–and all that is possible to do without being able to read music.
[b]And last thing I want to tell you: I am here selling my knowledge.[/b]
Indeed. I’ll assume you have permission from the management for the infomercials. I won’t raise any objections myself.
Majority of music educators in the USA start music lessons with private teachers, because we do not have state music schools for beginners here. The only accountability for private teacher’s job are recitals. Many teach students pieces bar by bar 'till it memorized. When after such training students get to secondary schools, colleges or universities it is too late to ‘learn new tricks’: even though ‘sight-reading’ is part of curriculum (among many other subjects) only recitals are the major test in music production that students ought to pass in order to receive a diploma. This is why such ‘professionals’ promote theory and ‘music appreciation’: most of them are not fluent music readers.
In any case, my point is that it is surely possible to [i]appreciate,[/i] really appreciate, music without being able to read music from the page.
I am not here to talk about ‘possibilities’: as a musicologist and educator I use to work with facts. This is scientifically proven fact that before any abstract information becomes part of human cerebral cortex; it has to be perceived through speech or muscles. We have short and long term memory and only well processed through our senses and connected to previous experience knowledge become our own and being transferred to ‘long term memory department’. By saying and doing we try to appropriate the information and make it part of our mind. Yes, in music we have prodigies. So what? Majority of population care less: they are capable of comprehending primitive tune. The consequences of such ‘training’ are very disturbing: low intellectual development, spiritual immaturity, drugs, violence.
Do we have to take any more chances or would try otherwise – to give literacy to people?
I would also say that a person's musical education is, in fact, very impressive if he has intimate listening familiarity with thousands of classical works of music, and hundreds of composers, but who cannot play any music at all. I don't know if there have been any such people (I'll bet there have), but such a person probably would know more than you and I about classical music.
I know that ‘such people’ simply do not exist. Let’s talk science again. Neurologists were studyng processes in brain of musically literate and illiterate people wile they were listening advanced forms of music. If the brain of ‘amateurs’ was partially ‘enlightened’ in certain areas, brain of literate listeners was activated in all areas of both hemispheres.
You're missing my point. [i]Of course,[/i] if you define "music education" as "musical literacy" and you define "musical literacy" as the ability to read and write musical notation, it might follow that a musical education amounts just to learning to read and write musical notation. But I don't especially care about your definition of "music education." I think music education includes more than just musical literacy.It is quite conceivable that your grandmother could have appreciated and understood Tolstoy better than you did. In a similar way, some of the most brilliant folk musicians, who were far better musicians than most of us could ever dream of being, and who had the most refined understanding of their musical craft, could neither read nor write music. I’ve met some, and they’re better musicians, I’m sure, than I’ll ever be.
My point, Hellene, is that you are overstating your case. I agree with you that learning to read music is important and essential to a good, complete musical education. I merely want to say that there there is more to music education, and that which is more is also very important. After all, I knew how to read and write music as a child, when I knew almost nothing about classical music. Getting deeply acquainted with classical music takes time, attention, patience, and even background reading–and all that is possible to do without being able to read music.
We still have some nationalities who do not have literacy, but what do we all know about their ‘folk culture’? Nothing. Literacy is only solution for any progress whether you like it or not.
We have old Russian anecdote: a guy came to an editor with his book. Editor met the ‘writer’ and ask:
-
Well, before you wrote THIS, did you read Tolstoy, Dostoyevsky, Chekhov???
-
I am not a reader! - prowdly said the fella, I AM A WRITER!!!
DAY THREE. Instant connection.
Grand Staff and piano keys ARE NOT 2 different fields!
As you saw on a picture from DAY TWO, music notes lay out is perfectly symmetrical. Piano keys are reflection of this symmetry .
To learn music notes layout and the piano keys layout separately from one another is a waste of time.
In order to read music on the fly, we have to be able to place our hands on the keys and say with our eyes closed, what notes under tips of our fingers, in one, two or three steps. When we look at music notes, we have to have the same skill – what note next, in one, two or three steps.
Order of music notes and piano keys from ANY starting point, step by step, in one or two steps I call MUSIC ALPHABET.
I teach music alphabet every child beginning from 2+ year old. We say it, we assemble flash cards and we master it with software.
Here is a free demo version of the game called ‘Music Alphabet’. You need only a PC computer to play this game.
http://www.doremifasoft.com/notealphabet.html
Question for your homework: why we do not use up and down arrows to move objects in this game?
Thank you for all the information you are providing. I love the Softway to Mozart program. I spoke to the trainer here in CA and she said that, I could get a discount on the software if I mention her name when I buy the software. But, right now due to limited budget I am not able to buy this software. I am reading all the information that you are providing and it is a lot of help.
Karma to You!
Let me comment on this thread and the ‘lively’ debate that’s going on (or just went on). 
I understand where Daddude is coming from, and I would say that I agree with most (perhaps even all) of what he has said. However, I never bothered to challenge what Hellene said because:
-
I attribute a lot of the apparently conflicting views to a problem of miscommunication. Hellene did emphasize from her very first post that English is not her native language, so I don’t take a lot of what she says so literally.
-
For whatever differences there is left that’s not explained by the above, those differences represent her point of view and that’s all it is. Hellene’s point of view is clearly coming from someone who is deeply passionate about the piano and keyboard and who strongly believes in what she does based on her (apparently very extensive) experience in this area. Whilst I may not necessarily agree with everything that is said, I’m trying to keep an open mind to what she’s saying because her point of view IS very interesting, even if I end up not agreeing with a lot of it. For example, her definition of ‘musical education’ is just that, HER definition. I (like DadDude) would define it very differently.
-
I think most people here should be intelligent enough to make up their own minds about what Hellene is saying and recognize the natural bias.
Regarding Hellene mentioning her product, our policy here is that you may talk about products that you sell or have a personal interest in, so long as:
- It is relevant and helpful to the topic under discussion
- It is something we feel that members here may find interesting and useful
- You are upfront about who you are
- You sincerely try to contribute to discussions here in a meaningful way instead of just using this Forum as a place to advertise your product.
Hellene mentioned her association in her introductory post, and her posts also meet the other criteria set out above, in my opinion.
Well, I’ve just tried to makes heads and tails of what we need to be doing, but with so many blue strips of quotes being quoted, and quotes on quotes on quotes, I’ve just got a headache. But I agree about the piano being the brainiest, hardest to play instrument. I’m musically illiterate, but I picked up a violin for the first time at 21 and in a few minutes I was playing a decent rendition of Twinkle Twinkle little star. Then I tried the piano, and couldnt teach myself anything without a simple book, and some help from someone else. I do find it amazing how people can operate both hands like that, and be thinking with 10 different fingers and their feet as well! (But I’m amazed with people driving manual cars and thinking with 2 hands at the same time).
Dear KL,
Thank you for understanding: yes, there is some language difference that is on the way on our communication with DadDude.
Also there is some educational and experience issue involved as well.
Here is the background where I am coming from. As I previously mentioned, I received my degree in former Soviet Union. In order to become Master in music education I had to graduate state music school first.
Curriculum of Russian music schools is extremely strict: we had twice a week 45 minutes private piano lessons (if you in piano department). If you learning other instruments, you have 45 minutes twice a week of your instrument as well + piano as a secondary and mandatory instrument. On the top of that you have once a week 1,5 hour of Solfeggio (it is ear training course), 1 hour of theory, 1 hour of music history (history and music appreciation), 1 hour of choir or orchestra. Music school has to be 7 years (piano violin) or 5 years (other instruments)
After music school you have to pass exams and get to music college (4 more years of very strict and difficult music education + education in pedagogy, methodology, psychology). After music college you have Bachelor of education and can become a teacher of music schools.
If you are superior and graduate your music college with honor there is one more step – conservatory (5 more years in music training and training in education). Upon graduation you provide research, write a theses and have to defend your research in front of the top specialists, who come to your examination from the most prestigious universities.
As you see, when someone is saying to me that he/she had been learning piano for 8 years and play violin, I can’t consider it as ligament credentials to be an expert in education. It took me 16 years of study and more than 30 years in classrooms (there, in Ukraine and here in the USA) to become music educator.
Another point to pounder: experience. When I say that music literacy is essential, I am coming from experience with students, who learned how to read music and who didn’t. The gap between 2 groups is so huge that it is not even funny!
Here, in the USA I was a director of music in one private school. Instead of learning ABOUT music I offer piano lessons to students of entire school. Parents had provided fund raising and we purchased about 40 keyboards. I also brought my acoustic and digital pianos to school for more advanced kids and for recitals.
As soon as all kids started to play piano and read music, ‘music appreciation’, theory, music history – everything became completely different subjects: they gained meaning. Kids didn’t just talked about composers, they knew what exactly they were talking about! Their interest in music was so great that they were like sponges, asking me hundreds of questions. They simply started to care!
During our intermissions we gathered around piano and they were playing for each other new pieces. Even 4-5 year old students became perfect listeners!
In this video you may see my students playing Canon in D:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wTcLnPDaZzE&feature=channel_page
After all the education and experience I claim: music literacy is a cake and all the other subjects are just icing on it, whether someone likes it or not.
Now let’s go to the ethical aspect of the discussion. I know that all the parents who read this thread and all of their children crave to PLAY instrument – not to talk about it. It is very wrong to mislead their expectations and make them to believe that if they would listen to a lot of music or learn theory terms it would help them to learn instruments. It just simply won’t happen!
In order to express yourself in music you ought to have freedom of literacy! Go to store – buy sheet of song you want to play – open it and READ. And by reading I mean reading like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IqbxUz9xi1c&feature=channel_page
I am very surprised and sad to see how DadDude tries to justify inability to read music score fluently by many music educators in USA. I am not blaming them for being half educated – I am feeling sorry for our kids. In fact, the curriculum that I had developed today is very popular in Russian music schools: it helps and kids and teachers to be better in fluent music reading and they consider it superior for even their pretty advanced music education. It is also used in many music studios here, in USA.
It means, I am here not to point a finger and make fun of anyone. I offer a solution and sharing my knowledge, because I care.
DAY FOUR.
Now, after we got familiar with order of piano keys and music notes, we may train our eyesight to grasp spaces and lines in conjunction with this order.
This software is helping to do so:
http://www.doremifasoft.com/fruitlines.html
Again, read the page and download FREE DEMO version. You have to use the same buttons as in previous game: right and left arrows and space.
To play game with Solfeggio names of notes press I on your computer keyboard and to play with Alphabet names press ‘A’
If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask.
Sorry, just a quick interjection. Several posts have been removed from this thread and quarantined for now. Let me make the following points to those involved:
-
We encourage discussions and debate. In fact, we love to see different points of view, even if (maybe especially if) we don’t agree with them. This is how we learn new and valuable things, even if all we learn is that some people feel so differently from us.
-
We do not tolerate it when viewpoints are expressed in ways that are disrespectful or insulting, or when responses start to get personal. If anyone feels that they must do so, kindly take it to PM.
Again, we are not against hearing your differing viewpoint, but just how it is expressed. Obviously, it is a very subjective matter as to what constitutes unacceptable ways of expression. Unfortunately, there’s no real guidelines we can give about it except to say that you should try your best to keep it civilized, and not to say things that may be reasonably construed by the other as disrespectful, insulting, or personal.
When in doubt, best to bite your tongue and not say it!
-
Likewise, when posting about your thoughts and beliefs over a certain matter, take care not to come across so aggressively, pushy, or preachy, or in a ‘I’m right and I know more than you’ sort of way. That may not be what you mean, or how you feel, but do take care that you don’t come across sounding that way, otherwise you’ll just offend people without knowing it. This applies especially when you know what you’re saying may be controversial and likely to arouse disagreement. And remember that with the written medium, readers don’t get the benefit of hearing your tone of voice or seeing your expression, which may convey something quite different.
-
Above all, this forum is a happy, peaceful forum, where we can say things and have lively debates without things turning ugly. Let’s all try our best to keep it this way!
That’s all. I look forward to getting back to the main discussion!
:biggrin:
KL,
you asked about the perfect pitch
look in this site, it changed my mind 
http://www.perfectpitchpeople.com/Links/
Somewhere in this site I found that perfect pitch is 4 times more common among speakers of “musical languages” like Mandarin. But now I can not find this text again.
HH and DadDude,
for me you both are right because you gave me interesting information.
Concerning " music education is not" , for me it was just a rethorics to keep my interest, and it succeeded :)
But my personal oponion is that musical ability is something very natural. It’s borders we can study both in our society and also among remote populations which don’t know notes. And musical literacy and piano playing is not a goal. It is just one of the many possible ways how to open our natural abilities :):)
lol
Well said, Frukc! Your open-mindedness serves as an example for us all. :yes:
Karma for you!
Shuki
Thanks, Shuki :)
Yesterday when here was discussion about Tolstoy and literacy,
I remembered vedas - sacred texts of India.
Vedas were a huge amount of poetry. I don’t remember how many thousands of words were there, but something much more than several Bibles. Brahmans learned vedas without books. They learned not only texts, but also intonations, and any indent was unadmissable. In this way, vedas were kept for many centuries.
in this light, literacy is not a superiour skill. it is just a shortcut to the laziness of mind
and who knows which skills are higher and more development-giving than others :) we just try our best
Vedas, and Homer’s Illiada and Odyssey, Nibelungs in Germany, The tale of Igor’s campaign in Russia, as well as many other sagas of old illiterate times were recited by many narrators, who went from one colony to another and –yes!- they were reciting it with almost the same intonation and with almost no indents for centuries ‘till literacy was invented and they were pinned down like butterflies. I want you to remember about ‘same intonation and no indents’, because we would need it for later in our discussion.
Many today are idealizing this ‘old good times’ and even try to compare written literature with these folk masterpieces giving folk masterpieces all the benefits. But let’s look from different angle: look from prospective of progression.
What was the main goal of all the illiterate times? TO PRESERVE! To save masterpiece precisely in the way that it was created! Many other authors would be dismissed or vanished, because they would be even slightly different from matrix. To be honest, there were no such dare brave spirits! Modesty was signature point of many populations: it was not common to place your name on new masterpiece. Also many ‘new masterpieces’ were trying to be the same in style with already ‘sainted’ ones. And we are talking about centuries – not about couple of decades!
Imagine yourself in the same shoes now. You have to recite a text in Latin. The listeners know the text as well. What is your main goal? All your thoughts are … do not have any of your own thoughts. You even do not have chance to recite it with your own interpretation! Your goal is to copy the text like a parrot in order to pass it blindly to audience. You are just a messenger with no right to create your own message.
In my book I compare literacy with centrifugal force, when all the previousely exposed material you can use to develop it further. All the folk creations are forced ‘centerpetally’.
In fact, literacy is a big relieve! New generations don’t have to keep so much memorized information in minds – now they have room for new staff.
Literacy was a main engine of development in every field. Golden age of literature, science and music had begun after the previous masterpieces were pinned to paper as butterflies: new generations came, scrutinized, analyzed and was not afraid to leave it all alone and to create something new.
Do you remember ‘Carol of the Bells’ that we all enjoy listening during good old Christmas? In fact, this is one of the most ancient piece of music that was ever created by men. It was surviving century after century in villages of Ukraine. The original name of the song is ‘Shedrick’ – from word ‘shedro’ – generously. Ancient people believed that if you go from house to house in winter and sing this song, you will attract goddesses of good harvest and prosperity.
In 19th century many composers spent big deal of time in villages collecting such tunes. Leontovich – well-known Ukrainian composer had heard the song and created refinement of it. Today you are listening ‘Carol of the Bells’ exactly the way that Leontovich developed it (unfortunately, nobody mention his name and I think it is very wrong)
However, here is a perfect example how literacy helped not just to preserve folk masterpiece, but also it made the material working for people – not people working for the material.
And the last: remember, I asked you to keep in mind the words about ‘remembering with intonations and with no indents? In modern time this is exactly how our kids learn to play instruments: memorization and following all the intonations that had been enforced by ‘Master’ (a teacher). Kids are so occupied with ‘masterpiece’ that they have no thoughts of their own!
As for jazz and folk illiterate musicians, in general they create music within a standard that in their heads from listening masters. Yes, it flies as ‘original work’, because the listeners are not far different from ancient – they can’t compare, because … well, the ‘butterfly’ is not pinned…
I received a letter in my private inbox with asking to explain, what I think about leading approaches in music.
It is a good question especially in conjunction with what I wrote about folk forms of literature.
We have to keep in our mind that initially all the written languages were created by prodigies and for prodigies with no intention to have ‘user friendly’ interface. The need for mass literacy in reading came only recently: beginning from 19th century due to the fact that technology was growing, the need for literate workers became greater with this regard.
Eye-sight of average Joe couldn’t comprehend many lines and fine print of small text and all the ‘approaches’ in teaching literacy failed due to that.
Speaking about Tolstoy: our great writer also participated in creation of his own ‘approach’ in teaching beginners : he believed that if to write short and very intriguing stories, learners would be forced to read them being pushed by their own motivation. As many other approaches Tolstoy’s invention failed to teach masses simply because eye of learners had too much of challenge to deal with letter- word recognition, and motivation wasn’t big help.
To be ‘smart’ and ‘street smart’ sometimes are crucial in our inventions: our most ingenious projects fail, when they face primitive rules of reality.
As I wrote before, the solution to enlarge one letter at a time and connect a picture to it, which is phonetically match with the letter, was a solution that works even for toddlers in comfort of their own home today.
But situation with music literacy wasn’t that lucky. In fact, society care less, if you literate or not: we still need low paid labor to clean houses and to make hamburgers. Why we should bother to make all the masses smarter by giving them music literacy?
Many overlook backfire of such ignorance: ‘user unfriendly’ way of presenting music notation leave our people with the most primitive tunes. Illiterate mind of average kids (not prodigies of any kind!) is capable of memorizing simple tune or two. Beats (that is very similar to our hart beat) has hypnotizing effect on their bodies and minds and they are trapped. Did you ever wonder why rock and pop music culture always connected with drugs, alcohol, depression and violence? The answer is simple: simple tune that repeated over and over does not give your spirit any room to grow. And if you can’t grow up, you grow down.
Before CD players came to existence, people were very motivated to be musically literate, because live music was only solution. Even in 20th century the quality of recording was not even close to actual performance. People craved literacy to be able to hear in good quality more often.
However, teaching music to masses was not prestigious among musicians and composers. Beethoven for example hated the fact that he needs to give lessons to amateurs to make living. Leading instrument teachers ‘till today would rather have 1 prodigy then 10 average students. Why? Because they concern about their own wallet: by demonstrating prodigies as their ‘professional achievement’ they get more fools, who would pay for their living in future.
Many of you do not realize that ANY approach could teach at least 10% of beginners. Tolstoy’s approach worked, too! With 10%.
Now I am going to dare to claim that ALL the existing approaches in teaching music today are effective… for no more than 10% of population. Russian music school, Suzuki, countless method books – I repeat – all of the existing approaches has rate of success. 10 % or less. They would work with your kid, if he/she has inborn talent.
And ‘till you will compare every average performer to Emily Bear watching the youtube, ‘till you will judge music teacher’s credentials by prodigies, you are going to let other fool you to believe that your child could achieve the same results.
To check my words go to any teaching method website or on youtube. You would hardly find many average students playing something imperfectly. You would find one prodigy (if you find any performance at all)
Why?
I won’t bother you with my broken English. With help of one of my volunteers we made a video. Watch it closely.
I will continue next time. Thank you for your attention!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGWpvHiRgeo&feature=channel_page