Klarinet Archive - Posting 000744.txt from 2001/05

From: SDSCHWAEG@-----.com
Subj: Re: [kl] School Board
Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 13:15:56 -0400

In a message dated 5/27/01 11:50:28 AM Central Daylight Time,
Bilwright@-----.net writes:

<< Can you teach music without requiring performance? >>

I don't know - can you? I guess that depends on what you mean by "teaching
music", and what you hope for as an outcome. Music is a performance art. Is
it possible to "learn music" without "doing music"? Is "learning about
music" the same thing? Granted, there is a difference between active and
passive listening, but is the most educated, actively listening audience
member a "musician" in the same sense as the performers? I would venture
that, depending on whether you're teaching performing musicians or trying to
educate listeners, different classes and teaching techniques might be
appropriate, but would overlap. A performing musician certainly needs
listening skills. And an audience member can benefit from having a certain
amount of performance experience, even if only within a classroom setting, so
that they can appreciate what it is that musicians do. I guess I'm
differentiating between music performance as a formal presentation in front
of an audience, and music performance as the simple act of making music. I
don't think music education for non-performers need include performance in
front of an audience, but I think it needs to include active music making.
Ideally, I would include activities that involve manipulating the elements of
music, such as classroom composition and performance of those compositions.
I think the best general music programs already incorporate such activities.
I think that performance related activities are as integral to music
education as lab activities are to learning science. You have to do it.
Susan Schwaegler

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