Klarinet Archive - Posting 000771.txt from 2001/05

From: "Dee D. Hays" <deehays@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] Music education
Date: Sun, 27 May 2001 22:46:18 -0400

William,

You asked how one could tell if a music student was a slacker or actually
had performance problems. As you know, I believe that music can be studied
without requiring performance. They can be tested on their knowledge. For
example, a test might ask them to define a major scale in terms of intervals
and contrast it to a minor scale in terms of intervals. They could be
required to construct major, minor, augmented, diminished, dominant 7th and
major 7th chords starting on a specified root tone. They could be given a
list of composers and asked to place them in historical order. There is so
much available in the non-performance side that it could take a lifetime to
study it.

Just to continue a bit, have them define the circle of 5ths. Ask them the
differences between perfect, imperfect, and plagel cadences. Ask which of
these is the "amen" cadence so named because it is very frequently used for
the amen in hymns.

I could go on for several pages although my own music education is extremely
modest.

For music to succeed, you need three elements: performers, composers, and an
audience. Remove one of these elements and musical success is greatly
diminished. Just as it takes education to produce a performer, it also
takes education to produce a composer and to produce a suitable audience.

Dee Hays
Michigan

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