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RE: Suzuki Method and Dixieland Jam

Author: Allen Cole
Date: 2000-02-01 04:26

You pretty much hit the nail on the head there, Ron. This is one reason that I'm so desperate to get my website together.

Let me start with one point of disagreement. You are correct that high school teachers are not emphpasizing jamming skills, but I don't think that they realistically can. School ensemble programs are by nature not condusive to this, plus many classically trained schoolteachers suffer from a similar lack of skills and experience in this area.

In many cases, both students and teachers fear and misunderstand this stuff. Leila makes a terrific point in favor of Suzuki when she tells us that the kids are fearless and that they are used to physical timekeeping. HALLELUJAH!

This is something that students must largely teach themselves, but they usually don't know where to start. Once the starting points are found, there is a good chance of success.

I have to also bow to Leila's point about waiting too long to learn notes. Let me offer the following: Start playing by ear and write the notes down--pitches only. In this way, they have more rhythmic freedom earlier on. I have broken the process of writing down a song into approximately four stages. These stages can be learned separately as the young player becomes more sophisticated.

Oh the hobby/amateur aspect. What you are saying is SO TRUE. So few will be professionals, but so many could do so much if they had MUSICAL skills as well as instrumental skills.

And thus lies the question--how can we make music as interesting as a video game? I have been hanging out in some of the Yahoo clubs to try and observe the adolescent psyche. What I'm seeing truly frightens me.

Perhaps if we outlawed electricity...<g>

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