Have you ever had a dream that your musical career was going well, where life was good, school was good, students were progressing, concerts had been planned, events had been set up...and then you wake up and remember it never happened? Well news flash...this was not a dream; this actually happened to everyone back in March of 2020. (Maybe it’s just me, or is anyone still stuck in 4th quarter?) Don’t get me wrong, after a great week of spring break, I was happy to find out that school was out for a bit longer. More time with my wife and daughter, more time to lesson plan for the spring concert, and more time to sleep. (I know I’m not the only one who likes more sleep). But then that extra week turned into another extra week, and then another, and another. Before I knew it, the school year had ended and I had caught up on all 16 seasons of Grey’s Anatomy.
Life has thrown us a curve ball, (probably one of the biggest I have ever experienced in my life), and what makes this so crucial is that it has caused many teachers to doubt who they are and what they do. Although I do not speak for all teachers, I do know that the vast majority of us have lost all drive and motivation for this upcoming year. (Can I get an Amen?) Rather than planning a normal year with exciting trips, concerts, and activities, we are forced to create a new style of teaching to accommodate our current state of choir possibly done in person and/or online. Our minds are still stuck on the events that never happened and even worse, the students we had that we will never get to work with again. While sitting in my living room holding my daughter, I began to think about my students. From the ones who match pitch and are always participating in class to the student that rarely answers a question and tells me how much he hates school, I realized how much I missed them. As I started to think about how great my choirs would have done at competition and how awesome our spring concert would have been, I would find myself back in a depressed and mopey state. I knew I could not stay in this mindset forever, but there was nothing that made me excited about teaching anymore. As unmotivated as I had been, the thought of my students sparked a simple question: WHY DO I TEACH? Well, maybe it’s not that simple of a question. There can be numerous reasons why teachers do what they do. However, once I began to truly reflect on this question, I started to feel more encouraged as well as optimistic to get back in the game. To be clear, I am still not happy about returning to school. (I am ready to send any kid to detention who even thinks about sneezing.) However, I chose to place the needs of my students before my own. After much reflection, I found my WHYs, meaning the true reasons I teach. Although simple, they brought me back to a place where I was ready to tackle this year by force. Maybe you agree, maybe not. Hopefully, some of these will speak to you and will cause you to reflect on your own WHYs. “YOU LOVE YOUR JOB” Music is your first love, which is why you went into this profession. Regardless of how you feel about your district, boss, co-workers, etc, you love teaching music. Sight reading, theory, jazz/show choir, rhythm numbers, rehearsals, compositions, intervals....you name it, you love it. Should this pandemic change your love for your job? No. It should challenge you to love in a different way. “YOU LOVE YOUR STUDENTS” From the 8th grader who can match pitch to the 6th grader who can’t remember your name...in October, you love your kids. They are your babies and you have the opportunity to love on them, encourage them, and push them to new musical levels. Sure, you will have students who make you want to switch your profession every time they are in your classroom; but, there is a genuine love for them which keeps you motivated to continue giving your all to them. “YOU LOVE SEEING GROWTH” Some teachers define growth in various ways. Whether your ensembles can sing in twelve parts or unison, growth is measured by the progress from where students have started to where they end throughout a certain period of time. So what your 7th grade boys finally match pitch in April? This is growth compared to when some of them could not sing at all or when they did not want to. Your program has seen many ups and downs, yet the feeling you get when you students can do a skill without your assistance is always warm and exciting. Watching your students go from point A to point B allows you to know that they are maturing into future musicians and lovers of the arts. “YOU LOVE THAT YOUR PRESENCE MATTERS” In James Jordan’s The School Program, we are reminded that “80% of the impact we have as educators is the quality of the person in the room. We have the 20% that’s important...our curriculum...but the 80% is what has the biggest impact.” Whether you know it or not, your presence is more important than the subject you teach. A student may forget your name, but they will never forget your presence. You may be know as the cool one, the firm one, or even the sassy one, but your ability to have impact on a student’s life just by being in the room is fascinating. Never underestimate the power of your presence. Final Thoughts: It would be easy to return to the normal way of life, but our current circumstances has given us a unique opportunity to redefine WHY we do WHAT we do, HOW it is done, and WHO we do it for regardless of the WHERE or WHEN. This year will be less about the product of an ensemble and more about the process each singer takes to become stronger and more knowledgeable. Therefore, it is important to remember that our students are our main priority rather than events, activities, and public appearances. It is ok to acknowledge that this year will be different and even to make it known that we are not sure how to move forward. In the same spirit, we should take time to reflect on our WHYs and allow these reflections to give us the motivation and determination we need to give our absolute best to our students. The five month spring break is over...it's time get back changing lives. ~ Robert T. Gibson ~
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I do not consider myself to be an acclaimed philosopher, researcher, or know-it-all educator. However, after returning to middle school for a complete year, I feel enlightened to share my thoughts and experiences regarding the students of this generation. After dealing with various levels of students at my school ( the well behaved, the disrespectful, those who can not sit still, those who need attention ever moment, those who are always attentive and follow directions, etc), I realized that most of the issues students were facing had nothing to do with quarter notes and solfege; it was much deeper than that.
For some strange reason, the number 8 continues to come up a lot when I teach. I mentioned this number in a previous post saying that students should start at an 8 in effort rather than a 3 or 4. In this post, 8 now represents something totally different. Instead of it being a scale of excellence, consider it a person. Or rather, a student of any shape, size, color, gender, behavior, or background. I see this number as two circles placed on top of each other, the top circle representing music making and learning and the bottom circle representing life and all it comes with. IF THE BOTTOM CIRCLE IS FILLED WITH CALAMITY AND CHAOS, IT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO MAKE SUCCESSFUL STRIDES IN MUSIC MAKING. I came to this realization after reading a book our campus used as a professional development study throughout the year entitled “Help For Billy” by Heather T. Forbes, LCSW. This book opened my eyes to so many things and it allowed me to have more understanding as to why students act the way they and do the things they do. I had a 6th grader in my class (let’s call them Billy) who was constantly late to school nearly everyday, would always blurt out in class, would cause chaos with other students, and was rarely on task in choir. There were days he would actually focus and work; however, this was not the case for most days. After reading this book, I realized that music was the last thing on Billy’s mind. There was a time when Billy came in extremely upset and sad. He came in crying and tried to hide his face when entering the room. I pulled Billy to the side and asked why he was crying. It was like a volcano had erupted: “I hate school. I am having issues with my mom at home. My siblings are always picking on me. No one likes me. I am failing all my classes. I try my best in everything I do and it’s still not good enough.” It was then that I realized the top circle of the 8 (music making and music learning) wasn’t being filled and would not be filled because the bottom circle was full or toxic waste and stress. I also have students in my class that love to be in choir and are always making great musical strides. Let’s call him Andy. (Once you ready the book, you will understand the references) My Andy is a bright 7th grader who is always full of energy, works hard in choir, and is always on task (mostly.) One day, Andy was sitting on the steps outside of the classroom with his head in this jacket crying. I asked him what was wrong ad he shook his head indicating that he was fine. However, I knew he was not ok and I said to him, “you know you can talk to me.” With tears in his eyes, he says “I am failing one of my advance classes and I don’t understand how to do the work. I want to get better but I just can’t.” After a small conversation, I gave him time to cool down and even allowed him to visit his teacher to get extra help during my class. The next day, he was back to regular goofy, optimistic self. Although he had a day where the bottom circle was full or stress, there are more consistent days where the top circle is full of happiness and joy. Everybody has a Billy in their classroom; some may have more than one, more than five, or even more than ten in a classroom. I can imagine that it is hard to endure having Billy constantly not participating and causing chaos with other students. However, it must be understood that there is something deeper underneath it all. The biggest difference is that there are things we can’t imagine in Billy’s world that hinders him from learning anything musically. When students are stressed and unfocused, singing Do to Re can be a challenge, clapping quarter notes and half notes can be difficult, and even standing with great singer posture can cause issues in the classroom. The biggest thing that we must have with our students is relationship. Here are a few tips I found to be helpful:
"Help For Billy" gives much insight on how to understand Billy, his thoughts, his mindset, and even his deepest fears. She ends her study by helping the reader to understand that relationship and unconditional love is what helps a student return to a normal state of mind. Solfege, rhythm, spring concerts, and choir trips (the top circle), but relationship with our students can help to take away the issues of life they bring into our classrooms each day (the bottom circle). Fill the bottom circle with unconditional love. Whether you have had a piece of music for three days or three months, what type of energy do students give when they begin to sing? On a scale from 1-10, what level of energy do singers truly give when rehearsing any piece?
During my 7th hour class (the Reed Academy Singers), I was working with the bass section which consists of eight 8th grade students who have been in choir for at least two years. We are currently working on “Good Christian Men Rejoice” for our upcoming holiday concert. Although it has been a while since we have seen this piece, we are tackling a new section. I give the guys the starting pitch, count them in, and what do they give back... an unbalanced sound which is not healthy supported and out of tune. Was I upset with? Absolutely not. When working with students of any age, you must always remember that even though they are considered your “top students”, they are still developing musicians and need love and encouragement. I stopped and asked what they could do the second time around to make for effective music. I got answers such as “breathe together”, “everyone should sing”, “we should be ready to sing.” I then told the guys to give me an 8. With a confused looked on their faces, I informed them that if were going to make great music, we must start at a high level which includes all the things they mentioned: breathing, singing strong, tall posture, and everyone producing sound. I told them that if we start at am 8, we have a better chance of getting more pitches, having better tone, and balancing our sound with the other sections. What is an 8? On a scale from 1-10, 10 would be the highest level possible to achieve when rehearsing music. Characteristics may include, but are not limited to: Attentive/ready to sing the music at hand Tall vowels Clear diction/solfege Rhythmic accuracy Correct notes/pitches Balance among the section Balance among the ensemble Accurate dynamics as requested in the music Confident singing Tall posture This list can go on for days. The great part about this list is that other musicians will be able to add other components that others have never thought of. What would the choral world be like if everyone started to sing at a 8 right away? I believe it would change the way music is created and even how rehearsals are ran. Unfortunately, this expectation is not the norm in many cases, especially middle school. There are various factors that can cause a student not to give his/her all during rehearsal. However, the expectation of singing at an 8 (whatever this may mean to a student) will always make them aware that you want them to give it their best shot no matter what. One of my favorite analogies to compare choral singing to is sports. Since most of my students are athletes throughout the year, they can easily relate to these references. In football, the kicker gives one chance the punt the ball into the goal. In basketball, there are times when a player only gets one free throw rather than two. I turn this into a choral matter by saying that we only get one shot, one kick in our performance. Therefore, our rehearsal process should consist of less starts without meaning and more starts with effective change in the music. There is no benefit in working a phrase over and over if nothing has been changed. I encourage my singers to always do something different every time they sing: better vowels, more correct notes, better hand sings (if using solfege), taller vowels, more musical line. Even as middle schoolers, I want my students to know that we never stop growing, but we are always pushing to get better. If students were to start at an 8 rather than a 2 or 3, I believe the choral process would be a lot more exciting and students will grow at a more rapid pace. Although it is not about how fast a choral ensemble learns a piece of music, it is about how singers can start with more aggression. Will choirs always start at an 8? Abolsutely not!! Even if you ask, some singers will still give you a 4. However, constant reinforcement of giving more effect and energy will eventually result in a choir having better rehearsals, which will give more room for students to make more effective music. When, you start a new piece, I encourage you to not settle for 2s or 5s. Get an 8. Choral Journal
11-14-2018 Today, I was able to visit my friend Nathan Cook at Parkview High School. I have always wanted to find time to watch him instruct in his element and today seemed like the perfect time. Nathan was working with one of his women’s choirs. After having their veterans days concert the previous day with the orchestra and band, they are now preparing for the upcoming winter concert. One of the selections that they are working on is Z. Randall Stroope’s Lux Aeterna. With a choir of about 50 singers, it is impressive to watch these women work with such maturity and discipline. There is great focus from each singer as they continue to redefine the skills they have been taught by Mr. Cook. Nathan has a unique way of using numerous illustrations to guide the women in healthier and more expressive singing. As a middle school teacher working with developing voices, it is refreshing for me to see high school ladies that are invested in great music making. Throughout the entire class, they maintained good singer posture, singing with good tone, and continued to fix issues that were identified in the music. Thoughts, Reflections, New Discoveries:
• There is a positive classroom environment that allows the ladies to sing relaxed and healthy. With an environment that warm and welcoming, students are able to feel comfortable singing and even making mistakes.
Nathan and I have been great friends for a few years and it is has been a joy to watch him work with his students today. It is always a joy to see master teachers in their element and I am grateful to take away ideas and skills for my owe classroom. The process of planning a concert has many rewards; gathering music you may have in your choral library, finding new pieces from various scholarly websites, and listening to many great arrangements of choral repertoire allows a musician to continue in the development of seeking out great literature. The downside to planning a great concert is....gathering music you may have in your choral library, finding new pieces from various scholarly websites, and listening to many great arrangements of choral repertoire. With so many pieces, it will seem overwhelming because you have no clear direction as to how to get from point A to point B.
After many weeks, days, and countless hours of sorting through music, I finally created the perfect program for the upcoming Black History program at Missouri State University with the Multicultural Ensemble. But how did I get there? The biggest issue was after finding so many great pieces, I wanted to program everything I had heard, discovered, and listened to. I became suck; over sixty pieces of music with no guidance of how to make the perfect program. After hours of sitting in silence surrounded by tons of sheet music, these two questions came to mind: "What am I trying to say to my audience?" "What do I want the audience to leave with?" These questions caused me to ponder long and hard about what I wanted and needed to say to my audience. These questions also caused me to take a well needed break from my planning process. (Sometimes taking a break will allow you to see things differently once you return. It allows you to recuperate your thoughts so that you do not get burned out. ) After returning to planning with a day or so of resting my mind, many of the pieces that I was so excited to program were eliminated because they did not fit the message. These two questions helped me to realize that repertoire selection is more than just what the director wants to hear and program. It also taught me that although there are many great compositions and arrangements by great composers, everything that could be programmed should not be programmed; there are pieces that will work together while giving the audience the message you want them to leave with |
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