SLIDE 1:MUSIC LESSONS: GOING BEYONDTHE NOTES in TEACHING!

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SLIDE 1:MUSIC LESSONS: GOING BEYONDTHE NOTES…in TEACHING!

Good afternoon…and a Warm WELCOME to the new faculty of the Virginia Community College System! We are proud to have you here today and even though most of you have already started teaching, I would like to officially welcome you into this unique family of educators.

I would also like to take this moment to thank the System Office and the Office of Professional Development for hosting this event, and a special thank you to Dr. Abigail Stonerock, Nancy Harris and Gareth Bromser-Kloeden from the Office of Professional Development who are with us here today.They have done a marvelous job planning and preparing for you to have an invigorating conference to jumpstart your VCCS career. So, let’s give a hand to them for all of their hard work.

Now, if you had a moment to read the program or listen to the introduction, you might be wondering what music has to do with the VCCS and teaching. What lessons are there to be learned? What notes can you take home from this first session?

Of course, I do not expect anyone to take any notes! But I do hope that this discussion, this presentation, will allow you to think about your role within the system from a different perspective. And, that the lessons that I have learned over many years of music involvement and teaching might shed a new light on what we do.

WHO ARE WE?

Even though you have just had an opportunity to meet those around you during lunch, I know that you have not had the time to really get to know anyone. So…I would like to look at who we are and the role that each one of us has, and in order to do that, I wouldlike to take an example from classical music…and who better than Ludwig van Beethoven, to provide an insight into OUR identity?

SLIDE 2:I acknowledgethat when people hear the term “classical music”or “Beethoven” many believe, erroneously,that this is musicfor someone else…another class of people. If they grew up on gospel, bluegrass, countryor hip-hop and never attended any “serious” music concert they may believe… that they simply do not belong at such a venue. It is nottheir place.

Similarly, higher educationcan have a daunting label. It may appear too expensive, too out-of-reach, too daunting that many believe, erroneously, that it is for someone else, another class of people. Whenno one in a family has ever attended a college or university,some believe that they simply do notbelong. It is not their place.

Well, this performance of Beethoven’s musicdemonstrateswho we are and the role the VCCS plays within the state.

SLIDE 3: Watch Beethoven Flash Mob: total).

YOU, my fellow colleagues, are ALL part of that wonderful orchestra that brings education to the people of Virginia. Just as the orchestra is made up of many sections, it takes ALL of us. All disciplines, all specialties, degrees, and personalities working together to reach those in the community. And as you can see from this public performance, the orchestra reached out to those who may have been fearful of going to a formal concert. The musicians went to the people and they responded. Did you see those children dancing? Conducting? People bouncing around with smiles on their faces?

Ah, the Ode to Joy of Beethoven that celebrates the brotherhood of man…The same Ode to Joy that was directed by the great conductor Seiji Ozawa in a global digital choir rendition for the opening of the Nagano Olympic Games! The Ode to Joy brings people together. They DO belong.

SLIDE 4: The Virginia Community College Systemis like the orchestra that reaches out to the people of Virginia wherever they may be. As you probably know, we have twenty-three community colleges on 40 campuses. This map demonstrates the scope of our service to all corners of the Commonwealth. For over 45 years, the VCCS has been reaching out to the people in our communities to build a brighterfuturefor those who may have thought….erroneously….that higher education was for someone else.

You are all needed to be part of this symphony that brings light and hope to the people we serve. WE can help them to respond, we can help them to be joyful at what they discover, and we can help them find their place in society. That…is who…we…are. Are you with me?

SLIDE 5: So, who are our students?

Well, let me introduce you to a COMMUNITYband that I had the privilege of getting to meet. Members of this band represented all walks of life, professions, and interests and ranged in ages from high school students to octogenarians. Some were highly-skilled musicians whereas others were just beginning…and…they all belonged to the same band!!! They made it work!

Similarly, the distinctive feature of the VCCS is that our students come from all walks of life, backgrounds, skill levels, and interests. We have the dual enrollment high school students as well as some who are actually in their seventies and eighties. Some just graduated from high school, others are in honor programs, and many are returning to start a new vocation. Some are going for a certificate, diploma or degree while others are preparing for transfer to a 4-year institution. And, we have those who are taking classes for the pleasure of it! Our students are an eclectic group of people. And we make it work. How marvelous is that?

Certainly,this diversity presents challenges to us, because different skill levels create the need to reach everyone.

In fact, I have heard professors talking about students who do NOT belong in college. Maybe this thought has crossed your mind with some underprivileged students, who have had a particularly hard time adjusting to college and the demands that college level courses require. Afterall, research indicates that those whoare successful in college come from a more affluent background. Does that mean to give up on everyone else because statistics are working against them? Nonsense. Let’s change those statistics! Are you with me?

SLIDE 6:In light of what I know from the music world, original talent is not the only factor in success. It is said that you need 10 percent talent, which is not much, 85 percent hard work or effort, and that remaining 5 percent? Luck. In other words, talent or a natural ability is just a small part of success. You have to work to succeed. And you need the support of those around you to help you get to the point where you believe in the possibility of success. If parents do not encourage young students to continue practicing, the first time a student gets discouraged and wants to quit because it is not easy, parents often give in. Wecan’t give in. You know why? Maybe someof our students are just waiting to discover what their natural inclination is and need our encouragement as we guide them there.

SLIDE 7: And… that other necessary 5 percent? Luck? Luck is being at the right place at the right time. I say that WE are that place, and NOW is the time.

So, I have answered the “who” and the “where.”So, WHAT do we do as educators?

SLIDE 8: What do trained musicians do? See this score? This is where one starts. Unless someone takes it and deciphers all those strange hieroglyphs inside and turns it into music, it is essentiallydead. Can you hear it? ….Of course not! Musicians use their years of training to putlife into all of those printed notes…can you hear it now? (MUSIC EXCERPT OF THE FRANCK)

WE as educators bring life to our subject, we make it real and palpable, we have the power to make relevant what we teachand if we do that successfully, our students make it part of who they are.

HOW can we effectively do this? Let us take those strange hieroglyphs and analyze them…and then talk about what is not written in the score.

SLIDE 9:Music consists of some basic elements: pitch, dynamics, timbre or tone color, duration, and texture. How does that relate to what we do?

SLIDE 10:Pitch…there are a multitude of pitches and how a composer uses those pitches will determine, in part, our response to the music. How we use different pitches can determine, in part, our students’reaction to us. For example, using a single pitch as in this first example, is just BORING. It just goes on and on at the same pitch. It is truly monotone, or should I say, monotonous. Students will fall asleep. Take advantage of your voice. There are so many pitches to explore, and... it will help keep your students attention!

SLIDE 11:Dynamics refer to how LOUD…or how soft something is. Musicians use dynamics to get the attention of their listeners. We use dynamics to get the attention of people that we see. For example, if I see a friend down that hallway, I may yell out, “BOB!” in order for him to turn around.

Musicians use dynamics tocreate a mood. We can do the same. When you enter the classroom, do you say, “Good morning” Or do you say, “Good morning!!!”You should hear some responses from that one! Speak softly and they will lean forward to hear you! Dynamics help create contrasts in what we say, can grab our students’ attention, and… it is a lot more fun!

SLIDE 12: Timbre or Tone color. This term refers to the timbre or tone color of an instrument or voice. To help me explain tone color, I am going to say a color then I would like for you to respond as quickly as possible with the first word that pops into your head. .. Ready….Red. Black. Yellow. We all have connotations about what a color represents, or how it makes usfeel. So, let me ask you, if you were a composer and wanted to write something that would reflect a bird, what instrument would you choose? Yes, a flute! What about an elephant? Tuba, or trombone! Why? Each instrument has a particular quality of sound that we associate with something. Yet, the same instrument can create different types of sounds. For example, a trumpet’s clear timbre can be modified if you use a mute to produce a totally different tone color:

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SLIDE 14:How does this relate to us? Timbre refers to the sound quality of your voice! We all have a unique timbre. In fact, so unique that if a friendcalls us we recognize from a single “hello” who it is. How many of you have experienced that? Certainly!

Yet, wecan change the timbre of our voice, just like the trumpet with its mute, but not always as pleasant. For example, how many of you remember a parent’s loving toneturning to a stern one if we did something wrong: SallyAnnJones, what do you think you are doing? Yikes. Tone quality. Terribly important.

Tone colorcan be such a valuable tool for you, because, used properly, it is one way to show your students that you care. It can brighten a room. Use your voice to do that. Think about what you sound like, what kind of tone you have. Musicians are listening to the sound they produce all the time.

SLIDE 15:If you want to present a “warm” tone color in your correspondence with your students, do not hesitate to use words that can show a warmer side to the message. There is nothing unprofessional about that. It is just courteous: If someone missed class, send them an email. “I missed seeing you in class today. Are you okay? I was worried about you.” I promise you, you will probably get a reply that explains why they weren’t there AND a promise that they certainly will not miss the next class. I received this one from a veteran with PTSD who served in Afghanistan. She wrote, “I really hated missing class today. I am a bit under the weather. I will definitely be there Tue. God willing.Thanks for checking on me.” Similarly, another student wrote“I appreciate you caring enough to check up on me!”

When Distance Education students fall behind, email them to let them know you are concerned. I know that you now use SAILS, but hopefully you alsosend them emails that show that you care: “I noticed that you had a difficult time with the last assignment. Can I offer a suggestion?” OR, “I am concerned because you are behind in the course work.” If they are doing really well: “Wow! That was terrific. I am so pleased with your progress in this course. Keep up the good work!”

For online students, communicate as often as possible and send them reminders. Aftergrading a discussion forum I wrote: “I did respond to everyone individually so please check out my personal response to you! Have a nice weekend!” Was I pleasantly surprised to get the following response after a student read my response to her: “Thank you for taking the time to be so particular in your praise and so upbeat about the class. I am enjoying it and do not dread assignments as I have in prior classes. I hope you have a wonderful weekend and that this class is as much fun for you as it is for me!” I have never personally met this student. It is all about showing that you care by the “tone” of your writing.

SLIDE 16: And if you are having a bad day, instead of snapping at a student with a grumpy tone, or welcoming that student with a “What do you want?” which I have heard, or writing your email using CAPS which is like yelling, usemusic to change your mood, either on your way to work or before going to class, to change your tone color. Just as musicians cultivate a relationship with the listener through the sounds they produce, you are not only in the field of teaching, you ARE in customer relations. So, if you’re grumpy, maybe listen to this. And…feel free to stand up while this is playing!

SLIDE 17: (2:07 total time) Pharrell Williams “Happy”

How can you not smile after hearing that, even if you were grumpy before?

SLIDE 18:Duration. Here is another basic element of music, how long or how short a note is, or how slow or fast a beat is. How quickly you speak in class, or how slowly. Do you mix it up? When you talk, think about your pace. If you have students whose first language is not English, you may have to slow down so that they can understand you. Or, change the pace, because that will provide variety and keep your students’ attention. Composers do that. In fact….(pause)….stop talking for a brief moment. Sometimes silence is golden, and can be quite eloquent. Students who were not paying attention will look up and listen when they hear nothing!

Duration: How quickly or slowly do you respond to a student…emails, assignments, reports, discussion forums, phone messages? Duration IS important. I always knew it was important, but I remember how annoying and aggravating it was being on the student end when a professor did not respond for nearly a week. That was way TOO long. Treat your students how you would want to be treated. Personally, I try to send email responseswithin 24 hours. In fact, generally I respond so quickly, like immediately, that when I take half a day to respond, they ask me if I got their message! Now, I don’t expect you to respond immediately, because we do have lives outside of teaching. On the other hand, don’t take forever. Again, we ARE in customerrelations.

Duration: How do you disperse time in your lecture class? Is it entirely lecture? 100%. If so, give a break. They tell us that students have an attention span of 15 minutes, so we are already starting out on the short end of this. Break it up. If you are in a class longer than 55 minutes let the students stand up if they want to stretch. Nothing is wrong with that! Just the physical change from those hard seats will give them the energy to continue, especially if you have a class after lunch. That would be a good idea!

SLIDE 19: How much time do you devote to your students outside of class? Are you there for your office hours? Remember, those office hours are so we can meet with our students, so make sure that you are available for them. That’s THEIRtime. AND, that is OURopportunity to show that we care. Self-determination theory reveals that personal relationships are important for the successful completion and adherence to an activity. Our activity is education. If we want students to continue, they need to feel supported, they need to feel that they are learning, and that it is beneficial to them. One of my students, first in her family to go to college, has a life outside of college that is terribly difficult. She told me, “This is my only family. This is my only sanity. I don’t know what I would do without it.” We need to buy into the mission of the college to reach those who need us to help them get through.

SLIDE 20: Finally, Texture. In music, texture refers to how thick or thin a sound is.We have three musical terms that relate to texture: monophony, homophony, and polyphony. Someone playing the fluterepresents monophony becausethey are producing a single sound. Homophony occurs when someone is singing and accompanying herself on the guitar. You hear the melody, but it is supported by harmony. It is thicker sounding. Now, polyphony, is when several equally important melodies are being played at the same time.