The Power Of Music
This isn't some soul-searching post about my life and how music has affected me or anything like that. I just feel like writing about music, or rather, music theory.
I was sitting in church yesterday, bumbling through a hymn, when it occurred to me that I was not the only one fumbling the ball here. This particular hymn was not well known, so only the people who really knew music were able to get through it prettily. The rest of us were just a wee bit flat on more than a few tricky notes. And that's okay. But wouldn't it be nice if music were taught just as much as english or mathematics?
English is english; math is merely a language using numbers. And music theory is simply a language that's sung according to the symbols they represent. Oh I know that children are taught rudimentary theory in school, but it's treated as an add-on class. No child really fails music. Not on an elementary level, anyway.
I was lucky that I was taught by a very wonderful musician. I think he could have made his living as a pianist, so I do not know why he chose to teach. I am grateful that he did. Not only did he teach simple music theory, but he would choose different kids at random to sing music he had selected. If they knew how to read music, they could sing it. If they did not know, they bumbled through it. We had to sing every note as "La".
After elementary school, my junior high and high school music teachers were wonderful, as well. My high school teacher was very strict about reading music. She had advanced singing classes, but you could not take them unless you passed the singing test. She would select a piece and you would sing it without accompaniment (that word looks wrong, someone help). Somehow, I breezed through this. I made it to the advanced levels. The students in these classes got to do some really great things. We sang at the Liberty Bowl, we sang back up for a Christmas concert for Peobo Brison, Roberta Flack. Two of my classes in my high school schedule were choir classes, I enjoyed it so much.
I can still read music. I have not been taught piano at all, but my Chris bought me a keyboard a few years back. I taught myself to play some simple tunes on it, merely by the music theory I had been taught in school. I do not know if my finger placement is correct or any piano technique at all. But I can play the notes that are there. Mind you, it took me countless hours of practice and figuring out sheet music just to be able to do something simple like "When the Saints Go Marching In". But I was teaching myself, and I am still proud that I learned how to do it.
I haven't played in a long time. I've probably forgotten how to play those tunes by now. I'm sure if I sat down, it'd probably come back to me. I do know that sitting in church reading unknown music has made me realize I am a bit rusty. I always marveled at how my Chris would just bellow out the notes without even really needing the music, until yesterday when he sat quietly next to me. I realized that he only knew the notes from having sung the hymns so many times. He didn't know how to read the music. I know this sounds so silly and dumb, but I was shocked. My Chris knows how to play guitar. He sings at the drop of a hat. I thought he knew!
I wish they would teach more theory in school. Not as an add-on, but as a necessity. Art, as well. I think we should encourage our children to explore their creative side. And theory is just one extra tool they can use to do it.
I was sitting in church yesterday, bumbling through a hymn, when it occurred to me that I was not the only one fumbling the ball here. This particular hymn was not well known, so only the people who really knew music were able to get through it prettily. The rest of us were just a wee bit flat on more than a few tricky notes. And that's okay. But wouldn't it be nice if music were taught just as much as english or mathematics?
English is english; math is merely a language using numbers. And music theory is simply a language that's sung according to the symbols they represent. Oh I know that children are taught rudimentary theory in school, but it's treated as an add-on class. No child really fails music. Not on an elementary level, anyway.
I was lucky that I was taught by a very wonderful musician. I think he could have made his living as a pianist, so I do not know why he chose to teach. I am grateful that he did. Not only did he teach simple music theory, but he would choose different kids at random to sing music he had selected. If they knew how to read music, they could sing it. If they did not know, they bumbled through it. We had to sing every note as "La".
After elementary school, my junior high and high school music teachers were wonderful, as well. My high school teacher was very strict about reading music. She had advanced singing classes, but you could not take them unless you passed the singing test. She would select a piece and you would sing it without accompaniment (that word looks wrong, someone help). Somehow, I breezed through this. I made it to the advanced levels. The students in these classes got to do some really great things. We sang at the Liberty Bowl, we sang back up for a Christmas concert for Peobo Brison, Roberta Flack. Two of my classes in my high school schedule were choir classes, I enjoyed it so much.
I can still read music. I have not been taught piano at all, but my Chris bought me a keyboard a few years back. I taught myself to play some simple tunes on it, merely by the music theory I had been taught in school. I do not know if my finger placement is correct or any piano technique at all. But I can play the notes that are there. Mind you, it took me countless hours of practice and figuring out sheet music just to be able to do something simple like "When the Saints Go Marching In". But I was teaching myself, and I am still proud that I learned how to do it.
I haven't played in a long time. I've probably forgotten how to play those tunes by now. I'm sure if I sat down, it'd probably come back to me. I do know that sitting in church reading unknown music has made me realize I am a bit rusty. I always marveled at how my Chris would just bellow out the notes without even really needing the music, until yesterday when he sat quietly next to me. I realized that he only knew the notes from having sung the hymns so many times. He didn't know how to read the music. I know this sounds so silly and dumb, but I was shocked. My Chris knows how to play guitar. He sings at the drop of a hat. I thought he knew!
I wish they would teach more theory in school. Not as an add-on, but as a necessity. Art, as well. I think we should encourage our children to explore their creative side. And theory is just one extra tool they can use to do it.
posted by Ari at 8:16 PM
3 Comments:
I can only say one thing to this - sight singing is hard as can be. I play trumpet, and taught myself to play all brass, and keyboards, and I can usually follow along to music, but sight singing takes more than a little training.
Wow You can read music. If I was taught that or anything other than math, English,or science, I think maybe I would have been a more disciplined person.
sight singing is definitely much more difficult that sight reading (as in never seeing the music before and playing it on piano, guitar or other instrument) so trust me, you shouldn't feel bad at all! I suggest going on youtube and maybe looking up some mini video keyboard lessons if you have an interest!
I enjoy your blog.
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