Prompt Post #1: Asking Questions and Breaking Assumptions

Preconceptions/Stereotypes About Music:

• The type of music people listen to determines the listeners whole entire persona and lifestyle
• Classical Music and Musical Theatre is a dying form of music
• All musicians are liberal
• Musicians are considered elitists
• Asians are the gods of music
• Music Male Dominated
• Drugs are the double-edged sword to musicians
• Death is early and never a happy ending 

         Almost everything in the world has stereotypes linked to the particular subject.  I have not yet heard one subject that doesn't have a long list of stereotypes.  Music has a vast amount of preconceptions and stereotypes.  For the most part, most of the stereotypes aren't really positive ones and in fact they can come off as depressing.   Up above the preconceptions and stereotypes that are listed I got from a book I am currently reading called, "Smithsonian Music".  Its all about how music has developed and shaped the world.  This book is really effective in showing how some of the stereotypes in music are true and false and I will challenge some of these thoughts down below.

The type of music people listen to determines the listeners whole entire persona and lifestyle

For this one it's stating the within music people are still divided and the genres themselves.  For example, people who usually listen to classical music are like the introverted and geeky type of people.  People who listen to reggae are your average potheads and druggies.  Two completely different forms of music and two personas.

 Drugs are the double-edged sword to musicians

Drugs have been connected to the music world for a long period of time.  Musicians use drugs for a variety of purposes.  One is for an escape.  Musicians are considered depressed people because of the stress and anxiety they have to face daily in order to maintain their career.  So drugs such as cocaine, weed, and often times heroine would keep them "wired" and to keep their musical mind flowing with ideas.  However this was often the reasons why musicians died.  Legends like Elvis and Whitney Houston died from drug overdose. 

 All musicians are liberal 
           Musicians are considered extreme liberals.  However there are some exceptions.  In fact, the                whole entire genre of country music is considered for the most part reserved and very                          traditional.

Is Modern Music Really Modern?

        Today in society the music world is dominated by pop music and Top 40's.  The classical era of music has died off with the age of music rising.  However did the classical style of music really die off or did it just evolve?  Many pop artists in their songs still use the same instruments that Mozart and Beethoven used in their time.  Two prominent classical forms that are still used today are violin and Acapella. 

Acapella music is vocal music without instruments that are usually performed with a group and or a soloist. Forms of acapella may include for example, The Barbershop Quartet which they host a convention every year for talented acapella groups from all over the country. Throughout our decade today a very popluar acapella group called "Pentatonix" shows off their talent on tours, online and at live venues. Pure talent is shown throughout this group especially the voice ranges from the five individuals. Pentatonix takes acapella music to another level that has gone beyond the classical roots of acapella music. 

Violin is a an instrument that expresses classical music in many powerful ways. Being in an orchestra throughout my previous years has encouraged me to continue to listen to the classical purity of string instruments. Many professional violinist's mainly perform with full ensembles such as chamber, orchestra and more, but there are some violinist's who show off their talent publicly just for fun and just for their fans. One individual who performs as a soloist and collaborates with other famous artist is Lindsey Sterling. She plays with versatile, and performs like it's the first time you have ever heard a violin. Classical music is beautiful but Lindsey plays music within all genres playing with lots of flexibility outside of classical music. 

In conclusion, both of these artists are very talented and are very successful and they chose styles and forms of music that have been here for centuries.  From my blog post about being a successful musician both showcase the number one skill you need and that is "engaging your creativity".  Both used an old form a music and made it into one of the greatest hits in our society today. 

Making a Music Resume

         Resumes in general are really difficult to perfect.  These are the documents that build our reputation and are major factors of our career path.  For music majors though resumes are different.  They do not follow the normal guidelines of what is suppose to be on a resume.  Here's an example:

         This is my old music resume from my auditions to get into Music School.   It is divided into three categories Education, Achievements, and Experience. 

Experience:  The experience column in a music resume is the meaty part of the resume. As a music major I would just write down my performances that I have previously done such as participating in ensembles, solo's and or a gig. Also, for experience you may also write down the opportunities you have participated with whether it was with a famous teacher and or a group. 

Achievements: This is the reputation part of the resume.  This is where musicians put their accolades they have received throughout their lives.  Achievements can be a variety of things.  Placing at solo competitions, principle chair of orchestras,  concerts, national awards, etc.  The more you have the better off you are in the long run.

Education: I made this one last because this is what goes last in a music resume (even though I didn't put it last in my resume).  Education is primarily is the professor a musician studied under in college. Education is extremely important because its how a musician will perform the rest of their life.  The fundamentals they were taught will affect their auditions, performances, and overall musicianship.  Additionally, in orchestral auditions finalists can be determined sometimes by who taught them before the audition because the judges will know how they will continue perform based of their teachers.

Prompt Post #5: Observing Community

         At Michigan State University,  music isn't restricted to just music majors.  There are multiple ensembles that are open to everyone to join.  One group in particular is the Campus Band.  The Campus Band is a wind ensemble that is open to everyone who wants to join.  I have never been to a rehearsal of Campus Band but I did interview one of my friends in it.


1.) How often does Campus Band rehearse?

     A: "Once a week! Tuesday nights from 7:00 - 9:50pm"

2.) Is there any sort of audition that determines part or chair placement?

     A: "Nope!  All of the parts are randomly assigned to us and we switch around on parts as well."

3.) How difficult is the music?

     A: "The music isn't that difficult but it does keep my musicianship engaged and keeps me                           motivated to stay in the ensemble."

4.) Overall Impressions?

     A: "In my opinion,  I really enjoy being in campus band.  The music isn't difficult to the point
            where it distracts me from my real studies.  It is a nice escape to just keep my passion for
            music with me throughout my college career."

         From this interview and my observations I have made some conclusions about Campus Band.  Although it is not treated as seriously as the rest of the ensembles are it brings the community together.  It shows that students that aren't pursuing careers in music still harbor a passion for it.  Not matter what major they are, when it comes to music they all march to the same melody.        

Open Post About Where Words Fail Music Speaks

         When it comes to writing for me the quote, " where words fail music speaks" always comes to mind. This is quote applies to a speech I wrote down below:

        " Good afternoon students, teachers, administration, faculty, and parents and welcome to the 2015 graduation ceremony. We are here to rejoice and cherish the milestone of our graduates moving onto the real world. Our past twelve years were the confirmation of our self-worth in society. Through hard work and dedication we all proved ourselves worthy of this moment and now we are here. Today, we transform from little apprentices to our own selfmade composers. Today we create the symphonies and concertos of our new lives ahead.

         We started out our journey as apprentices and our composers were our parents and professors who helped refine our pitches with deep compassion. We wouldn’t be anything but hot-cross buns without these outstanding figures. Our remarkable parents are the reason we sit here today in this moment in time. They are our Mozart and Tchaikovsky and with gentle but structured wave of their batons, we began the journey to success as they tuned our every squeak and chord along the way. Our teachers. We first came into school with practically just our name and some knowledge of the alphabet. Despite our defiance and admiration of everything involving school you still continue to teach us. You understood the value of what is to become of us, a good song. When the last bell rang, we dashed out of class because of your relentless instruction. But because of you we had committed the scales to memory. Recognized and played every chord with zeal and perfection. Conquered advance repertoire. Mastered every standard excerpt known to man, and along the way grown into substantial intellectuals in and out of the classroom. Today I commend parents and teachers for being the underlying harmony to our future careers and success.

         Little do you remember, we all shared a musical moment together. All of us in 4th grade learned how to play the world’s best instrument, the recorder. We all got to choose what color we wanted and got a book of songs as well. At first, our attempts of playing the recorder were a sad sight to see being that we could barely get a note out without the recorder squeaking. With a little more time, patience, and a lot of practicing, we all ended up mastering the recorder and all the songs in the book. The next year some of us even went on to playing real instruments such as the flute or tuba. Others ended their journey and did not move on to play the more advance instruments. This is similar to the world and our class today. Some of us will be the famous movie stars living the big life and entertaining the public while others will be in their humble homes living the life of a suburban adult. Not all of us can be the next Whitney Houston or Mariah Carey, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But if you do get the chance like them, seize that one moment in time, make it shine.

         Do not inspire your music for the world, but let the world inspire your music for you. I do not care if you get the chance to explore something as irrelevant to your life as Wyoming take it! You only have one life to live you should at least spend some time treasuring the vast cultures that can change your life for the better. From my last two years at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp I have met many other kids just as talented as me from all parts of the world. I remember last summer one of my roommates was from Poland and he was a dance major. Although he missed his home, he was happy to say that he had the chance to visit America and see how different the lifestyle is from Poland. Later on at camp, I was interviewed and accepted to go on their tour for the Blue International Exchange Program. This is a huge opportunity for me because i get to live my dream of traveling the world playing music in different countries. Unfortunately, I declined the offer because of my very busy schedule in the summer and could not afford to leave for one month to tour. Those are the movements of my life I wish i could’ve composed in my K-12 symphony but one day the time will come to write those movements whether they are the ending or just the beginning of my new life ahead. Every part of the world has something new that you won’t find just from staying in one place. The world is your oyster and your inspiration so don’t take it for granted and go out there see what the world has to offer you.

         Unfortunately high school, like all great fermatas, must conclude. You can try to make it last but you and i both know its not possible. But with the conclusion of a masterpiece comes the arise to new ones, better ones, just as memorable as the last. These past four movements of our high school careers will be committed to memory like a favorite song with utter satisfaction and joyous nostalgia. These movements were crafted carefully by us and and refined by our teachers and parents that will be the foundation of our new symphonies. Our greatest works our yet to come. What will these works be? Where will they take place? These answers are all up you. Strive to maximum quality and spawn a song that will leave people in awe for decades to come.

         Congratulations and good luck class of 2015. May your symphonies be filled with the sweetest notes and the richest melodies."

Many people have trouble finding the words to convey what they are thinking. I strongly suggest finding the music in their heart and starting there.

         

Prompt Post #8: Practicing You Knowledge

Over the summer I was a music trainer from my hometown's summer music festival.  I trained 6th grade - 9th grade woodwinds on their music parts.  Also gave lessons to students who played clarinet as well.  This session lasted one week in the summer and there was a concert at the end of the week which I played in and setup and guided the students to their positions.  This was a very eye opening experience for me.  I have never been told what to do in this situation.  So I just use prior knowledge I have seen my band director use and applied it to the kids I taught.  It worked out really well overall but it also revealed some truths about teaching.  Technique and delivery is major key to the success of teaching middle school kids.  They won't understand if it isn't explained a certain way which made it more fun to use analogies as I was teaching them and it made my passion for teaching grow stronger as each day went on.

Broadway

         Broadway, in my opinion, is the rainbow of the musical world.  It showcases multiple performing arts: acting, art, music, singing, and writing.

    Art.  Art is what turns Broadway from a blank canvas to a rich, vivid, colorful piece of artwork.  The designers job is to make sure the audience sees the character and not the actor who plays it.  The arts aspect of Broadway is to create a veil on the audience's eyes and take them to where to story takes place.  The Theatre is there to help them audience relax and become comfortable and soon as the red velvet curtains go up they're transported into the world of the story.  No longer in the theatre.  

    Acting.  Acting gives characters in a story a distinct personality that the audience can connect with.  The actors that play these characters become one with them and find their connection with the persona they are performing as.  Acting is a highly advance skill because the actors have to master all forms of emotion.  Additionally, learn how to speak in different dialect, improvisation,  and sometimes learn to play as the opposite gender (which is called typecasting).

   

    Writing.  When I think of writing  I think the script of the whole entire play.  The people who make the script sometimes are overlooked because they aren't the ones on the stage.  However they are just as important.  The writers gives the actors humor, courage, sadness, anger, jealous, etc.  Essentially without the writers there's no plot.  The actors don't have a voice and the musicians don't have cues to come in on time.  




   

    Music/Singing. I put these two things together because one can not work without the other which makes sense.  The Pit Orchestra, which is the musicians who play the music in a dark pit, need the actor or there's no musical.  The actors need music to sing the songs and well you can't have "Musical" without music.   Together some of the greatest hits in our society today were made through Broadway and I hope one day to become a pit performer as a professional career.

Prompt Post #2: The Music Code of Ethics

         In general, the music world paints a black and white image where you're either an educator or a performer. Sure, there are other jobs in the music field, but they're a small fraction and most likely branch off from either education or performance. The code of ethics separates performance and education into two branches, and I will start off explaining education.

washingtonpost.com

         According to The Music Code of Ethics, educators must: "Contribute to music in our society by promoting teaching music in schools, colleges and universities, and by promoting a greater interest in music and the study of music." (The Music Code of Ethics ¶2). This code can be implemented in multiple ways. A common example is a public/private school music director. This is the most efficient way of getting the younger generation involved into music. Music directors are the biggest recruiters in the music field because they conduct about 100+ students a day. It is the first step for most musicians in the music world today. Through multiple outside-of-school ensembles, competitions, and festivals that the music directors expose their students to is how they influence them to go into music. The byproducts that comes from music education are friendships and memories that these students will cherish for the rest of their lives. I know this is a true fact because I was highly involved in my schools instrumental program, and I can not even begin to count the memories and bonds I've created along the way. I could not imagine where my life would be if I didn't play in band, and I am certain that I wouldn't be the musician I am without it. Even if the students don't go into music, the byproduct from being in the music program creates a chain reaction. When the students become parents they will try to get their kids involved in music because of the positive impact it had on their lives, and then the cycle continues so as long as music is around.

http://sd64.bc.ca/2013/01/15/january-music-performance-at-artspring/

         The Music Code of Ethics for performance states: "Professional musicians contribute through their performance of music to the public in promoting the enjoyment and understanding of music. This Code is principally concerned with this role, though professional musicians also contribute by providing music for weddings, funerals, and religious ceremonies."  (The Music Code of Ethics ¶3) This means that professional musicians must perform at an advance level on any stage they are entertaining. This also makes performers the "poster child" of music. Without professional musicians there would be no voice for the music field, and it wouldn't be as popular if it was just something that was only taught and had no career path or glamour aspect to the field. There are many forms of music performances that are being show cased around the world today. Whether its pop, classical, jazz, Broadway, or orchestral music, music performers are just expressing what they love doing everyday for the rest of their lives.

         I separated the two categories purposely because, in the code of ethics, education and performance are separate from another. In fact, it even gives reasons why the two shouldn't be merged because of the multiple interference complications can occur. For example, a high school choir director wants his/her choir to sing at a public event, but this can interfere with a vocal soloist who also wants the gig. The educator would be at fault because they are blocking the vocal performer's opportunity to get her/his name out into the world and if not that, a chance to make money with her/his profession. However, this does not mean education and performance cannot work together. In fact, they work extremely well together. Music professors, on a collegiate level, start out as performance majors in their undergraduate studies and stay on the performance track through their doctorate studies as well. This is because as a college music professor you must have a rich experience with your craft out in the real world. It also draws a lot more students to apply because of the accolades the faculty has from their past experiences in the music world.

http://www.earthwindandfire.com/2012/10/music-is-unity/

         Although this isn't stated in the code of ethics but, whether education or performance, music should inspire and unite everyone because music is not only a career but a door to opportunity. Music brings loved ones together, creates escape, gives humans across the world another way to express their deep and compelling thoughts. It's something the world will always need. As what the Hans Christian Andersen says, "where words fail music speaks", music will always be there for us to fill our lives with utter satisfaction and joyous nostalgia.

References: The Music Code of Ethics (1947). (2011, October 24). Retrieved February 4, 2016, from Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions website: http://ethics.iit.edu/ecodes/node/5036