How do we teach music?

While I may not bring it up too often in this blog, my primary "job" is a musician, and more importantly, a music teacher. And though I may not yet have my degree, I give bassoon lessons to several students, and have recently found myself with opportunities to instruct larger groups of young musicians.

Pictured below is a very influential woman in my life, Mrs. Ginger Stanfield. Mrs. Stanfield recently had her very last concert, after teaching band for 35 years. She was my beginning band director 10 years ago, and fortunately, as I have lived in the same town since then, we have kept in touch. As a music education major, I have done much of my observation time with her. Through this, I have seen both sides of the process: I was once her student, and now, as a future music educator, I have observed the meaning behind her methods.

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I believe there are two key things Mrs. Stanfield does that make a difference:
1. System. There is a noticeable system in her band room, and the students know it. They follow all of her guidelines, and they know exactly what the consequences will be if they don't. She sets up classroom management from the very first day.
1. Music. Mrs. Stanfield not only teaches the students how to make sounds on their instruments. She teaches them dynamics, phrasing, and musicianship from the very beginning. It may not sound as beautiful as we'd like, as these are only fifth and sixth graders. However, they are learning music.

I believe these two things are the key to starting musicians, as opposed to starting a beginning band.

But back to my story...

I have taught several students so far in my college career, and it is easy to see the differences among how some students perceive music.

To one of my students particularly, music is all notes. Nothing more. Hardly even rhythm, sometimes. I can say 1,000 times how I'd love to hear this whole note go from a piano to a forte, and there will never be even the slightest difference. I can use analogies, examples, and spend 15 minutes on one whole note, and sadly, it will always be about two seconds long, mezzo forte, and have no purpose whatsoever.

I hope I'm not a bad teacher. I really do. My other students have been different, so that must mean something, right?

For example, one of my other students, who is about five years younger than the student I just mentioned, is a musician already. Not only does he play about three other instruments, but he plays bassoon like a real champ. I don't say this because he plays the right notes. I say this because as a 12 year old, he follows the dynamics, takes breaths where they naturally occur, and asks how he can make certain lines sound better.

Here's the thing. I think I have nothing to do with the above situations. I really think it's got nothing to do with me. I think it has to do with their first music teacher, or their first band director.

This is why I try not to get so bummed about the first student I mentioned. I just continue to teach lesson after lesson, waiting, because one day it's going to click. She's going to make the most beautiful sound on that bassoon, and the reason I'm going into music education will, once again, seem just right.