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Re: developing musicians and a musical culture
On Tuesday, July 15, 2003, at 10:34 AM, David wrote:
> But here's my point : What high-school music teacher today can teach
> these kids how to use Reason or Live, etc.?????? I suggest THESE are
> the kinds of instuments that kids today will be using more and more to
> make their music.
I agree. Reason is the new Casiotone. Some will flail around and
loose interest, others will be inspired to dig deeper. I think there's
something really nice and democratic about tools like these, but
they're a double edged sword. They can encourage an emphasis on music
production and not being an instrumentalist.
This isn't new though, dulcimers tuned to a chord, jew harps and other
"folk" instruments can encourage instant gratification. Other
instruments offer a much higher form of flexibility but require
learning a more complex instrument. Look at simple musical forms like
Blues music. Learn 3 chords and you're on it. Of course it's much
more than that, but that is what I'm talking about. I'm helping my
wife learn piano and she's using a combination of piano instruction
books and pop music books. After learning the dry stuff she can at
least have fun playing the chords to "Still Haven't Found What I'm
Looking For." I think this is where most teachers fall down. Find out
what turns on your student and teach based on that.
Mark Sottliaro