Transforming Music Education: 5 Innovative Approaches for a Creative Future
From speaking with students who gave up on their musical pursuits in education, the reasons given would often be: not liking their teacher or finding the content irrelevant.
Too often, when listening to students, it wasn't their love of music that made them give up, but rather the flawed educational process. Below are some ideas to better accommodate students' passion for music.
1. From Recorders to Ukuleles: A String of Melodic Progression
The purpose of the obligatory instrument in schools, if anything, is to act as the "gateway drug" to musical euphoria and to motivate and ignite students' passion for personal exploration of music. Unfortunately, a recorder does not achieve this.
Many schools in countries such as America, the UK, and New Zealand have started adopting the ukulele as the primary instrument.
This provides students with the opportunity to learn on their own, as there is a wide array of online content for the ukulele, while also freeing up another fundamental musical instrument: their voice.
Ukuleles are cheap, accessible, and offer a shorter leap to more advanced instruments, such as the guitar, compared to, say, a recorder to the flute. Both in economic accessibility and technicality. It is also highly portable and may be more socially acceptable for a teenager to bring than a recorder.
Although seen as a modern instrument from Hawaii, it is also steeped in history as the ukulele was an adaptation of the Portuguese instrument "The Braguinha," brought over by Portuguese immigrants. This is a vital link to the past, connecting it with European folklore and making it an instrument that spans generations.
2. Composing the Future: Unleashing Creativity
Musical composition is extremely rare in the education syllabus. This needs to change in the world of A.I. as music is a language where students have to find their own fluency.
Most Musical Conservatories I have experienced in Portugal, Spain, and Poland are locked into a classical era that leaves no room for interpretation.
Cultivating their ability to create and express themselves musically not only enhances their understanding of the art but also opens doors to innovation and originality, a step needed to propel music education beyond reproduction to creation.
3. Bridging Eras: From Mozart to The Beatles, all the Way to Billie Eilish
Balancing the historical richness of classical artists like Mozart with the contemporary brilliance of artists like the Beatles, who inspired many creators in song composition and studio innovation, is crucial. They also pioneered global pop music that spanned the world.
Of course, even more modern music can introduce the need for intergenerational learning in the music curriculum.
Billie Eilish, who started with bedroom production and was homeschooled due to her parents believing the education system was too rigid for her creativity, released her first beautiful symphony of a single, written by her brother "Ocean Eyes," when she was just 13. Would she have been able to express herself in traditional music education?
A fusion would provide a well-rounded musical education, connecting the roots of music to its modern expressions. Such diversity not only broadens students' musical horizons but also makes the subject more relatable and enjoyable. A learner-centered approach would be needed so students always have a choice in who they wish to take inspiration from.
4. The Harmonic Fusion: Holistic Music Programs
Music is still alive and will forever be associated with dance. It was in the dance halls where Chopin's Waltz and Mazurka were indistinguishable from its music and dance.
The new craze of what was once Musicly and now TikTok proves that dance and music are forever interlinked. Even Billie Eilish’s "Ocean Eyes" was originally composed to accompany a dance.
Due to technological constraints of simply the width of the camera lens, dance solos on TikTok still define the dance crazes of these times. However, dancing was always a collaborative elation in the past, which the present still needs to catch up to. The role of music has profoundly changed, and other factors such as self-marketing, self-producing, dance implementation, and songwriting are some factors that need to be incorporated into syllabuses.
This interdisciplinary approach not only enhances students' appreciation for the arts but also promotes collaboration and a deeper understanding of the interconnectedness of various artistic expressions.
5. Sound Engineering Symphony: Integrating Technology with Ableton Live, GarageBand, and Even the Feared Chat GPT
The great Nick Cave recently posted a warning letter about the application of Chat GPT ([link](https://www.theredhandfiles.com/chatgpt-making-things-faster-and-easier/in-songwriting)) and talked about how making it "faster and easier" dissolves the creative process in its immediacy.
This application of the creative process is completely true, as it will create imposter syndrome for the user, and if not edited, molded, and sculpted, the work will be devoid of the user's divine creative hand.
This can be seen even in the professional world as A.I. is being advertised as a tool to generate passive income. Let A.I. do all the work and sit back while the money rolls in. There is a gold rush; however, Nick Cave's letter is a warning in how this approach could make us lose our humanity and creativity unless we recognize it as a tool and the fact that we still need to be very much active with it.
Technology is a tool guided by the human hand. Schools have not taught students how to use technology as a tool; this neglect of Digital Literacy is slowly creating a situation in society where technology is the hand that guides the human tool.
Schools have to modernize and expose students to practice in using technology as a sculpting tool.
Rick Rubin is a great example of the use of technology in music production. In fact, he does not call himself a Producer but a Reducer. This can be heard in a lot of his albums, especially the great Johnny Cash, where he trimmed the fat and gave the world the vulnerability and essence of an aged great man.
Counterarguing Nick Cave's poignant and beautiful letter, I would argue that Chat GPT can be implemented to great effect in generating ideas, editing, and refining pieces of art. Though it needs to be taught and used as the salt and pepper to the essence that the human hand defines.
Anyone who has ever used music DAWS such as GarageBand, Logic Pro, and Ableton Live can empathize with the anxious situation the creator has when presented with unlimited choices. How just one more musical track or loop drowns out the essence of the song.
Reductionism and refinement have to be taught to students so that they can create harmoniously with technology in helping them add flavor to their creation, not drowning it out with tech, so that their divine hand can be seen in the beauty they have created.
In conclusion, transforming music education requires a departure from the conventional to embrace innovation and relevance. By implementing new strategies, schools can create a vibrant and comprehensive music education system that not only equips students with fundamental skills but also inspires a lifelong love for the art of music.
