movie clips- examples of exceptionally good and problematic teaching
I chose this clip because it shows an example of influential music teaching. In this clip, Mr. S uses his students’ talents in classical music to further their knowledge of another musical style, rock music. As a teacher, I think it is important for Mr. S to teach a variety of music styles from various cultures and time eras. This clip demonstrates his attempt at teaching the students another form of music outside of the traditional Western music that is often considered the ‘proper’ style in schools. I also really appreciated Mr. S’s method of using what the students already knew- classical music- and expanding on that knowledge. I think this method would encourage the students to challenge what they know to be proper music, and question why that is. This not only allows them to think critically in music, but Mr. S could then go on to explain the importance of having a conscious mindset when accepting what is proper in all aspects of the students lives.
This clip is taken from the movie School of Rock where Dewey Finn, a rock guitarist, pretends to be a substitute teacher at a preppy private school. He leads the students in a rock band “project” in hopes of winning the cities Battle of the Bands competition.
Though Dewey’s intentions of posing as Mr. S to win the rock band competition are completely self-centered and inappropriate as a teacher, this clip offers examples of beneficial and positive teaching towards the students. When creating the band, Mr. S made sure to include all of the students. Even if the students were not a part of singing or playing instruments, they were all later given other important roles including stage manager, and costume designer. Mr. S later expressed the importance of each job and how each job is of equal importance. Another example of positive teaching from this clip is Mr. S’s teaching of another music genre other than classical music. In Canada, we often put the Western classical music on a pedestal and choose to only teach it over other genres and music from other cultures. There were students of many ethnics and cultures in Mr. S’s classroom and I think his approach at teaching another genre is encouraging to students as it shows them that no one music genre, or even culture should be more important than the other.
This clip is taken from the movie School of Rock where Dewey Finn, a rock guitarist, pretends to be a substitute teacher at a preppy private school. He leads the students in a rock band “project” in hopes of winning the cities Battle of the Bands competition.
Though Dewey’s intentions of posing as Mr. S to win the rock band competition are completely self-centered and inappropriate as a teacher, this clip offers examples of beneficial and positive teaching towards the students. When creating the band, Mr. S made sure to include all of the students. Even if the students were not a part of singing or playing instruments, they were all later given other important roles including stage manager, and costume designer. Mr. S later expressed the importance of each job and how each job is of equal importance. Another example of positive teaching from this clip is Mr. S’s teaching of another music genre other than classical music. In Canada, we often put the Western classical music on a pedestal and choose to only teach it over other genres and music from other cultures. There were students of many ethnics and cultures in Mr. S’s classroom and I think his approach at teaching another genre is encouraging to students as it shows them that no one music genre, or even culture should be more important than the other.
I chose this clip because growing up watching this and even now, the character Mrs. Darbus frustrates me, so I think we can learn from her mistakes. Mrs. Darbus is not in anyway connected to the students lives at East High nor does she attempt to make relationships with them beyond the musical rehearsals. In my opinion, though high school teachers are primarily there to teach the students and provide them with the skills they need to go into the workforce or post-secondary education, the teachers are also there to support and inspire the students to be the best version of themselves they can be. With Mrs. Darbus ignoring anything outside of the musical, how can she connect with and inspire students after the show is over? And what about the students who are not involved with the musical?
This is a clip from the movie High School Musical that is about how two students, Troy and Gabriella, go against the “status-quo” and challenge the way of life at their high school through their lead roles in the school’s spring musical. Mrs. Darbus is Troy and Gabriella’s homeroom teacher, as well as the drama teacher in charge of the school musical
This clip is an example of problematic teaching. Mrs. Darbus begins the class with announcements; however, as seen in this clip and throughout the movie, she emphasizes the spring musical over any other team or club. Mrs. Darbus lets her personal interests dictate what is important in her classroom rather than expressing equality among the groups. I think it is important for teachers to openly demonstrate equality across the school, whether that is by including other cultures, races, genders, etc. within their teachings, or by supporting other groups and clubs other than their own (such as Mrs. Darbus going to a basketball game).
This is a clip from the movie High School Musical that is about how two students, Troy and Gabriella, go against the “status-quo” and challenge the way of life at their high school through their lead roles in the school’s spring musical. Mrs. Darbus is Troy and Gabriella’s homeroom teacher, as well as the drama teacher in charge of the school musical
This clip is an example of problematic teaching. Mrs. Darbus begins the class with announcements; however, as seen in this clip and throughout the movie, she emphasizes the spring musical over any other team or club. Mrs. Darbus lets her personal interests dictate what is important in her classroom rather than expressing equality among the groups. I think it is important for teachers to openly demonstrate equality across the school, whether that is by including other cultures, races, genders, etc. within their teachings, or by supporting other groups and clubs other than their own (such as Mrs. Darbus going to a basketball game).
Influential Teacher Interview
When discussing the influential teacher interview assignment, I immediately knew I wanted to interview my high school music teacher, Mr. Gordon. As a fellow trumpet player like myself, Mr. Gordon always encouraged me to challenge my abilities and pushed me outside my comfort zone to become more of a well-rounded musician. Though he only taught me for two years in grade 11 and 12, Mr. Gordon inspired me to pursue my passion of music into university here at Western.
The first question I asked Mr. Gordon was What makes a teacher? This question was directed to find out his own definition of an influential teacher. He explained that a teacher is simply “someone who stands in front of people and passes on information”, but what sets apart the basic teachers and the influential teachers is how they bring their personal passion for whatever subject they teach to the students. For him, what makes an influential teacher is “passing on the excitement, the passion, the enjoyment that [he’s] seen to people in front of [him] learning”. Mr. Gordon teaches by his belief that “anybody can get up and pass on knowledge, but it’s how you can sustain that so that they keep wanting to come back and understand and become a better learner for whatever that subject is”.
Following up, I asked Where does this “passion” you mentioned stem from for you? It was clear to me that he believes teachers should communicate their passion through their teaching, so I was curious how his passion for music developed. Mr. Gordon claimed his passion first came through simply “being immersed with music and playing and singing and trying new things, finding things that I enjoyed doing and then being able to get better at that”. Throughout the process of learning and developing as a musician, he was drawn to the social aspect of music, including meeting new people and connecting with other people who share the same interest in band, choir and other ensembles. Reflecting on how his passion has shifted, he explained “now for me it’s not about the playing, it’s about seeing other people getting to that and having those moments, you know where you work really hard and there’s something that comes together that sounds good and feels good and you know you’re part of something a little bit bigger”. It was very encouraging hearing Mr. Gordon explain how his passion for playing his trumpet in band has evolved into a desire to bring others to that same passion. I share that same desire so hearing how our journeys towards building a passion of music were very similar was interesting.
Moving on to my next question, What is creativity to you?, I was interested in Mr. Gordon’s view of how he brings his idea of creativity into his teaching. Defining creativity, Mr. Gordon said that creativity in a musical context is “taking something that hasn’t existed and making something out of it… or it could be taking something that exists, like a piece of music, and creating and putting together all the little pieces so that it becomes a bigger piece of music”. He explained that you may hear a bunch of orchestras all playing the same piece of music on paper, but each one would sound different because they each took it and created their own interpretation of it. Concluding his idea, Mr. Gordon stated creativity is really that sense of taking something that maybe existed on paper or didn’t exist at all and start to make it your own”.
Seeing that there was something there I wanted him to expand on, I asked Mr. Gordon How do you encourage students in your class to be creative? I always felt comfortable to be creative in his class, whether that was interpreting music how I wanted, or expressing my opinions and advice in ensembles, so I wanted to know how he managed to create that safe atmosphere for creativity. He replied that creativity happens “through experimentation. Trying, it’s okay to fail, it’s okay that something doesn’t sound good… come back and reflect on it, say okay what can I do better”. I really appreciated that he taught his students that it’s okay to make mistakes because that’s how we learn and grow as musicians.
Since he has been teaching music for quite some time now, I decided to ask Mr. Gordon What have you learned through your experience teaching? I realized this question was very open as he learns new things every day in his job, but I was curious as to what he would think of first or what he maybe thought was the most important lesson he learned. Mr. Gordon said he learned quickly that “not everybody has the same passion [he] has for something”. He explained that just because he comes into the classroom excited about the subject doesn’t mean that all the students will be as enthusiastic about it as you. That being said, Mr. Gordon also mentioned that even if there are students that come to class with a bad attitude, “you can take that same type of person and encourage them that this is a valuable experience and you can really develop a passion for something”. This is an important reminder that as teachers, not all your students are going to like you or like the subject that you teach, but it’s your job to move past that and do your best to give them the most enjoyable and effective learning experience you can offer.
Finishing off the interview, I asked Mr. Gordon Do you know why I am here interviewing you? He replied that he assumes it’s “to get a sense of what teaching is and to find out whether or not that’s something you want to do in the future”. He also mentioned that he liked the idea of interviewing a past teacher because “[I’ve] seen high school from a student’s perspective and [he] thinks it’s equally important to see high school from an outsider’s perspective as well and all areas” including the teacher’s. While that was the answer to why I was doing an interview, he responded to me asking if he any questions with Why are you here? I wanted to let him know that I had a choice for who I interviewed and I chose him for a reason. Explaining the role he had in my decision to continue with music, I told him “I definitely think high school was a big learning point for me for music and how I wanted to continue with it”. I am very appreciative for the opportunity to return to my high school and express my gratitude to Mr. Gordon for all he has helped me achieve in my high school years. Though I already knew that his teaching style was very welcoming and supportive, this opportunity allowed me to understand better how exactly he created that encouraging environment in his classroom. I have learned many beneficial lessons during this interview and I can only hope to be half as great of a teacher as Mr. Gordon someday!
The first question I asked Mr. Gordon was What makes a teacher? This question was directed to find out his own definition of an influential teacher. He explained that a teacher is simply “someone who stands in front of people and passes on information”, but what sets apart the basic teachers and the influential teachers is how they bring their personal passion for whatever subject they teach to the students. For him, what makes an influential teacher is “passing on the excitement, the passion, the enjoyment that [he’s] seen to people in front of [him] learning”. Mr. Gordon teaches by his belief that “anybody can get up and pass on knowledge, but it’s how you can sustain that so that they keep wanting to come back and understand and become a better learner for whatever that subject is”.
Following up, I asked Where does this “passion” you mentioned stem from for you? It was clear to me that he believes teachers should communicate their passion through their teaching, so I was curious how his passion for music developed. Mr. Gordon claimed his passion first came through simply “being immersed with music and playing and singing and trying new things, finding things that I enjoyed doing and then being able to get better at that”. Throughout the process of learning and developing as a musician, he was drawn to the social aspect of music, including meeting new people and connecting with other people who share the same interest in band, choir and other ensembles. Reflecting on how his passion has shifted, he explained “now for me it’s not about the playing, it’s about seeing other people getting to that and having those moments, you know where you work really hard and there’s something that comes together that sounds good and feels good and you know you’re part of something a little bit bigger”. It was very encouraging hearing Mr. Gordon explain how his passion for playing his trumpet in band has evolved into a desire to bring others to that same passion. I share that same desire so hearing how our journeys towards building a passion of music were very similar was interesting.
Moving on to my next question, What is creativity to you?, I was interested in Mr. Gordon’s view of how he brings his idea of creativity into his teaching. Defining creativity, Mr. Gordon said that creativity in a musical context is “taking something that hasn’t existed and making something out of it… or it could be taking something that exists, like a piece of music, and creating and putting together all the little pieces so that it becomes a bigger piece of music”. He explained that you may hear a bunch of orchestras all playing the same piece of music on paper, but each one would sound different because they each took it and created their own interpretation of it. Concluding his idea, Mr. Gordon stated creativity is really that sense of taking something that maybe existed on paper or didn’t exist at all and start to make it your own”.
Seeing that there was something there I wanted him to expand on, I asked Mr. Gordon How do you encourage students in your class to be creative? I always felt comfortable to be creative in his class, whether that was interpreting music how I wanted, or expressing my opinions and advice in ensembles, so I wanted to know how he managed to create that safe atmosphere for creativity. He replied that creativity happens “through experimentation. Trying, it’s okay to fail, it’s okay that something doesn’t sound good… come back and reflect on it, say okay what can I do better”. I really appreciated that he taught his students that it’s okay to make mistakes because that’s how we learn and grow as musicians.
Since he has been teaching music for quite some time now, I decided to ask Mr. Gordon What have you learned through your experience teaching? I realized this question was very open as he learns new things every day in his job, but I was curious as to what he would think of first or what he maybe thought was the most important lesson he learned. Mr. Gordon said he learned quickly that “not everybody has the same passion [he] has for something”. He explained that just because he comes into the classroom excited about the subject doesn’t mean that all the students will be as enthusiastic about it as you. That being said, Mr. Gordon also mentioned that even if there are students that come to class with a bad attitude, “you can take that same type of person and encourage them that this is a valuable experience and you can really develop a passion for something”. This is an important reminder that as teachers, not all your students are going to like you or like the subject that you teach, but it’s your job to move past that and do your best to give them the most enjoyable and effective learning experience you can offer.
Finishing off the interview, I asked Mr. Gordon Do you know why I am here interviewing you? He replied that he assumes it’s “to get a sense of what teaching is and to find out whether or not that’s something you want to do in the future”. He also mentioned that he liked the idea of interviewing a past teacher because “[I’ve] seen high school from a student’s perspective and [he] thinks it’s equally important to see high school from an outsider’s perspective as well and all areas” including the teacher’s. While that was the answer to why I was doing an interview, he responded to me asking if he any questions with Why are you here? I wanted to let him know that I had a choice for who I interviewed and I chose him for a reason. Explaining the role he had in my decision to continue with music, I told him “I definitely think high school was a big learning point for me for music and how I wanted to continue with it”. I am very appreciative for the opportunity to return to my high school and express my gratitude to Mr. Gordon for all he has helped me achieve in my high school years. Though I already knew that his teaching style was very welcoming and supportive, this opportunity allowed me to understand better how exactly he created that encouraging environment in his classroom. I have learned many beneficial lessons during this interview and I can only hope to be half as great of a teacher as Mr. Gordon someday!
Response to 'fostering virtual musicianship in the music classroom' workshop by dr. chris cayari
This Saturday, March 10th, the Faculty of Music Education held a workshop involving the possibilities of technology within the music classroom. The speaker, Dr. Chris Cayari, opened the workshop with a background on one of his projects he completed with undergraduate music students. The assignment asked students to choose any song of their liking and incorporate it into a YouTube video. Dr. Cayari gave very little instructions in order for the students to create something they personally could relate to. The outcomes varied greatly from live performances recorded of groups, to individuals playing or singing different parts of a piece and putting it together to form an ensemble. The students were asked to self-evaluate and give themselves grades considering their efforts throughout the process. When the final results were complete, the students shared their videos in class for the other class members to see. Throughout the creation and viewing of the videos, many students felt overwhelmed, nervous and awkward, but many also felt inspired, free and empowered. This project reminded me of another project I completed in my grade 12 music class. We were instructed to create our own project that we would work on throughout the entire semester and later perform/present it. Similar to Dr. Cayari’s assignment, the directions were broad allowing the students freedom of creativity. I personally chose to compose a brass band piece, as that’s what interests me, but others decided to teach themselves a new instrument, organize a recital for their band, or create a “Grade 9 Music Survival Guide” blog. Over the course of the semester, each student would have check-ins with the teacher, so he could monitor our progress and help solve any challenges. Though that project was not identical to Dr. Cayari’s assignment, his grading system is very similar in that he conferences with his students to determine their marks. Whether the project is composing a piece or singing a song already made, I see the benefits of giving students less instruction and more freedom in the classroom.
The second half of Dr. Cayari’s workshop had us get into groups to explore various musical apps that can be used in the classroom. We tested apps such as Acapella, Starmaker and Garage Band, while Dr. Cayari explained how he uses each in an academic way. Personally, I enjoyed Garage Band as it gave us the freedom to create a new piece or accompany a pre-existing song with the help of recorded tracks. There were so many possibilities to create and it was easy to use- perfect for students to use in the classroom! This workshop gave me a list of technological resources that I feel can be beneficial in an academic music setting.
The second half of Dr. Cayari’s workshop had us get into groups to explore various musical apps that can be used in the classroom. We tested apps such as Acapella, Starmaker and Garage Band, while Dr. Cayari explained how he uses each in an academic way. Personally, I enjoyed Garage Band as it gave us the freedom to create a new piece or accompany a pre-existing song with the help of recorded tracks. There were so many possibilities to create and it was easy to use- perfect for students to use in the classroom! This workshop gave me a list of technological resources that I feel can be beneficial in an academic music setting.
Student interviews
For my student interview assignment, I chose to interview 3 people who I assumed would have differencing opinions and experiences to share based on age, schooling and their intentions with music in the future, but also would have the connection of playing in the brass band at church. The first person I interviewed was my sister Cassie- a 21-year-old nursing student who has experience playing piano, guitar and baritone. Cassie took piano lessons when she young but learned guitar on her own. Her baritone playing began in the church’s youth band and brought her eventually to play in the church senior band. She has recently quit the band to focus on school but continues to play the guitar and piano when she can. Next, I asked my friend Sarah about her experience with music. Sarah is a grade 11 student who wishes to go to school for music and later become a music teacher. She is currently taking private lessons on euphonium and is in multiple bands that challenge her music ability. Finally, I spoke to Andy about how music plays a role in his life. Andy is a grade 9 student who plays trombone. He does not take private lessons officially; however, his dad is a very talented trombone player who helps Andy with his music. Andy plays with multiple bands both at school and church, and hopes to one day play in the church senior band.
The first question I asked each of my interviewees was, how does music personally play a role in your life? All three interviewees mentioned that physically playing music on their instrument, either at school and/or church, was very important to them. It was interesting to hear that Sarah- the only one of the three who wants to pursue a career in music- did not mention listening to music while both Andy and Cassie did. Though I know Sarah very well and she is almost always listening to music on her phone, she immediately identified playing her instrument as the aspect of music that has a role in her life. Since Sarah is working to get into music school after high school, maybe she is putting more focus on her playing rather than listening and simply doesn’t realize the impact listening to music has on her life.
Next, I asked, where did your passion for music stem from? All three of the interviewees come from a musical family, with both parents having played a brass instrument, piano and/or singing in the church choir. It was interesting to hear that all of them attributed their musical desires to their family. Sarah said it was listening to her dad play in concerts and at shows when she was growing up that helped her form her own connection with music. Andy related his talents and passion to his parents, as they are both music teachers and taught him how to play both piano and trombone since he was young. Cassie said her passion came from seeing her family, including parents and grandparents, play instruments at church. I noticed that each person related their musical aspirations to their family from their childhood. All three of the interviewees mentioned how their families surrounded them with music at a young age, so as they grew up their musical inspirations also grew.
The third question asked, what is creativity to you? And, how is creativity a part of music? I was fascinated to hear that Andy was the only one of the three who talked about improvisation as he is the only typical jazz instrument. Being a trombone player, Andy has experience playing in the jazz band at school, so his experiences improvising in Jazz reflect his view of creativity. Cassie and Sarah both mentioned that creativity is about being unique and having your own unique experiences. While one could argue that improvisation is quite unique, and therefore creative, they did not directly connect improvisation with creativity.
Finally, I asked the interviewees, How will you continue to keep music in your life? This question received the most variation of answers because each person is at a different stage in their life- Cassie is in college, Sarah is preparing for university, and Andy is just starting high school. Cassie said music will continue to be a big part of her life- whether that being listening to music on her phone, in the car, or in the shower- because it makes her happy. She doesn’t want to lose her musicality, so she plans on continuing playing instruments “unofficially”- meaning outside of private lessons or band settings. Sarah knows that music will always remain in her life as she wants to go to music school to eventually become a music teacher. Andy said he wants to play in the senior band at church, but is not planning on pursuing music as a career. I thought it was interesting to mention that he doesn’t want to make music his career because those who do not play, compose or teach music for a living can continue with music regardless of their career choice. As both Andy’s parents are music teachers, I think it is interesting that he connects continuing with music to a career in music.
Overall, the student interviews were very helpful for me to get a sense of how music can impact others’ lives. Personally, I feel a strong connection and impact to music, but talking with others about their own musical passion gave me an even stronger sense of how powerful music can be.
The first question I asked each of my interviewees was, how does music personally play a role in your life? All three interviewees mentioned that physically playing music on their instrument, either at school and/or church, was very important to them. It was interesting to hear that Sarah- the only one of the three who wants to pursue a career in music- did not mention listening to music while both Andy and Cassie did. Though I know Sarah very well and she is almost always listening to music on her phone, she immediately identified playing her instrument as the aspect of music that has a role in her life. Since Sarah is working to get into music school after high school, maybe she is putting more focus on her playing rather than listening and simply doesn’t realize the impact listening to music has on her life.
Next, I asked, where did your passion for music stem from? All three of the interviewees come from a musical family, with both parents having played a brass instrument, piano and/or singing in the church choir. It was interesting to hear that all of them attributed their musical desires to their family. Sarah said it was listening to her dad play in concerts and at shows when she was growing up that helped her form her own connection with music. Andy related his talents and passion to his parents, as they are both music teachers and taught him how to play both piano and trombone since he was young. Cassie said her passion came from seeing her family, including parents and grandparents, play instruments at church. I noticed that each person related their musical aspirations to their family from their childhood. All three of the interviewees mentioned how their families surrounded them with music at a young age, so as they grew up their musical inspirations also grew.
The third question asked, what is creativity to you? And, how is creativity a part of music? I was fascinated to hear that Andy was the only one of the three who talked about improvisation as he is the only typical jazz instrument. Being a trombone player, Andy has experience playing in the jazz band at school, so his experiences improvising in Jazz reflect his view of creativity. Cassie and Sarah both mentioned that creativity is about being unique and having your own unique experiences. While one could argue that improvisation is quite unique, and therefore creative, they did not directly connect improvisation with creativity.
Finally, I asked the interviewees, How will you continue to keep music in your life? This question received the most variation of answers because each person is at a different stage in their life- Cassie is in college, Sarah is preparing for university, and Andy is just starting high school. Cassie said music will continue to be a big part of her life- whether that being listening to music on her phone, in the car, or in the shower- because it makes her happy. She doesn’t want to lose her musicality, so she plans on continuing playing instruments “unofficially”- meaning outside of private lessons or band settings. Sarah knows that music will always remain in her life as she wants to go to music school to eventually become a music teacher. Andy said he wants to play in the senior band at church, but is not planning on pursuing music as a career. I thought it was interesting to mention that he doesn’t want to make music his career because those who do not play, compose or teach music for a living can continue with music regardless of their career choice. As both Andy’s parents are music teachers, I think it is interesting that he connects continuing with music to a career in music.
Overall, the student interviews were very helpful for me to get a sense of how music can impact others’ lives. Personally, I feel a strong connection and impact to music, but talking with others about their own musical passion gave me an even stronger sense of how powerful music can be.