Why Music?
LARGO
MUSIC IS A SCIENCE
It is exact, and it demands exact acoustics. A conductor’s full score is a chart, a graph which indicates frequencies, intensities, volume changes, melody and harmony all at onceand with the most exact control of time.
MUSIC IS MATHEMATICAL
It is rhythmically based on the subdivisions of time into fractions which must be done instantaneously-not worked out on paper.
MUSIC IS A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Most of the terms are in Italian, German, or French and the notation is certainly not English, but a highly developed kind of shorthand that uses symbols to represent ideas. The semantics of music is the most complete and universal language.
MUSIC IS HISTORY
Music usually reflects the environment and times of it’s creation-often even the country, the cultural diversity of the community in which it is written, and the prior experiences of the composer’s life.
MUSIC IS PHYSICAL EDUCATION
It requires fantastic coordination of fingers, hands, arms, lib, cheek and facial muscles in addition to extraordinary control of the diaphragmatic, back, stomach, and chest muscles which respond instantly to the sound the ear hears and the mind interprets.
MUSIC DEVELOPS INSIGHT AND DEMANDS RESEARCH
Music is all of these things, but most of all…
MUSIC IS ART
It allows a human being to take all these dry, difficult techniques and use them to create emotion That is one thing science cannot duplicate-humanism, feeling, emotion-call it what you will.
THIS IS WHY WE TEACH MUSIC
Not because we expect you to major in music
Not because we expect you to play or sing all your life
But…
So you will be human
So you will recognize beauty
So you will be closer to an infinite beyond this world
So you will have something to cling to
So you will have more love, more compassion, more gentleness, and more good-in short… more life
Why Band?
It’s not too late to re-up for band! Contact Mr. Johnson (6th) or Mrs. Coe (7th) to change your elective order!
Here are just a few reasons
The top five most important college and career readiness skills for graduating high school students and highlighted section show where you can enhance them.
1. Professionalism 80.3% – HIGH SCHOOL BAND!
2. Teamwork 74.7% – HIGH SCHOOL BAND!
3. Oral communication 70.3% – HIGH SCHOOL BAND LEADERSHIP!
4. Ethics & social responsibility 63.4 % – HIGH SCHOOL BAND!
5. Reading comprehension 62.5 % – Reading skills enhanced through participation in MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND, which are then strengthened further through HIGH SCHOOL BAND!
While the above talks about high school band, an important foundation of success for high school band begins at the middle school level.
Studies have shown that students who participate in music classes achieve higher test scores and are better critical thinkers. Band students in particular will develop skills in cooperative learning and problem solving.
It is my philosophy that I am not only teaching my students how to read music and play an instrument. It is my goal to make my students well rounded young adults, critical thinkers and problem solvers. I also strive to help my students be goal oriented; working on a piece of music teaches you that the success of the group as a whole is also based on the success of all the individual members.