Quotes from Music and Keyboard in the Classroom Teacher’s Manual

In the course of reading the Teacher’s Manual for my review of the Music and Keyboard in the Classroom curriculum, these are some quotes that I found particularly helpful and/or thought-provoking:

“To further shape a music curriculum it is essential to know what we believe, as educators. Otherwise we will be irresolute in the delivery of our curriculum.” (Pg. 9)

“Performing is essential as the primary mode of musical involvement for all students including general music students.” (Pg. 9)

“In the arts, production should lie at the centre of any artistic experience: “verbal knowledge (or “talk” about music) is “an ancillary form of knowledge, not to be taken as a substitute for ‘thinking’ and ‘problem solving’ in the medium itself” (Elliott p. 42, Music Matters).” (Pg. 12)

“It pays to remember that the primary function of evaluation is not to determine grades but to provide accurate constructive feedback to students.” (Pg. 19)

“Music starts as sounds in the head, not signs on paper. But teachers and musicians who have gone through life recreating from notation and devoid of musical creative experiences perpetuate the myth of notational supremacy.” (Pg. 31-32)

“We are all born with wonderful imaginations. Indeed, a child’s playtime largely exists in an imaginary world. Kids love to play, to make up stories and sing their own songs. Unfortunately, much of this creative tendency gets lost when children are required to conform to school bureaucracy. It gets sacrificed for more ‘academic’ pursuits like language, maths and science and gets relegated and related to a faculty with the lowest status in the educational system. However, many self-made successful people were not necessarily successful in the school system. This is because they had their own ideas and wanted to try things their way. New inventions and the solving of problems are dependent on creative thinkers. We need to encourage creativity in our
educational systems.” (Pg. 32)

“With ensemble activities, the students actually need one another’s knowledge and skills. Not all school group work demands this.” (Pg. 34)