Education - the Musician's Way

Just a short note, one I will probably extrapolate on later when I am not on a sleep deficit and meant to be in bed already.

Here's an article I found, explaining why teachers of jazz are so effective. Consider this quote (possibly my favorite from the article):


"Hearing such wonderful music from children raised a nagging question. Why can’t kids master complicated science, math, language arts, or social studies? Why does everybody struggle so mightily to get kids to pass simple-minded government-mandated tests in academic subjects?

And then it hit me. Jazz-band teachers do the right things in teaching that other teachers need to learn how to do.

Two things are essential in teaching, the professionalism of the teacher and the motivation of the students. Most school jazz programs provide both. "

Here's the article for you to read more fully. And don't worry, it's short, will only take you a moment or two.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/memory-medic/201204/what-all-teachers-should-learn-jazz-band-teachers-1

Or maybe, no matter how much I do and always will advocate music education for all, maybe the real key to education is remembering that students are INDIVIDUALS, with their own experiences and influences and thought-patterns and desires and needs, rather than identical genders and developmental ages that should be pushed through an out-dated system designed to produce competent and obedient factory workers. In other words, perhaps we should treat students as children instead of tyrants, like this school:

http://acestoohigh.com/2012/04/23/lincoln-high-school-in-walla-walla-wa-tries-new-approach-to-school-discipline-expulsions-drop-85/ 

 Thoughts anyone?

Hobey-ho.