The music educator must realize that students are constantly developing tonally and rhythmically. In most cases, a great deal of that learning does not happen in the classroom, but while singing in the shower, taping a pencil on a desk, or listening to the radio. A very effective method of developing young musicians is a method that stems from how students learn to read. Children learn how to say a word before they learn how the word looks on a page. Students learn how to sing a song on the radio by listening to the piece, not by looking at the notation. The "Sound Before Sight" approach provides students with meaningful musical experiences and then connects those experiences to musical knowledge. So, a music educator could take the song that the students listen to on the radio and develop musical knowledge from a song that the students enjoy.
Artifact:
Sound Connections (A summary of Chapter 3 of the book "Sound Connections")
Rationale: Above is a summary of a chapter that I read in my MusED 150 class with Dr. Kevin Gerrity. The chapter describes tonal and rhythmic systems that are available to the music educator in the field. I put this summary on my portfolio because I wanted to have a listen of options with me that can help me make an informed decision out in the field, depending on my class and the environment I teach in.
Artifact:
Jagow (Summary and Reaction to Chapter 6-11 of Jagow's Book, "Developing the Complete Band Program")
Rationale: I completed this summary and reaction during my second Instrumental Methods course. The chapter summaries cover pitch, balance and blend, pulse, and rhythm. All of the concepts are being developed by the beginning musician and built upon by the intermediate and advanced musician. The summary offers guidance to educating the students in these difficult concepts, differing methods of instruction and stages of learning that young learners will go through during development.