SURVIVOR: Chair & Placement Tests

We all know that Chair and Placement Test enable the instructor to place the student in right place within the program. They also allow a fair assessment to a students grade. Now just like those hideous math or chemistry test that we all thought were too hard and you couldn't survive through the class period, students feel the same way about chair tests. After all, they are putting themselves in a position where either everybody in the class or even individually with the instructor will see them either epic fail and get nervous, or ace it. A few ways to acknowledge the issue and mend this issue is give a bi-weekly chair test, especially within the first few months of school. What this is encouraging is a habit of perfect practice, enabling the group to go further in their musicality and their own experiences. Also, it will allow the instructor to get to know the students ability of music within the first month or so of school. Doing this in the beginning of the year will make students more relaxed during future tests, and able to create goals for the year as a group and as an individual. As the year progresses you can make the tests from bi weekly to monthly, but still make all test a part of the final grade. Students like incentives, acknowledgment, and praise. It motivates practice; not only of music, but of sportsmanship, and encourages the ensemble as a whole.

Music Education, from a Students Perspective.

As a student in an outstanding high school music program, I have seen a lack of integrating Art classes and the core classes. All of the best performers are educated on interpreting the piece of music in front of them, they work hard to understand the points of view and the story the piece is telling through research and personal experience. Here's the issue, those great performers were educated to do that. As an aspired Music Educator, I see this as an issue that must be mended if we want the arts to still be in our schools. Music is important in a student's life, whether they know it or not. In order for us to fix this issue Music Teachers must utilize class time rather to just teach notes, but teach music. There is a difference, notes are just one trait of a full spectrum of music. Music consists of Theory, History, etc. but the most important is how the student is interpreting the repertoire you have chosen for them. How, as an educator do you find this out? Assign an essay!!!! This allows the educator to get into the students mind and see how they are translating the piece into their own experiences and what they know. As a senior in high school, I must admit I LOATHE ESSAYS. But I get them done because with the incentive of getting a good grade, I have to do it. Here's a way to motivate students: MAKE IT A TEST GRADE! Students who are motivated to do it, get it done and get a good grade. Those slackers in your class, the ones who are just in it for the credit, still must get it finished because NO STUDENT WANTS TO FAIL A MUSIC CLASS! Because it would make them feel and look stupid. But those slackers in their for the credit must get it done because they don't want to fail either, and if they do they don't get the credit and must take the class again to graduate. As they create a single group interpretation, tell them to express it while in rehearsal. REHEARSE LIKE YOU PERFORM, and set the bar high for ALL performances. As an educator, you performed and know that magic can be created.

Those teachers who are reading this, try it! You'll get results. If you take the time to teach new concepts, not just notes, they will understand much more and your performance will be magical.

Students who are reading this, take the time to soak up any knowledge of music while you can, I know older people who wish they did and regret not doing anything with what they knew of music.