Skip to main content

JamSkolan Day 1


Today was our first day of the JamSkolan and was focused on getting to know each other and talk about our initial experiences with the software program Jam2Jam.  Each delegation then spent time preparing a ten-minute PowerPoint to be presented to the full group the next day.  Dr. Alex Ruthmann from the University of Massachusetts Lowell and myself spent time looking at old and new video bits of the Pentucket Regional High School students who tested out the software. 

That night the group of music teachers and post graduate students had dinner with Nathan Rye, the director of music at Nyanda State High School in Brisbane, Australia.  We learned much about the music education system in the state of Queensland.  Also, he noted that he wanted to start a drumline next year so I hope to share some expertise with him to help him out with such an endeavor.  


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

1 comment
Read more

Band Room: A New Design

Just in case we ever get a new or renovated high school (I might be dreaming), I wanted to be prepared for helping input the best design possible for a new band and chorus room.  I ended up attending a clinic by the Wenger group.  Wenger is the company that made the acoustic shells on our high school auditorium stage along with the two "soundproof" practice rooms that were installed back in the 1960's.  The company is now the standard company used in the United States for music room design. I learned many things at this clinic.  Firstly, I learned that most bands and choruses have their own rehearsal rooms, practice rooms, and offices.  We spent a long time focusing on where sound goes after it leaves the instrument.  Our music room has a ceiling that needs to be at least four feet higher.  Additionally all the equipment in the room cuts down on reverberation.  It is suggested that any closets or storage areas in a band room have open grilled doors so that air and sound c...
1 comment
Read more

Let’s Create a Composition Revolution in Massachusetts

Young Composers and Improvisers Workshop www.yciw.net Teaching composition is no easy task as the majority of pedagogical resources available lack the understanding of the typical classroom anatomy. Many teachers feel uncomfortable teaching this subject as we were not taught such concepts in our college pedagogy courses and may have never really delved into composition in our own role of music maker.  This really puts us out of our comfort zone, and yet the benefits of a successful composition curriculum can become a catalyst for increased meaningful music making for our students .   A music teacher in New York by the name of Matt McLean set out to debunk the common misconceptions we sometimes envision in classroom music composition.   Matt created the non-profit organization and curriculum called the Young Composers and Improvisers Workshop (YCIW).  He notes that “as a music educator I've seen my students develop their strongest connection to music when...
1 comment
Read more