Three years ago, I found a video of a performance of a song, Jounetsu Tairiku, by Taro Hakase use violin as the main instrument for the song and he was leading a large band. Their terrific performance, Hakase’s smooth sound of violin motivates me. In the video, the music was unrestrained and enthusiastic to me. I love it. This was how I start violin. I beg my parents to enroll me in violin lessons. At the first violin lesson, I fully armed ,my shoulder rest, a well conditional bow and a shiny violin. I took a deep breath, pick up the bow and gracefully play a song. The sound was cacophunous and I felt disappointed because of my out of sync hand and brain, they cannot work together. After a few tries, the sound become more euphonic, I wonder why the violin is that difficult to play. An instrument with only four thin strings and a small wooden body produced amazing, yet powerful sounds. When this was the teachers’s turn, she played the practice song effortlessly, I was impressed, and this was the sound that I long for. A few lessons later, I can complete some simple songs.
After I ...
What started out as a hobby transformed into a passion for an art form that allows me to use movements and expressions to tell a story. Whether I’m on stage in front of an audience of just friends and family, hundreds of strangers and a panel of judges, or the whole school, performing over thirty times, has helped me build lifelong
With around 70,000 special education students with hearing losses in the US it is no wonder that teaching these students the art of music has become an important opportunity within their education (U.S. Department of Education). According to Darrow and Heller (1985) as well as Solomon (1980) the history of education for students with hearing loss extends over a hundred and fifty years. These students have every right to music education classes and music instructors need to understand their unique learning differences and similarities to those of the average typical (mainstreamed) student to ensure these students have a successful and comprehensive learning experience. Despite this, there are still plenty of roadblocks, one of which may be some music instructor’s lack of effective practices and methods to successfully teach to the student’s more unique needs. Alice Ann-Darrow is a Music Education and Music Therapy Professor at Florida State University. Darrow’s article “Students with Hearing Losses” focuses not only on the importance of music education for these students but it is also a summarized guide of teaching suggestions containing integral information for the unique way these students learn.
To become an accomplished marimba player, I had to spend my free time practicing for eleven years. Marimba is a wooden instrument and it is a part of percussion part in orchestra or band. Its size is much bigger than normal xylophone and it has long pipes underneath each piece to maximize the sound. I had to give up time playing with my friends, watching movies, listening to music, and playing sports to improve my musical skill. As a result, I had my own marimba concert, received a solo part in “Hedwig’s Theme” in Kent’s Orchestra Fall performance in my 9th grade, got 1st place in Connecticut Musical Competition, and received many other awards. It was not easy for me to give up those but I know if I had not abandoned those, I would not become as good as I am right now. Therefore, I am proud of myself and I have pride in myself. I spent my free time developing myself and did not waste my time doing nothing. I want to make an investment in myself. Developing certain skills and talents are crucial because theses abilities will help me to get through my life easier. Furthermore, I feel better about myself and like myself more when I recieves rewarded for sacrificing my instant joy over productive work that will run for long periods. I was able to become admirable marimba player because I didn’t stop practicing, continued to
Another excerpt from Malcolm Gladwell’s article says that, “In fact, by the age of twenty, the elite performers had each totaled ten thousand hours of practice. By contrast, the merely good students had totaled eight thousand hours, and the future music teachers had totaled just over four thousand hours” (Gladwell par. 3). It does not matter if someone has a natural knack for violin if they do not put in the practice towards mastering it. As it is commonly said, practice makes
After graduating from high school, I entered Soochow University, whose music department is among the best in Taiwan. During these four years, I had numerous opportunities to perform on stage. Realizing early on that performance is the lifeblood of musicians, I joined as many orchestras, wood bands, and brass quintets as possible to acquire performance experience. Having numerous performing chances, and enjoying each of them, inspired me to become a professional musician in the future. Besides taking part in performing activities, I also used my experiences and knowledge to teach students. Believing that teaching others how to appreciate the beauty of life is fulfilling, I teach both to give knowledge and to enhance my own artistic ability. Because I so enjoyed my conversations with students, I remain committed to teaching and trying to convince others of the limitless joys of music.
The first time I picked up an instrument was at the age of 7 when I was in third grade. You can call it fate, luck, or my destiny but I was one of the three students that was able to join my elementary orchestra. Of course like any kid, I was afraid if had the ability to do such a thing. I mean it’s not every day you’re recruiting into the arts. I kept asking myself “can I do this? Will I fit in this group?” in other words can I be part of the classical music culture? It wasn’t till my first school concert where I had my first solo of “My Heart Will Go On” the love theme from Titanic that I was able to express the countless hours put into a 15 second solo. After that experience I never questioned if I belonged to the culture. Instead I focused on the next story I would tell on stage with the music score in
Thus, if you disconnect from the violinist, you will merely deprive him of your body- to which he has no right. However, if you continue to stay connected to the artist, you will only be doing a kindness on your part,
“The students at the Bronx Global Learning Institute for Girls learn to play the violin from a very young age, and instruction in violin is mandatory at the school. In your opinion, should music be a compulsory part of education? What is your experience with music education over the course of your schooling?”
A violin can be compared to a puzzle. Each piece of the puzzle has a unique role in the outcome of the picture, or in this case, the overall sound. The pieces are brought together by both the violin's maker and its player. Just like a puzzle, different persons, when given the same pieces probably will not put them in the same order. This fact accounts for the differences in the designs of master violinmakers and the tonal differences between players. To quote Joseph Wechsberg, " The tone is of course created by the violinist . . . the same violin played by several violinists sounds different in the hands of each player," (45). In spite of the different interpretations of where the pieces should go, if any piece of the puzzle is missing or deformed, the puzzle won't fit together correctly. In order to determine whether or not the pieces are correctly assembled, it is necessary to understand the pieces and their functions.
Dr. Susan Tomkiewicz works at Columbus State University as an Associate Professor at the Schwob School of music and as the Director of the Honors College on the RiverPark campus. Dr. Tomkiewicz devotes 50% of her time teaching students to play the Oboe and the other 50% of her time directing the Honors College. Her work at the Honors College is different from her work of teaching students how to play a musical instrument. At Columbus State, she teaches a class of 10 students to learn how to play the Oboe and works with each of them individually in a studio class for an hour. In fact, the Oboe is a woodwind musical instrument that contains a double-reed mouthpiece. Dr. Tomkiewicz researched on how to teach students to play the Oboe before getting
Despite the benefits that music education provides, some ignorant people criticize music and say limited funding should be spent on academics or sports. They argue that, “The ability to paint a picture or dance will not aid in landing a job’(“Arts Education”). This is true, but the point of music education is not to provide all musical students with a job; it is to teach them valuable skills that can be used in the workplace. Roberta Guspari, a New York violin teacher, supports this idea. She says, “learning an instrument teaches you to study anything.” Other commentators say that in 2011, over 70 percent failed a national science test (“Arts Education”). They say that building art studios and buying new instruments are a waste of money that could be used for improving academic performance. These statements may also be true but by no fault of music education. How many of these students participated in music courses? The fall in academic scores should be credited to a lack of preparation by staff.
"What’s the History of the Violin?." About.com Music Education. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 June 2014. .
"The instrument can teach, it can illuminate, it can even inspire. But only if human beings are willing to use it to
Even when children learn music they able to listen, sing, dance, create movement. Listening to music draw out emotions, and playing music can be just like communicating emotions. Some people find this a very powerful experience. “ Music enriches the lives of students and should be considered a necessary part of education.”
A month later a boy of fifteen is on stage. He goes over the first few lines of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony in his head, before he places his grafted hands on the keys. They land and start to play. But it's the wrong music. His fingers move with such an aptitude and speed that the boy closes his eyes and lets them go on. At first he doesn't notice the different tune. This song had been in his hands since he got them. But up until that very moment he had not been capable of naming what his hands had been playing, Prokofiev's Eighth Sonata.