Thursday, February 16, 2012

Final Draft of Article (will hv hardcopy as well for 17FEB12)


The Arts Times

                        artstimes.com

February 12, 2012

Music Educators Have Potential to Save the Orchestra Industry

By SARAH WILLIAMS



It is widely agreed within the Arts Community that the Orchestra Industry is dying. Orchestra halls used to be lively, packed places on concert nights, and today many halls do not even have a hope of experiencing a full house. Today’s Orchestras face issues of government funding cuts and a growing lack of public support with each new generation. 

Some believe the issue is occurring due to the majority of the public not being educated on the arts.  “The illiterate need to become literate,” said Corbin Huber, a Music Education Major at Illinois State University.  He continued by saying, “The majority will not show an interest in anything they do not understand.  The community needs to have interaction and inclusion to the music making, and with time, people will notice the depth that music has to those who can ‘hear’ it.”

Julie Donnell, a local Music Educator at Washington Middle School, stated, “So many people have no idea what good, quality music is because most of them are only exposed to what they hear on the radio or television.”  She also believes another reason that orchestras are dying is because schools put a high priority on sports programs which takes the focus off of all other extracurricular activities.  Because music programs have been given a perception of less importance, it is often seen as acceptable for those programs to be the first to get cut when schools are struggling financially.

It is getting harder for newly graduated Music Education Majors to find jobs, due to many schools lacking programs.  Schools that cut their music programs further remove their communities from being able to learn to appreciate the arts. 

There still is hope though for this trend to be reversed.  Today’s Music Education Majors have the opportunity and the ability to help their communities and school districts begin or continue to appreciate and support the arts, but they do not often know where or how to begin this process. 

“Start with your students,” is where Donnell advises Educators to begin.  She recommends choosing ‘fun’ pieces for the students to listen to.  Educators that only work with concert bands can use this advice by finding band arrangements of these pieces and having their students listen to the band arrangement and then the original orchestral work.   Donnell says to follow this by, “gradually introducing other orchestral music.”

To begin to educate and reach the community is to touch the parents of the students first.  “Create a listening assignment that the students have to do at home and email it to the students and parents,” is advice that Donnell offers as the beginning stepping stones to educating the parents.  She says that often the parent will listen to the recording, and they will sometimes even work alongside younger children to complete the assignment.   

“Email information out about upcoming professional or college orchestra concerts and the works that they are playing (as well to the child and their parents), and to, “give the kids extra credit for attending,” are also other ideas Donnell suggested to use to increase interest.  She finished this portion of the topic by saying, “You reach the kids, most will share with their parents and therefore you reach the parents.”

Donnell warns those that are about to get their own Music Educator jobs to not fall into the traps that many do.  Many Educators fall into the trap of not exposing the students to a variety of musical styles.  If students are exposed to playing different styles, the Educator will have a higher chance of sparking and holding a higher percentage of students’ interest.  Gaining more students’ interest will, of course, aid in growing the music program.  She encouraged that Educators pick a few pieces and let the students vote on which of those they would like to perform. 

She discussed how students will often work harder if they are trying to prove the Educator wrong about their ability to do well on a more challenging piece, so she suggests picking at least some music each concert cycle that will challenge them. 

“Lastly, have fun with the students and let them know that it is okay to make a mistake.  Let them know you will never get mad at them for trying,” was the finishing advice that Donnell had for Illinois State University Music Education Majors.       

Orchestras may be struggling, but there are things that can be done to make the future brighter.  Music Educators have not only the opportunity but the responsibility to do everything they can to educate their community in regard to appreciating and supporting the arts.  As Julie Donnell stated, “You reach the kids…you reach the parents,” which will begin an even bigger chain hopefully leading to good health of all programs from the elementary general music classrooms to the professional orchestras across the nation.  



Corbin Huber: (815)-419-7083
Julie Donnell: (309)444-9680

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