On Habits and Journeys and Change

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. 

This oft quoted phrase was written by the Chinese philosopher Lao-tzu (604-531BC). The beauty of this saying is that the physical change of traveling a thousand miles can be seen as a metaphor for a corresponding change of perspective, a change of thinking, or a change of values. It's this cognitive change that interests me.

If life is a journey, then all aspects of life are part of that journey. We are a whole. We might try to compartmentalize our lives to make things easier to handle on a daily basis and yet, those compartments are part of the whole. If the whole of our beings is on a journey, then it seems logical to assume that all of our compartments are journeying with us, modifying and adjusting and changing. Most things in life follow this pattern except for some institutions.

Consider the institution of education. The profession has survived many storms and stresses of popular and political upheavals and continues, unchanged and unscathed, to operate in largely the same way since the Nineteenth Century. Pedagogical methods and mindsets remain rooted to a core set of educational values that operate within a rigidly defined script. Professional practices and routines can serve as a grounding force when the electrical energy of public school education becomes overwhelming. We've all experienced the "Hang-on for dear life" moments throughout our careers.

And yet, is "hanging-on" best practice whether in mathematics or music? If life is a journey that begins with a single step, then the journey of pedagogy begins with a single try, taking a single chance a doing something differently.

Below is the reflection of a young choral music professional who gave something a try even though she had no reason to think that it would be successful based upon her pedagogical training and experience. The reflection relates to an assignment she completed for an introductory course in Dr. Edwin Gordon's Music Learning Theory.

• So I met with my choir yesterday and presented them with my lesson plan for my assignment.  We prepared to do a sight-singing exercise by singing a I-IV-I-V-I cadence using solfege syllables.  We sang it a couple of times to make sure they 'got it in their ear'.  We then did a sight-singing exercise which was a SSA piece, 4 pgs long, not very difficult but they still had to think about it.  I had the students write down in a few sentences whether or not they liked this 'new way' or not and why.  My hypothesis was that they would like the old way we did things.  Much to my surprise a majority of them preferred the 'new way'.  Their reasons were varied but most agreed that they felt they had a better foundation of what they were about to sing.  They felt more prepared.   Gordon 1  Baez 0.

In the immortal words of the great bard Dr. Seuss, "You do not like it, so you say. Try it! Try it! And you may!"

A Little Town in Northern Italy and Community

In the city of Reggio Emilia there are a group of early childhood educators who have changed the way many people envision education. The pre-school teachers who work in the Municipal Preschools of Reggio Emilia believe, among other things, that their schools must be an integral part of their local communities or neighborhoods. In a city that was designed for foot traffic rather than automobile traffic, this is more easily accomplished, logistically. At any rate, the idea is that the preschool and the community are in a relationship. The school is not seen as something apart from the everyday life of the community.

If this bond between school and community is important to the health and well-being of children’s education, then we might say that a similar connection should be part of each level education. And, if it’s important for each level of education, then it should be beneficial for each domain within education. Therefore, let us assume that a strong connection between music education and community is the ideal. The question we are left with is how might we accomplish this?

It’s easy to say “do this” and you will succeed; that mindset is folly. There are no silver bullets. Each community, each neighborhood, each school has its own unique social-cultural values. For example, a small community in the “bible belt” may not object to a musical celebration that combines the musical forces of local churches with those from the local schools. In another part of the country it might be that there is a strong tradition of Celtic music. Regardless of where we live and where we work and make music there are local communities of active participants in music that could enhance our students experiences by witnessing live music made by members of the local community.

In her book “How Popular Musicians Learn,” Lucy Green contends that making music once occupied a larger place in our society and that with a change of thinking and pedagogy, it can resume its place as a family and communal activity that all can enjoy. The question, then, is how might we change our thinking and pedagogy so that Green’s vision becomes a reality?