- Should music educators be experts in jazz or American folk music?
I believe that all music educators should be experts in jazz and American folk music. While I think that music educators should be experts or at least very knowledgable in all styles of music, it is quite a lot to ask of someone to reach that level. Even just becoming an expert in one of these is a gigantic task. Regardless, I think it's important.
Jazz and American folk music are essential genres for every music student to experience in the classroom because they are both great styles of music. More than that, they are American. As such, it behooves us to be experts to allow are students to experience them fully.
Jazz is an art form that is concerned most with creation and improvisation. This is critical to any creative pursuit. This is how we create beauty as humans.
American folk music is where we come from musically. It's important to know and understand it because it still shapes the way we make music today.
- What American songs should all students know?
This list could go on forever. There are so many lists I could follow, but I will keep my list to 10 songs for simplicity. This list is not exhaustive, but I feel that these 10 songs are the ones that students should be most familiar with when concerning American songs. There is no particular order, but I feel that most American musical creations can be experienced through these songs.
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Blowin' in the Wind
The Star-Spangled Banner
I Got Rhythm
Hound Dog
My Girl
Rapper's Delight
Sing, Sing, Sing
Smells Like Teen Spirit
Take Five
I have to disagree slightly. While I think it's important for music teachers to have enough understanding of jazz and folk to be able to teach it to kids, I don't think they really need to be experts. In an ideal world, all music teachers would be experts on all genres of American music, but it just doesn't seem feasible to me.
ReplyDelete"I Got Rhythm" was a really good choice. I wish I had thought of that one. I think it's good for kids to know because it introduces them to rhythm changes, which is so common in jazz.
That's a great point, actually. I was really thinking of experts in terms of knowledge. Wether it's experts in knowledge or playing skills, though, maybe it's a bit too idealistic.
DeleteGlad you like the choice. There are so many songs I wish I could include, but that one in particular I'm very happy with.