5. Teacher as role model / mentor : Many of us are music teachers because of our own music teachers. Role models have positively influenced us.......
(Hanley 1998 p.65 citing Lautzenheiser [1993])
I well remember my first music teacher who started to teach me as a 10 year old through a community brass band. Thanks to my mother, I already had a wide appreciation of music, so ‘Mr. Fryer’ started me on a course of hands-on, instrumental music. To this day, the expectation of my own students practising regularly to succeed comes directly from him. As a member of the community junior brass band, I naturally looked up to him as a soloist and section leader in the senior band. Upon reflection, apart from Ringo Starr, he was my first musical idol! The passion and personal integrity of a music teacher must be seriously considered [Mumford 1999].
However, possibly not all role modelling is always positive. Given that “role models in jazz are male” and that concept “carries over into the school system [Hanley ibid.], the perception for musically talented girls could be that jazz is not an ongoing field of interest for them. This could also be said of the field of rock music in most of it’s forms, although females have for many years featured in more luridly commercial genres. Thankfully, although rare, more progressive genres do provide some examples of females taking on roles more associated with males. The electric guitar, long the weapon of choice for macho aggression and/or seductive cool, has been championed in the last three decade or so by the likes of female virtuosi Jennifer Batten (Michael Jackson’s touring band), blues singer Bonnie Raitt or the late jazzer Emily Remler. In the music education field and professional music circuits, an increase has been noted in the numbers of female band directors and players . In 1998 I attended the Melbourne winter “Jazzworx!” workshop and was heartened to observe an even gender balance of teenagers who were interested in the jazz genre.
Bruce and Kemp [1993 pp.214-5] observing Harper (1986), said that “one approach to overcome (this) is to provide appropriate role models”; they undertook a research design involving “a series of short demonstration concerts to children aged between five and seven” years of age. Results indicated that the gender of players (ie. role model) had a big influence upon the children's’ choice of preferred instrument, even to the extent that “strong” identification with male role models (overcame) the feminine gender associations of certain instruments” [ibid. p.217 citing Ables & Porter 1978].
6. Retention issues
Corenblum & Marshall [1998 p.128] noted Frakes’ research in 1985 indicating that “aptitude and achievement are associated with retention”. There are also indications that both socioeconomic level and intellectual competency can be used to predict musical achievement and aptitude [ibid. p.129]. In fact, Klinedinst [1991] placed socioeconomics as the main predictor.
Student’s involvement in extracurricular musical activities plays an enormous role in encouraging an ongoing interest in music. Adolescence appears to be the peak time of life for the formation of the ubiquitous garage band rock ensemble....my own son included! Mizener [1993], Sargeant and Thatcher [1974] and Mawbey [1973] have stated that the number of student’s out-of-school activities is associated with positive attitudes music in general [again Corenblum & Marshall pp.130-1]. Retention of music students can be difficult. According to Schuell [1988], “if certain types of knowledge are omitted from (the student’s) learning process, they will feel frustrated with their progress” [Colwell 1992 p. 531]. Poor teaching strategies can lead to less knowledge, hence student frustration.
Student retention can be greatly enhanced with the inducement of a participating in a musical ensemble. In general, Colwell [ibid. p.658] found that individuals who participate in high school ensembles hold more positive attitudes towards music, both in school and later as adults, than those who don’t. My wind playing university peers and school students all appreciated the opportunity to partake in ensemble activities, whereas their pianist colleagues were bemoaning the fact that they had received very little ensemble experience throughout their musical upbringing. Without exception, all of my respondents preferred either or both small or large ensemble opportunities. Milton states that students seem to enjoy more success with “frequency of playing (outside of) college band” and have “parental encouragement” [ibid. p.652]. Seven out of nine of my student and student/teacher respondents engaged in at least one “outside” ensemble. Anthony [1974] found that continuing band students “held significantly more positive attitudes toward public band performances, and music performed in band...and the band program as a whole” [ibid.].
Apart from musical considerations, the aspect of social interaction becomes more accessible in an ensemble. Koutz [1987] reported that “students cited interests in music and enjoyment of the social aspects of the program” and according to Mountford [1977], McClarty (1968) and Milton [1982], tertiary level students cited “enjoyment of...college’s musical and social activities...and a favourable image” [ibid.].
QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSES:
Part A Question 11 - “Do you enjoy playing music with others?”
Q 1 ...you can have more fun.
Q 2 ...they encourage you...
Q 6 ...friendships formed.
Part B Question 1 - “...do you feel alienated from your peers?”
Q 4 I don’t feel alienated from my friends because a lot of them are musos.
Q 6 ...they respect the fact that I play music.
Question 2 - “...feel alienated from your musical peers?”
Q 2 ...they also encourage me to play...
