What About the Other 80%?

I love ad campaigns that make subtle metaphorical comments about human nature. Recently, an online insurance company ran a series of commercials poking fun at the inclination older people have to resist changes in technology while trying to deal with twenty-first century trends. Commercials showed retired adults taping vacation pictures on their living room walls rather than on Facebook, refusing to rewind rented DVDs like they once refused to rewind VHS tapes, or using huge, antiquated cell phones rather than smart phones because there are more buttons to push.

This particular campaign gives me cause to reflect. Am I trying to use outdated methods as I try to reach my students? Am I retaining traditional music educational methods though cultural changes ensure that they no longer work in the way they were intended? For example, when I was a young clarinetist in the 1970s, our beginning band books included folk songs and popular songs that I already knew. But, now I have students who have never heard Aura Lee, Bingo, or even Old MacDonald. When I learned to play those songs, I only needed to associate the notes with the fingerings because the songs were already in my head. Now, students have to learn the songs at the same time they are trying to navigate the technical and notation obstacles. No wonder they have more difficulty than I had! The music that once worked is less effective today because culture has changed.

I wonder if there are other things we do to teach music that are no longer as effective as they once were. Common sense says I need to prune those outdated models and incorporate new ones. BUT, wisdom says that I need to be careful not to toss out the proverbial baby with the bath water. I (we) must take a hard look at the methodologies and models that we grew up with and determine which ones are still valuable for all, valuable for some, or simply obsolete.

Has society changed so much that our traditional, 100 year old model of large ensemble teaching is no longer relevant to the majority of our students? All over our nation, the percentage of students enrolled in high school music programs is dropping. Currently, a school is considered to have a healthy program when roughly 20% of the student population is enrolled in music classes. What about the other 80%? If we say that music education is for all, then shouldn't we do something to bring more students into our classrooms? If we believe that everyone should learn about music in order to lead a more complete life, then shouldn't we ask ourselves what it is about music that makes a life complete and then design relevant music experiences for children that address those things? This puzzle leads us to the theme of our spring 2014 issue of the Kansas Music Review. This issue is dedicated to the other 80% as we attempt to find ways to make music education relevant for students in the twenty-first century.

First, Jason Gossett challenges us to question what we teach through the large ensemble model. He promotes the inherent value found in this type of music education while also questioning traditional methods that may no longer be relevant. Next, Travis Hale describes how he reached out to the other 80% by creating a course in commercial music in the Wichita Public Schools. Students in his course learned to collaborate through performance in popular style bands, create through song writing, and promote music through concert promotion. Spiros Xydas' article introduces the reader to how he teaches creativity and musical knowledge to his band students through the use of iPads, while Clint Randles and some of his students from Central Florida University describe the possibilities we have available when we consider the iPad as a musical instrument. Multiple videos are included that demonstrate some of the things the faculty and students have developed at their university. Finally, Brian Williams and Rick Dammers encourage readers to take a chance and create music courses aimed at including the other 80%. They urge us to take advantage of students' interest in technology to develop creative music experiences.

Change is hard. Choosing to let go of something to which we have personal affinities is emotionally difficult. But, change for change's sake is also foolish. This is why our profession must be careful as we adapt our concept of music education to be culturally relevant. We must remember that large ensembles such as choirs, bands, and orchestras were the popular music of the time when this model of instruction became common nearly one hundred years ago. It made sense to advocate for this type of music because it was readily seen as relevant to society. Though this model of instruction may not be as relevant as it once was to society, the benefits from the large group experiences are still valuable for the 20% who choose to participate.

For change to take place, we need leaders who are willing to create new avenues for music education and then share their ideas with others. We need a new generation of music education pioneers who will take risks and create best practices that incorporate new teaching methods into established music courses or create completely new course offerings that appeal to musically minded students who do not relate well to traditional models. Universities must lead research and development efforts, but they too rely upon practicing teachers to create new models and share their good ideas with the profession. We can encourage our pioneering colleagues to share these ideas at conferences, by offering summer workshops, or by writing articles for the KMR just as the authors in this issue have done.

Our profession is heading into an age of tremendous possibilities. Some schools may advocate the reduction of music offerings. But teachers who are willing to learn new ways to make music and who are willing to take a risk may create vibrant music programs that preserve strong performing ensembles as well as reach other musically inclined students who may not fit in band, orchestra, or choir. By being open to creating music and teaching it in ways that are relevant to today's youth, we can ensure strong music programs in our schools for generations to come.