What a wonderful world
Today I was inspired. I woke up to a fantastic video posted by my friend Duane Padilla. He has done things for me on my MUS654… Read More »What a wonderful world
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Today I was inspired. I woke up to a fantastic video posted by my friend Duane Padilla. He has done things for me on my MUS654… Read More »What a wonderful world
We’ve all heard about thinking outside the box. How about thinking outside the bucket? What about thinking outside…
Outside the discipline?
Outside the medium?
How about opening your mind beyond the box?
In couple of recent classes I asked my students to show me music. I did’t want an essay – did’t want to have words. I want them to experience music in another way, and then to be able to recognise and communicate this to others.
Why?
Because we are all unique. I will never really know you, I cannot be a spectator inside your experience, your mind. For me that means that as a teacher I will never really know my students or as a performer, my audience, but if I can learn to communicate and experience in different ways, then perhaps I will have more of a chance of connecting. –or at least of gaining and giving a window into that communication.
I suppose it stems from a constructivist approach to learning, that we do and the more different ways you do something, the more likely it is to stick and sink in:
Write it. Read it. Speak it. Hear it. Feel it. Touch it. Taste it
(ok that is going too far for most academic subjects. We would all prefer not to eat our words… unless written on rice paper and then that is a totally fun exercise).
The idea of doing those things gives a holistic experience and often opens our minds to seeing whatever ‘it’ is in a new light.Read More »Beyond the box
It’s thinking time in MUS654! We should be working on Session 7, but you know what? People needed a bit of stepping back and thinking,… Read More »Thinking time!
‘Yes I Can’ is partly about having that growth mindset but it is more than that. It’s what happens when you have it. There are… Read More »Yes I Can: Self-efficacy
Five weeks in… already?! So how is it going? Are you finding your way? What are you getting from MUS654? My university students are drawing… Read More »It’s all about Repertoire
Yes, it’s nearly Wednesday again, and that means it’s time to look forward to a Google Hangout for #MUS654 at 6pm BST. This is when… Read More »It’s hangout time again!
This is in response to Steve Wheeler’s challenge to use a ‘twisted pair’ that has somehow impacted your teaching. My pair is the music lesson… Read More »The music lesson and the walnut tree
This week is all about connection, and starting to engage with joined up thinking. The topic of Week 4 in #MUS654 is ‘Studies and Connecting… Read More »Linking it up: #MUS654 Week 4 is here!
(2 min read) As a student I was a latecomers to seriously studying music, and as we know it takes a lot of practice to be… Read More »My scales story #MUS654
This week in the open music course #MUS654 we think about ‘Scales and the relationships of notes’ – there is content to spark your thought… Read More »Week 3 is here! #MUS654