A high school music appreciation course should teach the enjoyment of music. More than just a guide to classical music, a course in music appreciation should contain the fundamental principles of the art of music. All art forms reflect nationality, form, the creativity and thoughts of the composer, artist, architect, or poet and the age in which the creator lived. These elements certainly should be explored in the medium of music.
The Influence of Folk Songs and Dances on Classical Music
Where does one begin a course in music appreciation? A good idea might be to start with simple ethnic folk songs and dances. The form is simple and the distinct nationality of each piece is highlighted. For instance, musicologist Matthew Gelbart, in The Invention of "Folk Music" and "Art Music": Emerging Categories from Ossian to Wagner, states that themes taken from early folk melodies were weaved into Bach's compositions and other forms from the Baroque period.
Later, the forms were perfected with Beethoven in the Classical period and the beginning of the Romantic period. The Classical composers delighted in conforming to the restrictions contained within each form. Romantic composers threw off conformity in pursuit of melodic expression. They emphasized beautiful tone and believed that every piece of music should tell a story or paint a musical picture. Throughout each of these historical periods, the influence of folk music is heard.
Nationality and Training the Ear to Hear the Fundamental Principles of Music
Most classical music has a definite national "flavor." There is an obvious difference between German and Indian folk music, but with a trained ear, a student can detect the differences between German and Italian classical pieces. Going even farther than that, the well-trained ear can decipher the differences between Bohemian/Slavic composers, the Russians and the Viennese Austrians.
A student's ear must be trained to hear the fundamental principles of music. Not many high school students could recognize the difference in sound between an oboe and bassoon, nor be able to properly identify either. Simple listening classes should be included, teaching the students to hear the obvious differences in nationalities. Of course there should be access to a discography or a listening library, where students can listen to assigned pieces multiple times at their own convenience. This could easily be created with a Youtube channel.
Music History, Analysis and Musical Performance
The course should include studying the lives of the world's greatest composers and historical events that shaped their lives. Once these fundamentals are in place, students can begin to study everything from simple song form to symphonic poems. Near the end of the course, perhaps there could be opportunities to analyze sheet music such as classical piano pieces or a string quartet. The class could attend musical performances, both as listeners and performers.
References:
Flutesonline.com, "Classical Music Appreciation"
Contemplator.com, "Taylor's Traditional Tunebook"
Cln.org, "Songs For Children Themepage"
Musicnationalservice.org, "Music"
Gelbart, Matthew. The Invention of Folk Music and Art Music: Emerging Categories from Ossian to Wagner (Cambridge University Press), 2007, pp. 246, 264.
Faulkner, Anne Shaw. What We Hear in Music (Victor Talking Machine Company, Camden, New Jersey), 1928.
Donna Pravel - Donna Earnest Pravel is the owner and senior editor of www.Heart of Texas Copywriting Solutions.com.
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