Thomas J. West Music

Secondary School: Once a student reaches Middle/Jr. High School, most music programs have them in a regularly scheduled large ensemble setting twice a week with a rotating pull-out lesson. Students come out of another academic class once per week/cycle for a group lesson, and the period they come from changes each week/cycle to avoid losing too much content in any one class. Again, for an average student, this is usually sufficient to keep up with what the band/orchestra is doing. The same sort of arrangement usually continues into high school, though some high schools eliminate the pull-out lessons.

In some areas of the country, such as the state of Texas, students have the good fortune of having band and orchestra directors who administer the full ensemble programs and private instructors for each major instrument employed by the school district to teach small group or individual lessons during the school day. This arrangement is one of the many reasons why Texas music ensembles are some of the best student ensembles in the country and the world. In that environment, students are often encouraged to find an outside instructor as well. There are band and orchestra programs in the Midwest, such as Richard Saucedo's Carmel High School in Carmel, Indiana that 95% or more of the students in their top ensembles study privately just to be able to successfully audition to get into the top group!

High Aptitude Students: If your child shows outstanding aptitude for music, they are most likely motivated by the fact that they are "good at something" and are looking for opportunities to expand their study outside of their school's regular offerings. Many schools have select ensembles that students must qualify for by audition or invitation. Some have extra-curricular groups that demand a large commitment in time, energy, and even finances in order to participate. Many states, such as mine here in Pennsylvania, have honors festivals at the county level as well as the state music educator association's sponsored festivals. These festivals give students a chance to audition in a watered-down format that is similar to the kind of auditions they have to do to be accepted to collegiate music schools or professional performing jobs.

For a student looking to excel, private instruction is a must, and having a quality private instructor who will challenge the student is important. Not all private instructors are created equal - some are band or orchestra directors whose primary instrument is not the same as your child's. To learn advanced techniques on their instrument, a student will need to find someone who has experience with their instrument at an advanced level. Some band and orchestra directors who serve as private teachers are capable of such instruction, but more often a local professional performer on that instrument is what you need to seek out.

If your child exhibits exceptional ability and their school ensembles can not give them the experience they need, even a private teacher may not be sufficient. Especially if your child is considering a career as a professional performer, you may want to consider several educational alternatives. There are High Schools for the Performing Arts (think of TV's "Fame") that students are able to focus a large portion of their school time on their music. A school that is geographically close to me that fits this description is the Lehigh Valley Charter School for the Performing Arts. I myself teach at a school that caters to students who want a pre-professional education in music, fine art, dance, or drama (and it's tuition free!). I work at the Center for Performing and Fine Arts, which is part of the Pennsylvania Leadership Charter School. It is a K-12 cyber school - students take their regular academic courses online, which frees them up to spend two days a week totally immersed in the performing and fine arts. We offer a broad range of opportunities and guide students through building an art portfolio, music repertoire list, or acting resume. We are also pioneering some exciting opportunities for delivering music instruction via Remote Access over the internet using Smart Music as well as Adobe Connect (think Skype).

For Homeschoolers

Since I began writing articles for this website back in July of 2008, I quickly discovered that Homeschool families often need the assistance of private music instructors. I myself have one homeschool family as a private lesson client. Music is definitely an academic area that requires some expertise to teach effectively. For Homeschoolers, I recommend studying an instrument that can function solo, such as piano, guitar, or even voice. If a homeschool student does study a band or orchestra instrument, seek out local community bands and orchestras for your child to participate in. For example, here is my local group, The Chester County Youth Orchestra. Students in these kind of ensembles are usually from local school districts or home schooled and are looking for an alternative or additional ensemble experience.

For Special Needs Students

I am the parent of a child with pervasive developmental disorder (a mild form of autism). We have him enrolled in private swim lessons at the YMCA, and when he is ready to learn a musical instrument as part of his school band or orchestra, we will definitely have a private instructor for him (whether or not that instructor is Dad remains to be seen - he may respond better to someone else). Students with learning disabilities, social-emotional disorders, and so on often get lost in large school ensembles. Private instruction is definitely a very real and effective means of helping them to be successful.

In my first teaching job, I had a private student in 7th grade who played french horn. It was a learning experience for me to teach him privately because I had to work around what he was willing and not willing to do. He also helped me develop my patience as he would often need to derail the lesson and tell a joke or do something goofy to take the pressure off. A sensitive private instructor who is willing to meet a special needs student where they are and take them as far as they can is what is required to help a special needs music student be successful.

For Vocal Students

Students in school choral programs are capable of getting a good education in vocal music, but even more so than instrumental groups, choral programs vary in quality and focus to a great degree. Choruses are often "dumping grounds" for administrators and guidance departments who are looking for an electives credit for a troubled kid who really isn't interested in music. Some choral programs teach the basics of singing in an ensemble but teach little in the way of individual vocal technique. The kind of vocal stylings displayed in our mass media over the radio and on shows like American Idol give young people the false impression that if you've "got talent" and can sing loud and high, you can be a millionaire. There are few examples in pop culture of singers producing healthy, well-trained vocal tone that the singer will be able to maintain for a lifetime. Take a look at any pop singer from the 1980's or earlier and you are likely to find a person who doesn't perform much anymore because they've developed nodes on their vocal folds and can't hit the high notes anymore.

Add to that the fact that "Broadway-style" belting is often just as damaging. Many students who consider themselves vocal students find musical theater to be very attractive, and the vocal stylings there in some cases are only one level better than the pop genre.

If a student wants to have a serious career as a solo vocalist, private instruction is an absolute imperative. I was amazed how I improved as a singer with only one semester's worth of private study in college. More so than an instrumentalist, a vocalist needs a trained ear to listen to them one-on-one and help them properly place the vocal tone in the "mask" of the face at varying ranges and differing vowel sounds. A foundation in "classical" voice (which is NOT the same thing as opera) is absolutley necessary - it is from that foundation that a vocalist can branch out and specialize in multiple vocal stylings.

If you want to hear the results of what just a few months of vocal training can do, just listen to any Madonna song before she starred in the movie adaption of Evita and after she had received training to sing in that role. I certainly don't hold Madonna up as an exemplary model of vocal production, but the difference before and after the training is very obvious even to the untrained ear.

Share Your Story

I encourage my readers to share their stories about their experiences with school ensembles, private instructors, and the development of their child's music education. Please leave a comment on this post or send me a note via the Contact page.

This article (c) 2008 Thomas J. West. If you wish to reprint this article on another website or offline, please contact the copyright holder before using.

  


If you find this website helpful, please leave a donation for Tom so you can enjoy the spirit of giving as well.

Related topics