I am currently a music teacher at an elementary school. Our school's philosophy is one based off of arts-integrated principles, meaning that even in academic classes, the arts - visual, dramatic, or musical - play an important part in the learning environment.
Every day, students listen to classical and jazz, instilling in them a strong appreciation for deeper, more complex music. Many of them are regularly exposed to folk, jazz, classical, and other 'non-mainstream' forms of music.
Still, I wonder often whether or not kids these days appreciate 'good' music - meaning whether or not they appreciate emotional delivery, musicianship, theory, and the complexity of lyrics and harmony.
While doing my jazz lesson with my fourth/fifth graders today, I showed them two video clips. The first was of Ella Fitzgerald, seamlessly scatting her way through "One Note Samba." The second was of a young Amy Winehouse performing a stellar rendition of the standard, "Teach Me Tonight." While the students were certainly appreciative and in awe of Ella's stellar talent, they were utterly silenced by Amy Winehouse's performance and her ability to emote so effortlessly. For three and a half minutes, they were totally fixated on her musicianship, emotional delivery, and stage presence. Afterward, they described how even though they didn't understand the lyrics, they felt how emotional her performance was and a certain "sadness" in her performance. When they found out she passed away, they were moved. They were amazed that someone so young could be capable of such musicianship and that she is no longer here to share her gift.
I have had a number of encounters this year with students that have left me amazed at how much they have been exposed to art and music, but this lesson really amazed me. If they are taught to be sensitive and appreciative of more than just the beat of a good song, they are opening themselves up to appreciation of good music, as well as to feelings of awe and emotional connectivity we often feel to our music.
Conclusion: YES, kids these days DO appreciate music!
Bookmarks