GUILDFORD PARK MUSIC DEPARTMENT
If you want to succeed with music, you’ve got to…
LIVE IT!
Literacy Voice Engagement Intent Technique
LITERACY
Literacy is the most content heavy area of musical study, and encompasses more or less all of the technical aspects (not to be confused with technique) of the language that underpin deeper musical understanding and expression. As music students, you are going to spend the majority of your time learning and practicing skills and concepts that build musical literacy. Below are five main areas of musical literacy, with examples of musical elements that fit into each.
Voice is not something we learn, it is something we uncover. We help our students find their voice by exposing them to diverse musical examples; valuing and reflecting on their individual experiences, cultures, and histories; and encouraging them to be curious and playful learners. It is through practicing creativity that students discover and refine their voice as artists.
VOICE
ENGAGEMENT
Engagement refers to the kinds of knowledge and skills music students develop by participating openly and whole heartedly in our program. It is worth noting that most of the items on this list are not things that are necessarily explicitly taught, but are implicit in much of what we do in the music classroom. These skills and concepts are part of a hidden curriculum – things you learn in school without being explicitly taught – and are arguably the most important transferrable skills and concepts students can learn in our classrooms.
Intention is where artistry and expression intersect, and is at the root of all musical communication. Again, intent is not something that is taught explicitly, but is something that is uncovered through creative practice, reflection, the study of culture and history, and by holding up a proverbial mirror to the societies in which we live and learn. By leading our students in these activities (which by design overlap quite a bit with “Voice”), we help them derive deeper meaning from the music they learn, better communicate the meaning behind the music they perform, and, when combined with the development of their musical voice, achieve meaningful artistic expression. You’ll notice that a number of the items in the “expression” column are taken from the “Literacy” table: this is to delineate the difference between using/understanding the skills and concepts in performance, and applying the skills and concepts in creative works to express one’s own ideas and feelings.
INTENT
TECHNIQUE
Technique covers all of the physical skills musicians require to make and perform music. These are the hands-on skills and understandings needed for musical expression. Like with “Literacy”, we are going to spend a great deal of our time here as music students, as everything in this category is explicitly learned, practiced, and applied. These skills and concepts are divided into two groups below: one for creating and performing music with acoustic instruments and voice (or hybrid instruments like digital pianos and electric guitars), and one for creating, designing, documenting, and performing music using technology.
