Education is changing, the changes I see in open education, rhizomatic learning and diversity offer many opportunities for learners and educators alike. I will be researching these challenges to educators and learners, the history of music education from a keyboard perspective and the development of an open and diverse educational program for the piano as a primary instrument extending to music as a whole.
The Ground Floor (Level One) is where we ensure that the foundation is well set, that we learn the framework of music, not only the how, but the why of the basics. Simple tunes to teach are here and the Stars of the Junior program reflect this, being focused on Fluency, Interpretation, Muscle, Knowledge, Performance and Written Skills.
On the first floor we build on the blocks learned in Level One. For the Junior Program the range of Skill Stars expands to include Musicianship where the focus is on the playing and experiencing of the piece. We begin to be a little more adventurous, maybe with bay windows, more complex structures while ensuring the integrity of our Musical Life House is maintained and kept up with frequent practise and new and interesting pieces, thoughts and concepts.
On the second floor we continue to build upwards, working on and gaining new skills as required to continue to strengthen the structural integrity of the building while adding fancy bangs and whistles to the ensemble.
The Attic and Roof allows us to cover and protect the previous knowledge and to cap off certain subjects and lessons learned. We can begin to explore such things as colours, moods, our interpretation of the composers work and what they were trying to express in their compositions.
House Shell Complete
hThe House Shell shows our house as complete in that it has windows and doors, floors, electricity, plumbing, heating, insulation and all that jazz. Here we begin to look at the why in music and the rules and guidelines proposed and maintained through the various eras that music considers. A good musician explores different nationalities and genres, styles and personalities within music, often striving to mark their own personalities upon the compositions, whether their own or those of the great masters and some of the not so greats who put pen to stave.