Posts Tagged ‘advance’

The Benefits Of Music Education To Children

Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009

Music is a very powerful subject – It has been used since the Greek times for healing, communication, relaxation and for enjoyment. Even before birth we are aware of our mother’s heartbeat and during infancy are relaxed by the song of a lullaby. Every day everybody hears some form of musical pitch or rhythm and it can even be found in nature such as how birds communicate through a song-like speech.

Music is such a powerful force, it creates deep emotions in humans – it is played at weddings for happiness, in horror films and during war for fear and at home for happiness and because of this lends itself to relaxation, stress relief and health therapy – and the connection between music, body, and soul has even been shown to improve physical and mental health.

Skills such as working in teams, communication, self-esteem, creative thinking, calmer attitudes, imagination, discipline, study skills and invention are learnt and improved through the study of music and by focusing on the fact that young children are mostly highly receptive to pitch and rhythm – one of the main ways a child learns its language – that we can drive education in music to children to help them with benefits ranging success in society and in life.

“We believe the skills the arts teach -creative thinking, problem-solving, risk-taking, teamwork and communications – are precisely the tools the workforce of tomorrow will need. If we don’t encourage students to master these skills through quality arts instruction today, how can we ever expect them to succeed in their highly competitive business careers tomorrow?” -Richard Gurin, Chief Executive Officer, Binney and Smith, maker of Crayola crayons

Music is a part of our society and a part of all communities – every human culture uses music to carry forward its ideas and ideals. A study of the arts provides children with an internal glimpse of other cultures and teaches them to be empathetic towards the people of these cultures. This development of compassion and empathy, as opposed to developing greed and a selfish attitude, provides bridges across different cultures that lead to a respect of other races at an early age.

Music has a great value to our economy – it creates jobs, increase’s tax base, boosts tourism and spurs growth in related businesses. Music study develops skills that are necessary in the workplace such as teamwork skills and discipline – during musical performances all members must work together to create the sounds they wish to achieve and for this regular practice is also required. Music favors working and ‘doing’ as opposed to observing, and these are the ethics employers are looking for.

Because of music’s ability to relax, calm and heal, and its optimal platform for emotions, the involvement with music helps to carve brighter attitudes – more optimism towards the future, less TV and non productive activities, low use of alcohol, tobacco and illicit drugs and desire to develop individual abilities.

Music requires study skills, communication skills, and cognitive skills and as these are learnt and developed they expand the student’s abilities in other academic areas and help them become better students. – Students with coursework/experience in music performance and music appreciation scored higher on the SAT: students in music performance scored 57 points higher on the verbal and 41 points higher on the math, and students in music appreciation scored 63 points higher on verbal and 44 points higher on the math, than did students with no arts participation. — College-Bound Seniors National Report: Profile of SAT Program Test Takers. Princeton, NJ: The College
Entrance Examination Board, 2001.

The discipline of music, particularly through participation in ensembles, helps students learn to work effectively in the school environment without resorting to violent or inappropriate behavior – According to statistics compiled by the National Data Resource Center, students who can be classified as “disruptive” (based on factors such as frequent skipping of classes, times in trouble, in-school suspensions, disciplinary reasons given, arrests, and drop-outs) total 12.14 percent of the total school population. In contrast, only 8.08 percent of students involved in music classes meet the same criteria as “disruptive.” — Based on data from the NELS:88 (National Education Longitudinal Study), second follow-up, 1992..

Many studies have been conducted on the effects of music in the brain. Scientists say that children who are exposed to music or those who play an instrument do better in school than those who don’t. Recent research suggests exposure to music may benefit a child’s reading age, IQ and the development of certain parts of the brain.

It can be shown that some measures of a child’s intelligence are increased with music instruction – a connection between music and spatial intelligence (the ability to perceive the world accurately and to form mental pictures of things) helps people to visualize and imagine solutions. This helps people to solve problems creatively and is critical to the sort of thinking necessary for solving mathematical problems and even general daily tasks.

“The musician is constantly adjusting decisions on tempo, tone, style, rhythm, phrasing, and feeling–training the brain to become incredibly good at organizing and conducting numerous activities at once. Dedicated practice of this orchestration can have a great payoff for lifelong attention skills, intelligence, and an ability for self-knowledge and expression.” — Ratey John J., MD. A User’s Guide to the Brain. New York: Pantheon Books, 2001.

Along with mental development music study can support the brains physical development – it has been indicated that musical training physically develops the parts of the brain known to be involved with processing language and reasoning, and can actually wire the brain’s circuits in specific ways. Memory can be improved through the linking of familiar songs with objects just as linking images can – past memories and emotions can be triggered by audio.

“Why arts in education? Why education at all? The purpose of education is not simply to inform but to enrich and enlighten, to provide insights into life as it has been led and as it may be led. No element of the curriculum is better suited to that task than arts education.” -David Kearns
Now retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Xerox Corporation

Ideally we want our children to experience “success” throughout life itself. The benefits may be psychological, spiritual and physical and with the challenge of making life meaningful and fulfilled and to reach a higher state of development by participating in music we develop self expression which in turn leads to self esteem – ultimately helping us to succeed at these challenges.

“Casals says music fills him with the wonder of life and the ‘incredible marvel’ of being a human. Ives says it expands his mind and challenges him to be a true individual. Bernstein says it is enriching and ennobling. To me, that sounds like a good cause for making music an integral part of every child’s education. Studying music and the arts elevates children’s education, expands students’ horizons, and teaches them to appreciate the wonder of life.” — U.S. Secretary of Education Richard W. Riley, July 1999. Get easy paymnet with payday advance

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Techniques and Strategies for Practicing Piano

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

Different amounts of practice time are required to learn piano at various ages and levels. Recommendations also depend on the student’s ambition and repertoire.

Inadequate practice is the number one complaint piano teachers (and other music teachers) have about students. Without practice, frustration mounts as students simply don’t progress in their piano lessons. Arguments about and resistance to practice is one of the main reasons children stop music lessons.

Each instrument has different practice requirements because of the physical demands of playing it. Practice recommendations also depend on age, level, and ambition. The following recommendations are for students learning to play piano.

How Much Should a Child Practice Piano?

Many piano teachers suggest that the student’s lesson length be a preliminary rule of thumb for a daily practice goal. For example, a common recommendation is that a piano student taking half-hour lessons should practice half an hour a day; a student taking hour lessons should practice an hour a day.

This rule of thumb is most appropriate for the earlier levels. At more advanced levels, piano practice requirements can be much higher, depending on the student’s ambitions. For instance, an advanced high school student who intends to major in music at the college level might take an hour lesson a week, but may well practice two or three hours a day, or even more, depending on the level of commitment and the school to which the student is applying.

But these students are exceptional, and well into the self-motivated stage. For average students, matching the lesson time five days a week will give consistent and rewarding progress.

Every pianist, indeed, every musician, develops a series of possible practice strategies to deal with different types of mistakes and to learn difficult passages so they can be brought up to speed and played fluently.

Whether just beginning to learn to play the piano or an accomplished virtuoso, pianists should look at these strategies as part of their “toolbox.” If one doesn’t work, try another. Experience tells pianists which strategies are best for which problems, but quite frequently, a pianist will try a number of practice techniques to master a particularly stubborn passage.

Mechanical Strategies for Piano Practice

Mechanical strategies are those that teach the players’ hands where to go. They deal with issues such as finding the right notes, using the right fingers, and coordinating the hands. these strategies help develop piano technique.

• Play with hands apart. Practice one hand at a time if it makes musical sense to do so. Then play with hands together.
• Play in small sections: Practice the piece in small bits, one phrase at a time. Phrases are the equivalent of sentences in the grammar of music. They are sometimes less than a line of music long, and sometimes more, just like a sentence on this page is sometimes shorter than a line, and sometimes longer. Practicing in phrases makes more musical sense than practicing by the line.
• Combine all the elements in small phrases: Practice each phrase by playing one hand, then the other, then both together.
• Study the fingering. Fingering choices should always be deliberate and intentional. Pianists must remember that good fingering involves not only getting to the note in question, but getting to the next note, and the next after that. Issues of how to tackle a series of similar motifs that start on different notes also come into play, as well as issues of musicality, which can justify fingerings that at first may look awkward. Students who have not yet mastered fingering techniques should run any changes past a teacher.
• Break the music into even smaller chunks: Music can always be broken down into its component parts. If the phrase is too long, break it into two. Or practice a single measure. Identify the weak spots where mistakes are habitual, and practically those spots until the mistakes are eradicated.

Remember, piano mistakes don’t go away by starting at the beginning and trying again!

Rhythmic Strategies for Piano Practice

Rhythmic practice techniques force the player to do all the tasks in strict time, which raises the difficulty, and also makes it very obvious which parts of the piece need more work.

• Use the metronome: At its most basic, the metronome helps pianists keep a steady tempo. Metronomes can also be used to help a student work out technical elements by forcing the pianist to play in time and gradually raising the tempo. Playing with a metronome reveals any weak spots in the piece. Metronome practice is especially valuable for ensemble players.
• Vary the rhythm: An effective way to smooth out bumps in long technical runs of very fast notes is change the rhythm. For example, a stream of 16th notes cold be played as alternating dotted 16th and 32nd notes, and then the player can try the reverse and play the section as 32nd notes followed by dotted-16th notes.
• Addi beats. A difficult series of chords can be practiced by by inserting one or more beats of rests in between them, then gradually, getting rid of the extra beats.
• Change the tempo: Playing very slowly and very fast are also good practice techniques. Playing one hand much faster than the target tempo secures the muscle memory of the passages, which makes the piece easier to play with two hands. Playing slowly helps pianists make fingering and articulation choices that are conscious and deliberate.

Finally, if mistakes persist, change the practice strategy! The worst thing is to keep doing the same thing and making the same mistake. Try to go about the problem in a different way.

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MASTER OF MUSIC DEGREE

Tuesday, September 15th, 2009

The purpose of Master of Music degree work is to hone performance skills and/or capabilities in
writing music or writing about music. There are five fields of study within the Master of Music
program: composition, conducting, musicology, performance, and performance and pedagogy.
Various options are available in conducting (choral conducting, choral conducting with voice,
orchestral conducting, and wind symphony/band conducting), in performance (harpsichord,
organ, piano, piano with accompanying and chamber music, string instruments [including guitar
and harp], voice, opera, voice with choral conducting, brass, woodwind, and percussion
instruments), and in performance and pedagogy (brass, piano, string instruments, voice and
woodwind instruments).
All plans of study for the Master of Music degree meet National Association of Schools of Music
recommendations: a minimum of 30 total semester hours, a minimum of 10 semester hours in an
NASM-approved major, and a minimum of 10 semester hours in other studies in music. The
performance and pedagogy programs are double majors; they meet the minimum requirements
for an NASM-defined major in both areas. Other options include a secondary emphasis of at
least eight semester hours. The Master of Music degree requires a minimum of thirty graduate
credit hours. Music courses applicable to this degree must be numbered 5000 or above.
Nonmusic courses must be taken at the 4000 level or above. The usual time for completion of
the master’s degree is two years. Degree work must be completed within four years of first
registration.
The required Introduction to Music Bibliography and Research and a three-hour course each in
musicology and music theory are intended to lend scholarly support to performance as well as to
strengthen competency for research. Introduction to Music Bibliography and Research should be
taken either the fall or spring semester of the first year. Students must be taking the second of, or
have completed, the required history and theory courses at qualifying examination time.
The Master of Music thesis consists of two projects, for two hours credit each; these projects
vary according to the emphasis. Specific requirements are listed for each field of study on the
degree-plan descriptions.
A minimal full-time course load is five hours of graduate-level work per semester; registration
for eight or more hours is expected. Students taking individual applied-music or composition
lessons must also carry at least one other course in that semester in order to show adequate
progress toward the degrees.
PRELIMINARY EXAMINATIONS. The exams are given at the beginning of each semester;
exact dates are posted on the graduate bulletin board. Students should take the “prelims” at the
beginning of their first semester of study and complete the requirement by the end of the first
11/8/2004 td
year of study. The theory exam, approximately 1½ hours long, covers written theory and aural
perception. For some emphases, exams in analysis and counterpoint are also required. The
history exam, about two hours long, contains questions based largely on Western art music. The
exam in the major field is a written exam scheduled for a three-hour period. Candidates who fail
parts of the exams should retake those parts the following semester or take remedial course work,
on the advice of the evaluator. The preliminary exams must be passed completely before the
student may take the qualifying exam or complete the thesis projects.
QUALIFYING EXAMINATION. This exam, a written one, is taken after students are well into
their programs, normally the third semester of study or the semester or term before the one of
expected graduation. The exam is given on a Saturday at approximately the middle of each
semester or term; dates are posted on the graduate bulletin board. The exam is formulated by the
student’s advisory committee, which consists of the major advisor (or a substitute), another
professor from the major area, and a third professor from outside the major area. Questions in
the major take approximately three hours to answer; questions outside the major area take
approximately one hour to answer. Students should consult with their committee members about
preparation for the qualifying exam.
APPLICATION FOR ADMISSION TO CANDIDACY. Before taking the comprehensive-final
oral examination, masters degree students should file an application for admission to candidacy.
On this form are listed all of the courses and other requirements for the degree. The student’s
committee chair and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies must approve the application
before it is sent to the Graduate School for approval. The application for admission to candidacy
must be filed at least ten weeks prior to the comprehensive-final exam.
COMPREHENSIVE-FINAL EXAMINATION. This exam, an oral one administered by the
student’s committee and taken in the final semester, is usually an hour in length and is based
upon the student’s course work, thesis projects, and work done on the qualifying exam. This
exam should be scheduled within a two-week period close to the end of each semester. Students
must arrange the time and place of the exam with their committee members and must notify the
Associate Dean three weeks in advance of the examination. The Dean’s office then notifies the
Graduate School to prepare the form on which the committee certifies the student for graduation.
Consult separate sheets for specific course requirements in each of the above specialty areas.
Further information on the Master of Music degree is found in both the Graduate School and
College of Music sections of the University Catalog as well as in the Graduate Studies in Music
Handbook.

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Final Steps in the Dissertation Process at Musicology

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

The procedure for completing the dissertation is as follows:

1. The full text must be submitted to the members of the dissertation committee for suggestions, corrections, changes, etc. Candidates are encouraged to discuss drafts of individual chapters with all members of the dissertation committee.

2. The candidate should check with the Director of Administration to be sure that all degree requirements have been met.

3. The application for the degree must be submitted to the Registrar by the date published in The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Handbook for the November, March, or May degree.

4. After the committee has approved the dissertation in its final form, an unbound copy must be submitted to the department at least 45 days before the Registrar’s deadline. During this 45-day period the members of the department are free to examine the completed dissertation.

5. For musicology students, a public colloquium on the dissertation is required shortly before or after it has been approved.

6. Copies: one copy bound and one copy boxed and unbound for the Registrar; one copybound for the Music Library. The library copy must be submitted to the department office before the dissertation acceptance certificate can be signed. The department administrator will obtain signatures from the committee. At this time, the university microfilms and RILM forms must be completed. The Registrar’s Office requires the dissertation certificate (one original, one copy), the university microfilms form, and its copies of the dissertation.

Satisfactory Progress

A student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences must be making satisfactory progress in order to be eligible for any type of financial aid. The following nine items provide a general definition of satisfactory progress that has been adopted for this purpose by the Music Department. It is hoped that this requirement will have a healthy effect on students’ academic progress, and that it will enable us to preserve resources for those most deserving of financial assistance.

1. During the first two years of graduate study any student who is permitted to register is considered to be making satisfactory progress.

2. A prospective third-year student must have achieved the minimum grade-point average required by this faculty (B).

3. A prospective third-year student must have passed general examinations.

4. A prospective fourth-year student must have obtained approval of a dissertation prospectus.

5. A prospective sixth-year, or more advanced, student must have produced at least one acceptable chapter of the dissertation or its equivalent for each year beginning with the fifth.

6. Requirements 2-5 shall be cumulative.

7. A student who fails to meet a requirement may, upon the department’s recommendation, be considered to be an “exception” —and remain eligible for financial assistance —for a grace period of up to one year. At the close of the grace period, in order to be considered to be making satisfactory progress, the student must have met both the requirement missed earlier and the requirement that would normally be imposed at that time.

8. No student may have more than one such year of grace during his or her study.

9. In addition, the requirements of this calendar may be deferred by a department during one year of departmental approved leave. A department may, if it wishes, defer requirements for a more extended period of approved leave in order to facilitate a student’s obtaining a professional degree.

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The Program in Musicology

Tuesday, September 8th, 2009

Music

The Graduate Program of the Department of Music offers advanced training in historical musicology, ethnomusicology, theory, and composition, leading to the degree of PhD in music. There is no admission to an AM program separate from these PhD programs. In unusual cases, students who cannot success fully complete the General Examination may be given the option of completing the require ments for a terminal AM degree. The Graduate Program of the Depart ment of Music also offers an AM Degree in Music with a specialty in Performance Prac tice. This two-year program is designed for a small number of specialized students who are preparing or engaged in careers as performers and teachers. The program description and requirements follow the description of the PhD program. The faculty of the department includes about 20 members. There are 60 to 65 graduate students in residence; six to ten new graduate students enter each year. The Music Building contains a concert hall (the John Knowles Paine Hall), classrooms, faculty and graduate offices, a superb research library (the Eda Kuhn Loeb Music Library), a microfilm library of primary source materials (the Isham Memorial Library), an archive of world music recordings, listening facilities, an electronic music studio (HUSEAC), an ethnomusicology lab, an early instrument room, chamber music rehearsal rooms, and individual practice rooms. Other facilities throughout Harvard University include the vast resources of Widener Library, the Houghton Library (which contains rare music prints and manu scripts, and autographs of major composers), the Morse Music Library at the Hilles Library, and the libraries and practice rooms of the undergraduate houses, and Dudley House, the center of graduate student activities. In addition, a wealth of musical opportunities is readily available to students at Harvard and at the many neighboring universities (e.g., Boston University, Brandeis University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and civic and professional institutions (e.g., Boston Public Library, Museum of Fine Arts with the Mason Collection of Musical Instruments, and the New England Conservatory). Since teaching is an integral part of graduate training, most graduate students are teaching fellows during part of the time they are at Harvard. Teaching fellows are also eligible to apply for a resident or nonresident tutorship in one of the 13 undergraduate houses. In addition to financial benefits, teaching fellowships and tutorships provide excellent professional experience. In recent years virtually every graduate student has received one or more of the fellowships and grants awarded by the Univer sity and the music department. Awards given by the department each year include several prizes in composition, the John Knowles Paine Traveling Fellowships, the Oscar S. Schafer Fellowship, the Richard F. French Fellowship, the Ferdinand Gordon & Elizabeth Hunter Morrill Fellowship, and the Nino and Lea Pirrotta Research Grant. All applicants are required to take the GRE General Examination and must submit, along with their applications, samples of their previous work in musicology (for the musicology PhD), ethnomusicology (ethno musicology PhD), or theory (theory PhD). Applicants to the composition program must submit three to four compositions, both scores and recordings where possible. All supplemental materials should be sent to the Admissions Office of the GSAS. Samples of work should be sent with a self-addressed, stamped envelope if they are to be returned to the student. Applications for admission and for financial aid must be received at the Admissions Office of the Graduate School by January 2 for candidates who seek entrance in the following fall term. For applications for admissions and financial aid write: Admissions Office, Harvard Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, Holyoke Center 350, 1350 Massa chusetts Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138. The application may be submitted online at www.gsas.harvard.edu. The Program in Musicology At Harvard, musicology is broadly defined as the disciplined study of music and includes the historical, comparative, and systematic aspects of the field. The program incorpo rates two tracks: historical musicology, with an emphasis on the history, theory, and literature of Western music in its contexts, from antiq uity to the present; and ethnomusicology, which concentrates on the ethnographic study of any musical tradition in relationship to its cultural setting. Most graduate courses in historical musicology and ethnomusicology are research seminars; many treat specific topics, periods, and regions, while others deal with current problems and methods. On the completion of preparatory training and the passing of the General Examinations, PhD dissertations may be written in either field. The Program in Theory The PhD in music theory is characterized both by a deep involvement in the inner workings of music and by an engagement with the wider philosophical, cultural and psychological ques tions surrounding music. Our PhDs typically apply for the theory program with a “minor” in either composition or musicology. The program reflects this interdisciplinary interest of our students, and seeks to explore the links of music theory to other areas of critical engagement, while providing our theorists with the specialized skills they require. The teaching in the program empha sizes analytical techniques–all students take courses on Schenkerian theory and on a range of tonal and post-tonal analytical practices, as well as an introductory course to explore current issues in the field. At the same time, the program also encourages students to build a framework in which to place these tech niques and to reflect on the underpinnings of music theory. Regular courses on questions in psychology, temporality, history of music theory, and aesthetics round off our course offerings and often take music theory into interdisciplinary territory. Graduate courses on challenging repertoires–e.g. modal theory, non-Western music, or very recent composi tion–frequently round off our offerings. The dissertation projects our theory grad uates work on reflect this unique combination of interests. Recent and current PhD topics include Feminist approaches to performance analysis, Microtonality and tone imaginations, Multi-modal analysis of boy-band videos, Athanasius Kircher’s Musurgia universalis (1650), and Neuro-scientific imaging of perceptual parameters. Our theory faculty is enhanced on a regular basis by exciting visiting faculty, which complement our existing research and teaching strengths in interesting new ways. Recent visi tors have included Allan Keiler (Brandeis), Fred Lerdahl (Columbia), Allen Forte (Yale), Ellie Hisama (Columbia)–as well as Brian Ferneyhough (Stanford), Helmut Lachenmann (Stuttgart) and Harrison Birtwistle (London). The Program in Composition Harvard’s program in composition is designed to give students the time and opportunity to develop as composers by offering general musical guidance as well as specific individual criticism of their works. The program is centered around students’ achieving clarity of expression through developing their command of compositional technique. In addition, acquaintance with the literature of the past and present through analysis and performance is considered indispensable. Most courses are seminars and deal with specific topics or student works. On the completion of prepara tory training and the passing of the General Examinations, PhD dissertations comprising a substantial portfolio between five to seven pieces of varied scoring and length may be submitted. Normally, students do not transfer from one program to another. Under exceptional circumstances, a change from one depart ment graduate program to another may be possible. Students applying for a change must be in good standing in their original program. They must submit a formal request to the director of graduate studies no later than the first week of May of the first year of study, including a list of courses indicating how they propose to fulfill the requirements of the new program. The admissions committee of the new program will make the decision in consul tation with the graduate advisors; the decision will be presented to the department faculty. The students have to fulfill all the require ments of the new program (number and area of courses, languages, general exams).

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The Best Car Hiring

Friday, August 14th, 2009

Paying more for a taxi at an international airport may be acceptable for those people who do not travel regularly. People who travel as a part of their business and people who tour a lot may find that paying more for a taxi bears a hole in their pocket.  Taxi service providers have a lot of reasons for hike in the fare, some say that increase in fuel prices are the reason for price hike while other point out at taxes. There may be a thousand reasons but no one of them answers the question why the fare of a taxi at an airport is much higher than anywhere in the city. Most of the rent a car canada providers try to cash in on the point that people at air port hate waiting and most of them are desperate.

Hiring a taxi to the airport is much easier as the fares are not so high when the taxi is hired in the city. 121carhirecanada.com allows users to plan both pickup and drop off at amazingly low prices.A taxi ride at any airport in the Canada can be booked from 121carhirecanada.com more than two weeks in advance. Filling process is very simple as all, after keying in few basic details like the name of the airport and the date of travel. There are few airports where it is relatively easy to book a taxi but to best car hire Ottawa Airport which is one of the busiest 121carhirecanada.com is the right place.

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