The Audience

Most middle and high schools don't seem to need to worry about building an audience. Most concerts are filled to the brim with supportive parents, grandparents, siblings, etc. Should we worry about building an audience?

The most important reason for having a concert is for the students. Concerts give the students the opportunity to share the music that they have worked on with the community. This can help to motivate students to work to their full potential. Concerts should also serve to give the students encouragement. I know from years of experience exactly how intimidating it can be to perform in front of an audience. I want my students to know the incredible sense of accomplishment that comes from overcoming that hurdle when you give a beautiful concert, it can be incredible uplifting. It is also rewarding when you share music you love and it has an impact on the audience.

That being said, if the auditoriums are full and the focus is on the students, why should we bother worrying about getting a larger audience? Music should not be a solitary art form, it is meant to be shared. It can unite communities, inspire others to take up music, and expose people to different styles of music as well as cultures.

I've heard of high school directors who fill the concerts with "popular music" to fill the seats and keep the audience interested. While I think there is a time and a place for that kind of music, it should not be selected with only the audience in mind or to make the concert "fun". This choice contradicts the number one reason for having concerts. Repertoire should be selected to interest the students and audience, as well as developing their skills and teaching a variety of musical genres.

Here are some ideas for expanding an audience:

• Find new venues to perform at. For example, it may be possible to bring your ensemble to the local elementary schools or nursing homes. 
• Think about when the concerts are happening? What else is going on at that time? If the performances occur at a time when most people are working, or are unwilling to go out, your audience will be limited.
• Advertise to the community. People who don't have a child in that program typically don't know when performances are, so they do not attend.
• If you can, post videos of your ensemble performing. Give people an idea of what your ensemble offers so they are interested.
• Think about who would be interested in the program you offer. Not everyone will want to attend your concert, so know who your audience base is and make sure they know about it.

Broadway or Bust

The students featured in PBS's documentary "Broadway or Bust" have clearly found a love of singing and performing. The documentary follows a group of high school students who have advanced the the final round of the National High School Musical Theater Awards.  The Jimmy's celebrate some of the finest High School Musical Theater actors and actresses from across the country. 

The Jimmy's are powerful for the students who advance to this round, as well as many other aspiring musicians across the country. For the students who have not made it yet, it gives them a goal to work towards. Not only that, but they see ordinary students their own age giving truly incredible performances and opportunities, and that goal seems attainable. They can be inspired by these truly extraordinary performances and challenge themselves to find the same connections, musicality, and presence.

How can we bring this enthusiasm and excitement to our own schools without having a huge program and Broadway stage? I believe the key is celebration. Music is meant to be shared and enjoyed. Students must be given opportunities to find music that they love and that expresses themselves. They must also have opportunities to share their music. The students that were most successful in the competition, whether that means they advanced further or simply had an amazing time, sang songs that meant something to them. They connected to the songs and were able to share a pure, honest moment with the audience. A moment like that feels exactly the same no matter what stage you are standing on.

One of the casting directors at the end of the film says that it is important that the kids don't see not winning as "rejection." Music can sometimes feel like rejection, especially when it seems like students are auditioning for everything, and feel like they're not finding any success. This feeling of rejection is the biggest enemy of fostering this passion. As educators, we must help students to see their accomplishments every step of the way and celebrate those accomplishments. We must help students understand not to take it personally and to continue making music because they enjoy it.

Woody Guthrie

The other day I had the opportunity to teach a mock lesson on Woody Guthrie to my graduate class. My classmates pretended to be eighth graders for this lesson. They make excellent eighth graders.

Honestly, I had not heard of Woody Guthrie until I received my assignment for this lesson. However, as I began researching Woody and his songs I realized that I had grown up singing many of his songs in school, including "This Land is Your Land." While reading about his life I discovered that the strongest influence on his music was his life and travels. This influence was very clear in "This Land is Your Land," so I chose to use this song as an example of his style and background. Once students understood Guthrie's background and how it influenced his compositions I introduced the students to a project we would be working on in school . I had the students brainstorm aspects of their lives that they could write a song about (this would have continued the next time we had class, if I were teaching a real class). The students came up with very creative ideas.

For the most part, I was pleased with the way the lesson went overall. I started the class with the students standing up and singing. This got the students engaged and gave them the opportunity to be actively involved in Guthrie's music. I felt the students needed to be told information about Guthrie to understand how his background influenced his music, however, I kept the information about Guthrie limited to only what they need to know for this lesson. By doing this, I was able to spend most of the lesson doing activities such as singing, writing, and listening instead of lecturing.  To keep the students engaged in the "lecture" portion of the lesson I asked them questions throughout. Most of the questions I asked them were very basic, I learned that I can ask students more thought provoking questions. I had also intended to have some of Guthrie's music playing in the background, but I forgot to turn it on.

I could have planned an activity that would have been able to fit entirely in the 10 minute lesson. For example, instead of having the students write their own songs I could have had them write another verse to the song. This would reinforce Guthrie's particular style as well as the form of the song. This could also lead to students writing their own songs later in class.