Posted by Tom Mason on March 04, 2003 at 07:31:37:
Here is another thought:
We have seen the ties being made between music and specific subject areas such as math and science. I think we are missing an area that music ensembles uniquely address. That is teamwork and cooperation in the workplace.
I have had success in band classes where the teamwork and copoperation concepts are taught in relationship to what is expected out of workers at any business. In that vein of thought, I try to get my students to picture the band as a business owned by the group. Yes, there is a general manager who has the authority to hire and fire, and however many numbers of supervisors (drum majors, section leaders) who lead in performance. There is an attempt to instill the qualities of pride in workmanship, caring for the quality as well as the quantity of the finished product, and the spirit of all working for the same cause.
Many faculty members will attempt to tell me that their particular classes work toward the same goals. I tell them that band and choir classes are the only ones that focuses those lessons daily to a large number of students. Atheletics only focuses those lessons in a consistently to the starting 5,9,or 11. The bench sitters get a lesson in having to wait to contribute to the overall success of the group. All band, orchestra, and choir class members are starters. Each of them are contributing to the overall success of the product equally.
To make sure that this topic meets a tuba related topic, I submit the following:
BBb vs CC
Eb vs F
rotary vs piston
bell front vs upright
metal vs fiberglass
Tom Mason