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Sixtus Okoro June 11, 2022 -
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MUSIC EDUCATION & MUSIC APPRECIATION (Nigeria as a Case Study)
Curled from Chestropera.com.ng June 4, 2022
SPEAKER: Mr. Sixtus Okoro [A highly distinguished Xylophonist and Music Enthusiast]
Mr. Sixtus Okoro is a chorister, a Xylophonist, an ardent music lover and Promoter. He loves music and also teaches music all his life. He is keen to tell us what music is all about and to take us on this Journey.
At the end of this class, We all should be able to:
Know what Music Education is
Its Benefits to the society
The synergy between music education and music appreciation.
SCOPE:
Our topic would be limited to music education and music appreciation In Nigeria.
Since 70% of the participants are Nigerians.
INTRODUCTION:
Definition of Terms
Music education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain, the cognitive domain, and, in particular and significant ways, the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity. The incorporation of music training from preschool to postsecondary education is common in most nations because involvement in music is considered a fundamental component of human culture and behavior. Music, like language, is an accomplishment that distinguishes us as humans. (Source :www.definitions.net/ )
Music appreciation is simply the enjoyment that comes with listening to good music. This music education and appreciation starts from our parents at our very young ages. Let me give you a run down of how far an average Nigerian gets to accept and appreciate music. The basic stages we undergo in our Nigerian education system in music development.
THE HOME
The primary school of music is the home.
Our parents are our first contact teachers. Our mothers sing us sweet lullabies to make us fall asleep, sometimes our parents could share a folklore or read bedtime stories and sing us to sleep. In some cases some of us get exposed to cartoons and animations very early In life. These cartoons are well known for their beautiful and very arranged theme songs. (Tom and Jerry for example) These theme songs and song tracks are Centered on the theme of love, friendship, struggle, success and other life lessons. These animations studio are pretty good you know and really helped many of us here develop interest in music. Some parents go further to provide additional music education to their children by hiring music teachers and tutors, Buying them music instruments and music materials, enrolling their kids and wards to music academies and school. Kudos to these great parents. I guess lot of us here are so keen on learning and understanding music because of our early foundation in music. Before I go further I would share some quotes and ideas on music education
“Teaching music is not my main purpose. I want to make good citizens. If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart.
~ Shinichi Suzuki.
Before we go for the next topic, let us know that music is a tool for development of sound mind and character. Music is not just there for entertainment, upliftment, other sources and functions, for reliefs or inspirations and all that. Music goes beyond that, it is a tool for molding characters that is why in south east Asia countries like China, Taiwan, Korea and other countries around there, music education is compulsory in the primary and secondary schools and that is why you see a lot of superb musicians come from there because of their well-defined and solid backgrounds in Music. They have a standard music education where they get some exposure to music at a very early age, which is more important than their military training where literature is compulsory as well as music education.
Nature versus Nurture Debate
Don’t be alarmed I would break it down shortly.
Aristotle states that ‘any man that doesn’t enjoy music is a beast’.
The Nature Vs Nurture Debate is a philosophical and physiological debate stating that every individual is a product of nature debate, “nature” (refers to biological/genetic predispositions’ impact on human traits,) and nurture (which describes the influence of learning and other influences from one’s environment) The traits and character one develops is greatly influenced by the family he/she is born into and his or her immediate community (or street, church, school, play mates etc)
Regarding this nature vs nurture debate is actually a standard established arguments in a philosophical world that every complete individual is a product of nature, biological traits that are passed down to one when he or she is born or the environment involved. Like nature which comprises of height, complexion, hereditary disease while Nurture means influence of learning from your environment, things that are been passed down to you, the characteristics of what you possess, where you are found. This goes down to cause and effects which means what happens around you affects how you grow or become. For instance, if you live in a peaceful environment, you turn up making peace cause it has been imbibed in you and it lives with you for a lifetime.
You can follow Vaughan Fleischfresser @Vfleischfresser on twitter to learn more about Nature and Nurture of music in the society. He is a passionate teacher in music, a certified one and he has been consistent in teaching and posting music education and how it can affect the young ones, how it can groom their minds and characters and how it can change the world.
SUMMARY
Music is for development of sound and character. Helps the mind expand its horizon. Helps one excel in the field of arithmetics, arts and technology, humanities. Music is crucial for human development.
The Nigerian School System
From the Nursery school/kindergarten most of us get our earliest exposure to music from nursery rhymes and poems. Yes they’re fun and educating. Some of these poems are earworms. They never leave your head lol.God bless our dear nursery school teachers. They really are awesome. It’s not easy to handle children from different family backgrounds.
I witnessed a music competition for children in nursery, primary and secondary school once and I must say it’s really not easy to teach children. But thanks to the fact that these young minds are open to learning and children have a great ability (photographic memory) which enables them retain information and process and act on it over a long time. Our secondary school education board introduced and made music compulsory for all students especially in the junior secondary school. Well the only problem is the fact that not all secondary schools are willing to employ qualified music teachers with the right background to take on the challenge.
For instance, in my own secondary school days music was only introduced in our JSS3 and our teacher was an “annoying” person with a snobbish attitude plus the fact that didn’t take time to explain certain things to us. “This made most of us then (including me) hated music as a subject. I just learnt it to pass the junior school certificate examination.”
Fast forward to secondary days when most of us where struggling with self esteem issues, puberty and struggling with academics and social life. Everyone forming groups and clicks .Some of us then formed Acapella groups, some joined the school choir, some other societies (jet club, debating, maths club. etc) .This was because it was made compulsory (using my secondary school as a case study) for all students to belong to a club or society.
So if you have walked on this journey with me, starting from primary school, I must confess in primary school, we were very carefree about life and school was not so serious and immediately we started picking up the base, realizing that life is a competition and a race. We found our interests in so many things and what we have passions for in our secondary school days. So that part of education, can make the young ones get better in the future if that education keeps running properly. That inspirations help us to have our early background in music and church music has contributed a lot in making music in the society.
Now entering the higher institution liberated us all. You get the freedom to choose what you want, how you want it. What you want to do with your life, pursue your passion, enter politics, entrepreneurship etc.Only a few who had a greater music background and of course extra motivation continue in the music path. Some that joined good chaplaincy choirs seldomly attend rehearsals (yes we know there’s always an excuse). Others picked up one or two instruments, join a singing group etc. Many people had a great turning point in their lives musically during their undergraduate days. We all can attest to this fact.So this is roughly the lifecycle of an Average Nigerian (Music Education life cycle).
I would not fail to mention that some persons make extra efforts and I must applaud them. The enroll to music schools and colleges, and even take certificate examinations in music. Some of us here can attest to that. Kudos guys we’re making the world a better place
Relationship between Music Education and Music Appreciation
If you follow my class from the beginning, you would be able understand the two. Your level of music education is directly proportional to your level of music appreciation. Music appreciation according to school of thoughts in music “ it is the study of music itself, like learning from classroom and has to do with some parts of composition”. Music appreciation is anin-depth in music and it has a lot of theories involved. The more you improve your music education, the more you appreciate music and the more you are able to detect and know the structure of the songs like the music notes etc.
Music is influenced by cultures, social organizations and economic circumstances. Environment is the key factor. Have you ever heard a music piece that made you want to get up and dance, sing, or even cry?Music appreciation is simply the enjoyment that comes with listening to good music. I leave us with one last comment. Music Education never ends. It’s a continuous process. We all have to keep improving and growing. Music is about human being and it influences lives especially tribes with their different music and cultures. MUSIC IS LIFE!
We have come to the end of this class and I know we have touched the main objectives of this class which are:
To Know what Music Education is
It’s Benefits to the society
The synergy between music education and music appreciation.
Thanks for being part of this class, you can leave your questions or comments on the comment section.
