In
high school, I had transferred from a small, Catholic school to a large urban
high school. It was quite a difference, but the high school offered me many
options that I would not have had otherwise. For example, many of the students
of the school loved music, and the chorus, band and musical theater departments
were award winning. I had decided that I might like to join chorus and musical
theater to meet new friends and perhaps find a new hobby or two. I talked with
the head of the chorus, and she drilled me on what I knew about music. She was
asking me questions using terms such as “alto”, “soprano” and “musical range”.
I was lost. I did not know what I was or what the terms meant and I was afraid
that she would not let me join because of how clueless I seemed. However, she
did not seem to mind that I did not know, and assured me that we would figure
it out. She was one of the many people who have inspired me to continue
learning about music. The musical theater director also helped me learn
vocabulary and never made me feel as though I was asking something “stupid”. The
classes built up the vocabulary. The classes also applied it to the subject so
that it was easy to remember and became important because it was applicable to
other subjects, such as learning to play an instrument. Through the four years,
I went from knowing basically nothing to knowing enough to get into college
level music classes, be in the select chamber choir and go on to be in musical
theater productions. I would have not been able to get there if the music
director did not take the time to help me build my vocabulary and understanding
of the subject.
Music
is considered to be a universal language and it can have applications in
various subjects. I have made friendships over music, have helped the community
learn about music and have just loved participating in making music. As a
future teacher, I may be able to use music to connect with students who many
not be interested in my subject. Perhaps even students can teach me more about
music, and it could create a trust in the classroom as we are learning together
and I am not just shoving content at them and expecting them to understand.
