11 days has passed since the last day of the March CT course . Yesterday upon receiving Richard Crozier's email , my more relaxed mode has switched to a gear 4 from gear 3.
Yesterday night before sleeping, I finally managed to start reading the CT course handbook and once again came back to reality of the many areas to spend time to explore and prepare. It goes to show that how easily I can fall into comfort zone and how important it is to schedule reading, communication with fellow teachers, learning new strategies or knowledge to ensure I do not stagnate but keeps on growing with good "nutrients" . Reading the handbook has helped me to realise how I can improve my diary reading which thank God I am able to put into practice now.
I was reading Paul Harris's Improve Your Teaching last night too. Page 23 talks about Teaching a big sonata movement and I will soon try the method. "Pupils need to know their music deeply. building up a personal and profound 'relationship' with the piece .... Pupils should listen intelligently to the music. They must begin to develop ideas about the piece: what does it mean emotionally ? What is the music saying? What does it mean to them ? They must use discerning ear to understand exactly what is going on - this marks real connections with aural perception .... "
I was surprised as Paul continues in the heading "Towards an Intepretation " on the following page that "a number of weeks may have passed by now and we still might not have begun to play the pieces through from bar one . " I totally agree when he said " Our work so far has been directed towards building up a concept of the music, acquiring a deep knowledge of its content and meaning". I it was at the later stage of my music studies that I really "know" what I am playing . That was when I continued learning music a couple of years after achieving my grade 8. Why I "know" ? It was because I was taught how to recognise the patterns found in the music, I was taught how to anaylse the music, somehow the music makes sense to me suddenly. Therefore, I encourage student to be able to see how the music is put together by identifying where the same rhythm or melody repeat, how the music develops from the main idea , the impact and effect of the changes of key , dynamics, articulations etc ...
Parents should be educated on what I am doing and why such approach is adopted as my ultimate aim is that the student will appreciate music for life. At the same time when the student learnt how to study music indepently, he will be able to play and appreciate beyond the music I have taught him. I strongly feel that is what many parents desire and not merely a certification of credits which only prove how the child performed on that particular examination day.
I am glad I did the reading and the discovery . and I am really glad I can reflect and record this for my future learning.
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