Re: question about music theory


"guitarpicker" <shimektl@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1139009422.496262.106760@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Steve - what school to you teach at?

Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia.

In my college days they did not
care in the least about students being "able to go out into the
professional world armed with the knowledge to make them successful."

In deference to your remark, which may be 100% accurate for many schools, I
think that this is a two-sided coin. Yes, there are certainly some
institutions, and more importantly (in a bad way), some professors that
basically teach by rote. They teach what they teach, to teach what they
teach, because they think it's the right thing to teach - whether that has
any bearing in the real world or not. This one of the major factors I
believe in why the "real world" seems to view the "academic world" as being
this shut-off little community. However, there are also students who
basically think they're owed something, and they'll never get anything out
of it. how many times we see posts from disgruntled students who are pissed
that they were taught "you can't write parallel 5ths" and they find out
about Stravinsky, Debussy, Cage, etc. in college and think they're being
mis-led. Now, I believe a good institution (professors) will reinforce the
fact that, though we may be studying a particular style, and that in that
particular style parallel 5ths were avoided, using parallel 5ths in your own
music is as valid as quoting Chopsticks.

I do however get the feeling that some professors just get tired (or are to
lazy, having tenure, etc.) of explaining this year after year. And of course
there's always the potential for students just not paying attention. I've
told my students 100 times that there's no such thing as a Major 4th (to the
point where I make a REALLY big deal out of it, it's become a joke amongst
students). And what do I get on the quiz? A Major 4th. This person doesn't
give a crap, and they'll never get anything out of their education (though I
do not stop trying to get to them!).

So your experience is very common, but I wouldn't always lay all of the
blame on just the institution or professors (and not that you were that type
of student) - though it is a rampant problem.



I finally changed majors to computer science for that. All they wanted
to teach in the 70's was avant garbage atonal composition, which they
admitted I could not earn a living at, except by getting a graduate
degree and teaching it.

Well, Hell, you can't earn a living at music anyway! We do it because we
love it. If you want to be a millionaire, you need to be Madonna or
something. How much musical training one needs to be Green Day is subject to
debate (or maybe not). True, academia have taken on the task of preserving
"art" music, and it errs on the side of teaching those things it thinks are
historically important and worth preserving. It is just now that Jazz has
become an accepted field of study (when I was in school it had to be called
"Ethnomusicology" or it wouldn't be taught). But I don't think any style
should be taught to the exclusion of all else.

I hope your email means all that has changed.

I doubt it. People are people. There will always be people with different
teaching styles - those that simply follow the status quo, and some that try
to be creative (I hope I'm regarded as being in the latter category). I try
to do what I can in my tiny little sphere of influence.


BTW, I loved music theory. Found it very helpful and enjoyable.

Me too. I play in rock bands and just simply understanding the notes of
every chord and understanding the chord progressions make improvising so
much easier. And instead of just relying on stock riffs (which I do keep
handy to fall back on), I can sometimes incorporate things that woldn't be
"normal fare" and keep it interesting (to me at least).

Best,
Steve



.

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