This is the page where you can find assignments which I upload
SEP. 11TH: RESPONSE TO 2 DIFFERENT VIDEOS ABOUT LEARNING
1) Dead Poets Society scene: I chose this video because Robert Williams' character as professor embodies my interpretation of an effective, creative and impacting educator. He approaches the fact that one of his students has not done a poetry assignment as a lack of confidence on the part of the student, rather than laziness or the lack of desire to succeed. Instead of humiliating the student, this professor helps the student to walk outside of his comfort zone and to perform his own interpretation of poetry, by supporting his creativity and personal approach. The student first refuses to cooperate, but eventually gets over his engraved habit of following conventional rules, and bursts out in original, expressive poetry. The professor, in this case, not only handled the non-cooperation of the student with ease and understanding, but also inspired this student to explore his own capabilities and confidence. This type of approach is something I find to be much more effective in reaching students than forcing everyone to read and do assignments in the same way. Such an approach avoids humiliation, which I find to be a large obstacle which stands in the way of learning and growing.
1) Dead Poets Society scene: I chose this video because Robert Williams' character as professor embodies my interpretation of an effective, creative and impacting educator. He approaches the fact that one of his students has not done a poetry assignment as a lack of confidence on the part of the student, rather than laziness or the lack of desire to succeed. Instead of humiliating the student, this professor helps the student to walk outside of his comfort zone and to perform his own interpretation of poetry, by supporting his creativity and personal approach. The student first refuses to cooperate, but eventually gets over his engraved habit of following conventional rules, and bursts out in original, expressive poetry. The professor, in this case, not only handled the non-cooperation of the student with ease and understanding, but also inspired this student to explore his own capabilities and confidence. This type of approach is something I find to be much more effective in reaching students than forcing everyone to read and do assignments in the same way. Such an approach avoids humiliation, which I find to be a large obstacle which stands in the way of learning and growing.
2) Scene from School of Rock: In this scene, the teacher uses creative and unconventional methods to get his students to think outside of the box. By introducing them to an unfamiliar, more "fun" genre of music, this teacher attempts to embody a new sense of enjoyment in learning music. The teacher pushes the students outside of their comfort zone by making them play things that they've never done before. What I find unappealing about his teaching method is that he tends to be a bit forceful in what he expects from his students. He uses words like "come here" and is temperamental in the way he addresses various situations, such as the fact that the students know nothing about rock music. I would approach this lesson with the same creativity and inspiration, but perhaps use less of an "angry" approach, as to not bash on these children for simply having followed the traditions and rules they've been taught. On the other hand, I understand that this type of behavior comes from being passionate about rock music and he levels out this extreme aura by saying things like "you're special" and "because you have the right attitude..." I'm glad he mentioned the importance of attitude because I find this to be one of the most crucial elements of productive and successful learning. From personal experience, teachers that used the most unconventional and out-of-the-box thinking have had the most impact on myself and on my growth. For that reason, this video appeals to me because it embodies my understanding of how fun and exhilarating learning can, and in some cases, should be.
SEP. 15TH: RESPONSE TO ROSE & COUNTRYMAN ARTICLE
As humans, we are inevitably complex and highly emotional beings. Each one of us consists of a myriad of thoughts, images, conversations, responses and emotions. One musical melody has the potential to evoke indescribable experiences for each person in their own way. Therefore, music is not a thing to be described with words from an academic syllabus; rather it is an activity which we all experience in our own ways.
In Rose & Countryman’s article, the authors argue how “the elements” (being carefully selected terms to describe various musical elements) limit and suppress personal connection and full experience of music. I found this article a pleasure to read because I holistically agree with the authors’ point of view. From personal experience, music is not a thing to be described within parameters; rather, an experience that has no right or wrong answer – much like how we emotionally respond to events in our lives. I never gave much thought to how truly separated “school music” has been for me from the music I enjoy and encounter on a daily basis. I found it interesting how this article articulated the concerns I never thought to be legitimate, such as why students must use vocabulary and an approach to this highly personal and profound experience in such a superficial way. Music is unlike math, meaning there are no right or wrong answers. I find it surprising that so many teachers and people in general are so willing to go along with the simplicity of ending their description of music with words such as “timbre, dynamics and articulation.” It has always frustrated me, much like the authors, that such a superficial approach has been privileged over indulging in what students truly feel. I believe, like the authors, that the elements should be supplementary words to include in the description of this experience; not the only acceptable vocabulary.
Of course, music as a field of study is difficult to legitimatize without certain parameters and basic fundamental understandings, including vocabulary. For this reason, I can understand why the “Eurocentric” approach relies so heavily on paradigms and rules. It is assumed that all professional fields of study must meet specific criteria that everyone agrees on, and that assumption is one that challenged my thinking as I read the article. I disagree with the authors’ idea that such an approach has everything to do with power and authority; rather, as I believe, this comes from a place of fear of not being able to legitimatize music as a “professional” field of study. I wish I could let the authors know that most students would agree with their arguments and that they have been successful in bringing into the light an issue that is often understood, but overlooked.
(References:)
- Rose, L.S., & Countryman, J. (2013). Repositioning 'the elements': How students talk about music. Action, Criticism, and Theory for Music Education 12(3): 45- 64.
SEP.21st: MUSIC IN MY LIFE VIDEO
SEP.22: RESPONSE TO UCONN PROJECT NO. 1
Note: Please excuse the really loud noise at the beginning. I don't know why my audio always does that, but it only lasts a few seconds.
SEP.29TH: WRITE-UP FOLLOWING UKULELE WORKSHOP
The workshop yesterday consisted mainly of a lot of fun. We learned a whole bunch in a matter of only a few hours, but the presentation style of the professor was so skillfully done that it didn't feel like work! Walking in, I expected to do a lot of listening at the very beginning, which I wasn't necessarily in the mood for at 9am on a Saturday morning. However, we began with trying out some new chords on the ukulele right away after a short introduction, and as I noticed in everyone, we were all more engaged having done something interactively from the get-go. I liked this approach, and never thought too deeply about how this exciting beginning to a lesson could impact the rest of the lesson in such a profound way. In this way, curiosity is a natural result, since the process of playing ukulele is new to me, and at that point, the professor explained a little more about what we are doing. This way, the professor kind of got us “hooked” right away, which is something I’d like to try in teaching my own students: starting each lesson with something kinesthetic or something that gets my student(s) thinking and involved. After they’ve been brought into the process of thinking about that activity, I believe it is a good time to start the “teaching” portion of the lesson. (Although doing is a very valid part of teaching as well.) His lesson incorporated a lot more doing than explaining, and only left the explaining for when it was absolutely necessary, or to add some interesting point. I think it’s easy to mistaken “good” teaching for simply giving a lot of information to be put into the brains of students; however, this workshop showed me that learning can be done in collaboration with a few different teaching methods, and that it doesn’t have to be boring!
The workshop yesterday consisted mainly of a lot of fun. We learned a whole bunch in a matter of only a few hours, but the presentation style of the professor was so skillfully done that it didn't feel like work! Walking in, I expected to do a lot of listening at the very beginning, which I wasn't necessarily in the mood for at 9am on a Saturday morning. However, we began with trying out some new chords on the ukulele right away after a short introduction, and as I noticed in everyone, we were all more engaged having done something interactively from the get-go. I liked this approach, and never thought too deeply about how this exciting beginning to a lesson could impact the rest of the lesson in such a profound way. In this way, curiosity is a natural result, since the process of playing ukulele is new to me, and at that point, the professor explained a little more about what we are doing. This way, the professor kind of got us “hooked” right away, which is something I’d like to try in teaching my own students: starting each lesson with something kinesthetic or something that gets my student(s) thinking and involved. After they’ve been brought into the process of thinking about that activity, I believe it is a good time to start the “teaching” portion of the lesson. (Although doing is a very valid part of teaching as well.) His lesson incorporated a lot more doing than explaining, and only left the explaining for when it was absolutely necessary, or to add some interesting point. I think it’s easy to mistaken “good” teaching for simply giving a lot of information to be put into the brains of students; however, this workshop showed me that learning can be done in collaboration with a few different teaching methods, and that it doesn’t have to be boring!
SEP. 30TH: FORMAL, INFORMAL, AND NONFORMAL LEARNING
Formal learning: formal learning is that which I associate with “curriculum” learning. I follows very particular standards and often includes, for the majority, a teacher/leader “explaining” something (following a planned, structured lesson/lecture) and having the students take in the information. This learning style is more straight-forward and strictly monitored than others. I.E. professor giving a lecture in a class, or high school teacher. I associate this type of learning with giving all or most of the “power” of the lesson to the teacher/leader.
Nonformal learning: This is in between formal and informal learning. It follows some intention of teaching a subject, but it seems to be more interactive and flexible than formal learning. For example, while a private music teacher may follow a set regime of teaching methods and intend to cover particular points in a lesson, the lesson feels less pressured and there is generally more adaptable to various learning styles. This may also include the relationship between a private math tutor, for example, because the student has more opportunity to ask questions and take the lesson into a different direction. In this learning style, I associate the “taking lead of the lesson” to be both in the hands of the teacher and the student(s).
Informal learning: There are very many examples to provide for this type of learning, because everything that includes having more of the lesson be held in the hands of the student is what I would consider to be informal. This may include what one learns from talking about an assignment with their peers, or perhaps, learning by doing the activity/assignment by themselves and ‘figuring it out’ as they go. Personally, I have always learned best in this informal way because it wasn’t until I actually was kind of ‘forced’ to do something by myself, or to find my own ways of learning something, that I understood best. In informal learning, there aren’t many ‘rules’ of how one should teach or learn. It is more inclusive of various learning styles and seems to be generally more kinesthetic.
Formal learning: formal learning is that which I associate with “curriculum” learning. I follows very particular standards and often includes, for the majority, a teacher/leader “explaining” something (following a planned, structured lesson/lecture) and having the students take in the information. This learning style is more straight-forward and strictly monitored than others. I.E. professor giving a lecture in a class, or high school teacher. I associate this type of learning with giving all or most of the “power” of the lesson to the teacher/leader.
Nonformal learning: This is in between formal and informal learning. It follows some intention of teaching a subject, but it seems to be more interactive and flexible than formal learning. For example, while a private music teacher may follow a set regime of teaching methods and intend to cover particular points in a lesson, the lesson feels less pressured and there is generally more adaptable to various learning styles. This may also include the relationship between a private math tutor, for example, because the student has more opportunity to ask questions and take the lesson into a different direction. In this learning style, I associate the “taking lead of the lesson” to be both in the hands of the teacher and the student(s).
Informal learning: There are very many examples to provide for this type of learning, because everything that includes having more of the lesson be held in the hands of the student is what I would consider to be informal. This may include what one learns from talking about an assignment with their peers, or perhaps, learning by doing the activity/assignment by themselves and ‘figuring it out’ as they go. Personally, I have always learned best in this informal way because it wasn’t until I actually was kind of ‘forced’ to do something by myself, or to find my own ways of learning something, that I understood best. In informal learning, there aren’t many ‘rules’ of how one should teach or learn. It is more inclusive of various learning styles and seems to be generally more kinesthetic.
OCT. 4TH: RESPONSE TO POPULAR MUSIC AND MODERN BAND PRINCIPLES ARTICLE
OCT.27: RESPONSE TO ISOLATION IN STUDIO MUSIC TEACHING ARTICLE
In Burwell, Carey, and Bennett's article I found a few perspectives rather interesting and original. In reading this article, I was brought to think more deeply about an aspect of my life that has been familiar to me for over 10 years - something I never really questioned. What I never realized is how heavily based private studio teachings are on history and tradition. I thought, 'how interesting - were we to have developed a more group - based foundation of learning hundreds of years ago, then today payed lessons for music would surely look very different.' While this read did open doors to understanding of flaws in isolated teaching, I still think that it is a very efficient way to learn if combined with other forms of teaching. This article pointed out, for example, that isolated teaching lacks educational input from someone other than the instructor, which may very well be just as helpful. Similarly, in such an intimate situation, the teacher may feel a big responsibility for holding the student's education in their hands, and may kind of "over-teach" (as I would put it) which may look like not giving the student enough independence to explore aspects of music and technique on their own, or to interpret certain ideas in their own ways. So already, we see that isolated private music teaching alone can cause an imbalanced musicianship within a student. However, it is certainly not entirely flawed - the intimate one-on-one format of teaching allows for much more tailoring to each unique student and of course, enough attention for each individual student to work on more detailed aspects of their instrument and musicianship than in a group or otherwise setting. Therefore, I believe the best thing both a student and teacher can do is to continue with this format, (which has been proven to be very efficient and helpful) but also to be mindful and incorporate other forms of teaching; so that the student may be encouraged to attend more group masterclasses, or perhaps an interesting seminar. Well-rounded musicianship, like all other professional disciplines, is formed through various styles of learning and teaching, and private studio lessons is just one aspect of that whole myriad of learning experiences.
In Burwell, Carey, and Bennett's article I found a few perspectives rather interesting and original. In reading this article, I was brought to think more deeply about an aspect of my life that has been familiar to me for over 10 years - something I never really questioned. What I never realized is how heavily based private studio teachings are on history and tradition. I thought, 'how interesting - were we to have developed a more group - based foundation of learning hundreds of years ago, then today payed lessons for music would surely look very different.' While this read did open doors to understanding of flaws in isolated teaching, I still think that it is a very efficient way to learn if combined with other forms of teaching. This article pointed out, for example, that isolated teaching lacks educational input from someone other than the instructor, which may very well be just as helpful. Similarly, in such an intimate situation, the teacher may feel a big responsibility for holding the student's education in their hands, and may kind of "over-teach" (as I would put it) which may look like not giving the student enough independence to explore aspects of music and technique on their own, or to interpret certain ideas in their own ways. So already, we see that isolated private music teaching alone can cause an imbalanced musicianship within a student. However, it is certainly not entirely flawed - the intimate one-on-one format of teaching allows for much more tailoring to each unique student and of course, enough attention for each individual student to work on more detailed aspects of their instrument and musicianship than in a group or otherwise setting. Therefore, I believe the best thing both a student and teacher can do is to continue with this format, (which has been proven to be very efficient and helpful) but also to be mindful and incorporate other forms of teaching; so that the student may be encouraged to attend more group masterclasses, or perhaps an interesting seminar. Well-rounded musicianship, like all other professional disciplines, is formed through various styles of learning and teaching, and private studio lessons is just one aspect of that whole myriad of learning experiences.
OCT. 27TH: UCONN. PROJECT RESPONSE NO. 2
NOV.11: RESPONSE TO "Toward Convergence Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and Participatory Culture" ARTICLE
1) What is the music educator's role when students engage with participatory culture?
In a participatory environment, where one "experiences a desire to participate, rather than simply consume," I believe it is important that each student has an experience that is authentic and unique to them. In participatory exercises, learning is done kinesthetically, and, as some would say, informally. In this case, the music educator is responsible to make sure that the students are successfully on track and doing the activity, however in their own way and without excessive instructions which might influence the students' exploration of themselves in the activity that they are doing. Whether the students are creating music, making videos, working on a project or simply discussing a topic, I believe it is up to the teacher to make sure to establish an environment where students feel safe and allowed to explore the topic themselves, which feeling supported by their teacher instead of feeling like they have to do things in a certain way.
2) How might ensembles and music classrooms be modified or restructured to allow for new and emerging contemporary musical practices?
Convergence of teaching styles in a musical classroom feels like the only acceptable way to keep up with the ever-changing style of music that surrounds us today. In contemporary society, very much has changed in regards to how we interpret and engage with music. For example, pop has become a part of everyone's life now, regardless of whether or not one appreciates the style; we hear it in commercials, on the streets, in stores, in restaurants - practically on every corner of our daily life. Therefore, I feel it is necessary to make adjustments to the musical classroom and ensembles. This can be done by incorporating more comparative examples between classical and pop music in the classroom, as well as more incorporation of the history of pop music. I think that we could leave classical music education as is, since it is an important part of our history and remains pertinent in the music all around the world today. Also, by incorporating more contemporary/pop music to be performed in ensembles, this would also be a way of 'restructuring' the musical classroom to fit the changing music of our world today.
1) What is the music educator's role when students engage with participatory culture?
In a participatory environment, where one "experiences a desire to participate, rather than simply consume," I believe it is important that each student has an experience that is authentic and unique to them. In participatory exercises, learning is done kinesthetically, and, as some would say, informally. In this case, the music educator is responsible to make sure that the students are successfully on track and doing the activity, however in their own way and without excessive instructions which might influence the students' exploration of themselves in the activity that they are doing. Whether the students are creating music, making videos, working on a project or simply discussing a topic, I believe it is up to the teacher to make sure to establish an environment where students feel safe and allowed to explore the topic themselves, which feeling supported by their teacher instead of feeling like they have to do things in a certain way.
2) How might ensembles and music classrooms be modified or restructured to allow for new and emerging contemporary musical practices?
Convergence of teaching styles in a musical classroom feels like the only acceptable way to keep up with the ever-changing style of music that surrounds us today. In contemporary society, very much has changed in regards to how we interpret and engage with music. For example, pop has become a part of everyone's life now, regardless of whether or not one appreciates the style; we hear it in commercials, on the streets, in stores, in restaurants - practically on every corner of our daily life. Therefore, I feel it is necessary to make adjustments to the musical classroom and ensembles. This can be done by incorporating more comparative examples between classical and pop music in the classroom, as well as more incorporation of the history of pop music. I think that we could leave classical music education as is, since it is an important part of our history and remains pertinent in the music all around the world today. Also, by incorporating more contemporary/pop music to be performed in ensembles, this would also be a way of 'restructuring' the musical classroom to fit the changing music of our world today.
NOV.16TH: INFLUENTIAL TEACHER PROJECT
For this project, I took the opportunity to catch up with my voice teacher of 8 years and asked her questions revolving around her career, personal development and life as a musician. I found this conversation very natural and easy, because these topics are such that my teacher (Paula) and I would occasionally discuss anyhow. However, I found that there was still very much I did not know about Paula, even after all these years, and I never realized how similar her descriptions of the past would be to my present.
Paula has been a very influential figure in my life, both musically and personally. I know that, were it not for her, I most likely wouldn't be here at Western pursuing the path of my dreams as a voice student. I began the interview with asking a vague, but crucial question: why did you choose music? Her response was: "I know that there are many different reasons to go down the path of music. Some people do it for the approval, some people do it to please their parents. I'm doing this for me. It's kind of like motherhood - it's who I am, instinctively and therefore I didn't really 'choose' music, it kind of chose me. I've never doubted my choice, but I know it isn't for everyone. I have colleagues who, after years of being in this field still feel like they would've wanted to do something differently. That's life, I suppose, and I think I just got lucky honestly."
Her reply was something I could resonate with, because thus far I similarly haven't doubted for a second the choice that I am making. It feels natural and I can't imagine my life not studying and being around music everyday. This response was one that I kind of expected - Paula has always been a 'natural' in what she does, and never lacked passion and drive in all the years that I've known her - despite her forty-something years of teaching and performing.
My second question was based off of something I genuinely was curious to hear, being that of her struggles in university. (she went to Western University as well and studied the same discipline which I am studying.) Her response: "Music is a jealous matter. You don't get anywhere without hard work - you really need the drive. Personally, I didn't struggle as much with it as much as my peers did, especially since none of it really felt like work to me. It was all play. My biggest struggle, I'd say, was that of time commitment. I had practically no social life outside Talbot College, and I always found myself comparing my social life to my twin sister's, who was studying mathematics. Seemingly, she'd be just as piled-up with work as I was, but whenever she was out with friends on weekends and evenings socializing, I always found that I was working on something. As well, I had a conflict between theory and performance, not being able to decide which road to go down since I loved them both so much. I had to change my major and ended up taking many 'extra' courses, as well as an extra year. However, I don't see this as a year wasted. All the philosophy and other extra courses served me very well and still contribute to my knowledge as a pedagogue and performer today. No regrets, and plus, it was quite the adventure, I'd say." Here, I was nodding my head in agreement because I am finding myself in a very similar position. I too am struggling with balancing the university life with my social/personal life. Personally, I keep feeling like I'm always behind in schoolwork and practicing despite making all my efforts to not be, and I think the constant working on things that Paula was talking about suggested that she felt the same way.
Next, my question was for Paula to describe what the transition between university and her professional career: struggles, surprises, and everything in between. "Well, I was off to Ottawa right after my Masters degree because of my husband..." she replied. "I started searching for opportunities for performances and recitals right away. I was pretty much my own agent, and it was definitely difficult at first to get my name known. But Ottawa was, and still is a very artistic city, so once i got a few gigs down, it gradually became easier and easier to find performance opportunities. I was a quick study, and this played a huge role in helping me nail down gigs. The general well-rounded musicianship I acquired in university was just as important as having a well-worked-on voice in landing opportunities, because every situation called for a flexibility in areas you'd never expect you'd need to be 'good' at. Sometimes someone would call in sick for a performance, and I'd be able to step in and learn the music in a day - this was a gift I know helped me on multiple occasions." Following this, I asked, "Do you think that 'getting your name known' as a musician is just as difficult today, or is it different?" to which she replied, "I think it is still hard, but now you have the media to communicate with better - an easy platform to get yourself heard and seen even outside of your immediate surroundings. Of course, it's still A LOT of work, and it's always dependent on each situation, but I feel like there is an advantage in this tool if it is used as such."
Finally, my question was "Who was an influential teacher or mentor for you?"
- "I would have to say my studio professor was a very important guide in so many ways for me. She was always honest, with the 'this is how it is, and this is how you'd realistically go about this situation.' She was very genuinely helpful and a lot of what I do and know now is the result of her wisdom."
We had to stop our conversation there due to time restraints, but I was thoroughly enjoying this different perspective of my teacher as someone who has went through a similar path as I am. I wanted to ask her more questions specifically about what it means to be a teacher and how that has been for her, but I also understand that she's a busy lady and I thanked her for the time that we chatted. I found this type of interview very refreshing because it gave me insight into someone I seemingly knew so well. I found lots of motivation for myself in this conversation, and noted some very important quotes by Paula, such as "music is a jealous matter - you don't get anywhere without hard work." Since she is someone I really look up to, I felt a surge of drive to do better ad be better as a musician to attempt to reach such a level of success. In this interview, I was reminded as well as to why I am doing what I do - it made me think more critically and to sit down with my doubts and worries and sort out the 'why's' and 'what ifs' of my approach to music as a career. I feel more stable and committed to my path after this conversation, and found this project enlightening on many different levels.
For this project, I took the opportunity to catch up with my voice teacher of 8 years and asked her questions revolving around her career, personal development and life as a musician. I found this conversation very natural and easy, because these topics are such that my teacher (Paula) and I would occasionally discuss anyhow. However, I found that there was still very much I did not know about Paula, even after all these years, and I never realized how similar her descriptions of the past would be to my present.
Paula has been a very influential figure in my life, both musically and personally. I know that, were it not for her, I most likely wouldn't be here at Western pursuing the path of my dreams as a voice student. I began the interview with asking a vague, but crucial question: why did you choose music? Her response was: "I know that there are many different reasons to go down the path of music. Some people do it for the approval, some people do it to please their parents. I'm doing this for me. It's kind of like motherhood - it's who I am, instinctively and therefore I didn't really 'choose' music, it kind of chose me. I've never doubted my choice, but I know it isn't for everyone. I have colleagues who, after years of being in this field still feel like they would've wanted to do something differently. That's life, I suppose, and I think I just got lucky honestly."
Her reply was something I could resonate with, because thus far I similarly haven't doubted for a second the choice that I am making. It feels natural and I can't imagine my life not studying and being around music everyday. This response was one that I kind of expected - Paula has always been a 'natural' in what she does, and never lacked passion and drive in all the years that I've known her - despite her forty-something years of teaching and performing.
My second question was based off of something I genuinely was curious to hear, being that of her struggles in university. (she went to Western University as well and studied the same discipline which I am studying.) Her response: "Music is a jealous matter. You don't get anywhere without hard work - you really need the drive. Personally, I didn't struggle as much with it as much as my peers did, especially since none of it really felt like work to me. It was all play. My biggest struggle, I'd say, was that of time commitment. I had practically no social life outside Talbot College, and I always found myself comparing my social life to my twin sister's, who was studying mathematics. Seemingly, she'd be just as piled-up with work as I was, but whenever she was out with friends on weekends and evenings socializing, I always found that I was working on something. As well, I had a conflict between theory and performance, not being able to decide which road to go down since I loved them both so much. I had to change my major and ended up taking many 'extra' courses, as well as an extra year. However, I don't see this as a year wasted. All the philosophy and other extra courses served me very well and still contribute to my knowledge as a pedagogue and performer today. No regrets, and plus, it was quite the adventure, I'd say." Here, I was nodding my head in agreement because I am finding myself in a very similar position. I too am struggling with balancing the university life with my social/personal life. Personally, I keep feeling like I'm always behind in schoolwork and practicing despite making all my efforts to not be, and I think the constant working on things that Paula was talking about suggested that she felt the same way.
Next, my question was for Paula to describe what the transition between university and her professional career: struggles, surprises, and everything in between. "Well, I was off to Ottawa right after my Masters degree because of my husband..." she replied. "I started searching for opportunities for performances and recitals right away. I was pretty much my own agent, and it was definitely difficult at first to get my name known. But Ottawa was, and still is a very artistic city, so once i got a few gigs down, it gradually became easier and easier to find performance opportunities. I was a quick study, and this played a huge role in helping me nail down gigs. The general well-rounded musicianship I acquired in university was just as important as having a well-worked-on voice in landing opportunities, because every situation called for a flexibility in areas you'd never expect you'd need to be 'good' at. Sometimes someone would call in sick for a performance, and I'd be able to step in and learn the music in a day - this was a gift I know helped me on multiple occasions." Following this, I asked, "Do you think that 'getting your name known' as a musician is just as difficult today, or is it different?" to which she replied, "I think it is still hard, but now you have the media to communicate with better - an easy platform to get yourself heard and seen even outside of your immediate surroundings. Of course, it's still A LOT of work, and it's always dependent on each situation, but I feel like there is an advantage in this tool if it is used as such."
Finally, my question was "Who was an influential teacher or mentor for you?"
- "I would have to say my studio professor was a very important guide in so many ways for me. She was always honest, with the 'this is how it is, and this is how you'd realistically go about this situation.' She was very genuinely helpful and a lot of what I do and know now is the result of her wisdom."
We had to stop our conversation there due to time restraints, but I was thoroughly enjoying this different perspective of my teacher as someone who has went through a similar path as I am. I wanted to ask her more questions specifically about what it means to be a teacher and how that has been for her, but I also understand that she's a busy lady and I thanked her for the time that we chatted. I found this type of interview very refreshing because it gave me insight into someone I seemingly knew so well. I found lots of motivation for myself in this conversation, and noted some very important quotes by Paula, such as "music is a jealous matter - you don't get anywhere without hard work." Since she is someone I really look up to, I felt a surge of drive to do better ad be better as a musician to attempt to reach such a level of success. In this interview, I was reminded as well as to why I am doing what I do - it made me think more critically and to sit down with my doubts and worries and sort out the 'why's' and 'what ifs' of my approach to music as a career. I feel more stable and committed to my path after this conversation, and found this project enlightening on many different levels.
FINAL VIDEO: MY LEARNING AND TEACHING PHILOSOPHY
Side note: please excuse the imbalance in speaking volume. It was something I could not figure out how to fix.
UCONN PROJECT #3