Course Proposal #1

Course Title: Technological Popular Music Making

Course Description:
In this course, students will use multiple forms of technology to engage with music
that is relevant to them in new and meaningful ways. Students will use programs that
make engaging with music accessible, with an emphasis on creation rather than on
perfect technique. Projects in this class will involve recreating existing music in new
ways (covers, arrangements, etc.), modifying and engaging with existing music
(remixing, sample based producing, etc.), and creating entirely new music using
technology. Some examples of programs and technologies students will use include
MusEDLab, Makey Makeys, Garageband, and others. Students will also look into
different apps that are used for music making, and discuss the pros and cons of each app.
The course will include a few performances over the course of the school year, where
students can showcase the work they have done. However, they will share their music in
a casual setting with their peers in class as often as they can, and give and receive
feedback from one another. Another project the students will work on is a kind of expo,
where they will invite other students and members of the community to join them and
engage with different music technologies. Each student will have a different program or
tool that they become an expert on, and they answer questions and show others how to
use them.

Need For the Course:

Due to the wide variety of music technologies available and the different levels
they cater to, this course lets students start making music right away despite what level of
technical musical training they are at. Many students become discouraged with music
classes that emphasize and prioritize technical skill over creativity and engagement.
Many music classes also have a primary focus on classical music, which also lacks
relevancy to many students today. As John Kratus points out, The music made in
schools, largely based on classical, folk, and sometimes jazz traditions, represents a small
and shrinking slice of the musical pie (Kratus, 2007). These factors result in students
who do not continue music classes, and never get to experience true, meaningful music
making. A class that involves music/genres students are genuinely interested in,
combined with using technology that makes engaging with music easy, could result in
students finding a passion in music and continuing their music education.

Expected Impact on Students:

Through this class, students will become more comfortable interacting with music
and creating their own music. They will gain technical skills through actually engaging
with music in a meaningful way, as opposed to learning technical skills before creating
anything. This addresses Virginia Standards of Learning in High School Music
Theory/Literacy (student will compose and arrange musicusing a variety of sound,
notational, and technological sources), and Performance (the student will investigate
characteristics of music sounds by employing technology to explore musical sounds).
Students will also become more comfortable using a wide variety of music technologies,
many of which they can access and use with nothing but a computer.

Expected Impact on School/Community:

The expected impact through this class is that students will not only feel more
comfortable using different music technology programs, but also have more confidence
creating music and not feel inhibited by their level of technique. Students will learn about
personal expression through music, and also gain skills that will help them navigate new
music technology programs in the future. Hopefully, students who take this class can act
as leaders for their peers and the community, and help facilitate and teach about
technology that makes creating music accessible for all.

Course Proposal #2

Course Title: Music as an Artistic Experience

Course Description:
In this course, students will experiment with combining music with different
mediums of art with music to create holistic artistic experiences. They will engage with
music, dancing and movement, theatre and storytelling, visual art, videography, and other
art forms. This class has a focus on expression, and will challenge students to use music
in combination with other art forms to be the most expressive they can be. Every project
the students do will involve music, but as the course progresses, students will work on
involving more and more different art forms in a single artistic experience. The class will
include several group performances and presentations, and students will also have
chances to share their individual work. The class will also cater to students of all ability
levels, and allow for students to lead and learn from each other. Students who have
strengths in certain areas will help teach others, and can act as leaders for each other. This
class will also spend time looking at other artistic experiences that combine music with
other art forms, and studying how art forms interact to express a message to an audience.
Students will give critiques and commentary, and discuss why certain parts are effective
and why other parts are not as effective.

Need For the Course:

This course aims to teach students how to be expressive through multiple
mediums of art, and teaches them how to make connections between music and other art
forms. Few courses currently let students explore how different art forms interact with
each other, and too few schools provide students with substantive opportunities to
explore the four art forms [music, dance, visual arts, and theatre] and thereby to discover
their inner artist (Shuler, 2011). Even schools that offer classes in multiple art forms
rarely have classes that allow artistic collaboration. This class will teach students to
expand their horizons of how music can serve to express emotions and messages.
Students will gain the ability to plan and produce performances based off their own
material. It will also provide leadership opportunities for students who may feel less
confident leading in a standard music class. This course lets students play to their
strengths, lead their peers, and also learn new skills from the teacher and from their peers.
Expected Impact on Students:
This class addresses the Virginia High School General music standards involving
music history and cultural context (students will explore historical and cultural aspects
of music by identifying the relationship of music to the other fine arts) and several
standards involving performance. Students will also gain the ability to closely study and
understand other experiences that combine art forms that they may encounter in their life
time (musicals, etc.).

Expected Impact on School/Community:

This class will hopefully result in students who feel confident exploring art forms
other than music, and who can create holistic artistic experiences that express even more
than one art form alone can. This class also aims to encourage collaboration between
students and community members who focus on different art forms.

Course Proposal #3

Course Title: Music as a Social and Political Statement in America

Course Description:
In this course, students will examine music that aims to make social and political
statements and commentary on society in the United States. The class will focus
especially on music that represents commonly oppressed or minority groups such as
racial and ethnic minorities, women, etc. The class will study different social and political
movements in America (Civil Rights Movement, gay rights, etc.) and look at music that
was produced during that time, and study how that music reflected the opinion of
musicians and the public. The music studied will reflect a wide array of views and
opinions, to give students an accurate look into American history. They will also study
public reactions to songs that make social and political statements, and how opinions
change over time. For one project, students will carefully study a specific song and give a
presentation that discusses the artist, the content of the song, and historical context of the
song, and the public reaction to the song and how it changed over time. Lastly, the class
will look at current music to see what political messages popular songs aim to send.
Looking at music through a political lens will give students another way to look at music,
in addition to examining music as a musician.

Need For the Course:

This course aims to help students better understand the intentions and messages
that musicians send through their music. It helps them identify different point of views
and backgrounds, and how those influence music in ways they may not have realized
before. In this course, composition and improvisation are taught as inseparable from
political and economic response (Allsup, 2012). The class will help students uncover
bias and implicit messages songs may send, so they understand how truly connected
music is with political and social issues. The course also looks at history and how the
American public responds to politically and socially charged music, which provides a
look into the past that many standard history and music classes to not look into with
much scrutiny. This course is especially relevant to students today, who are likely hearing
more and more music with political messages from artists, as America goes though a
transitional time concerning politics.

Expected Impact on Students:

This course addresses the Virginia High School General Music standards
involving music history and cultural context in a way that differs from many standard
music classes. By looking at music and examining it for commentary, this course also
aims to create well rounded, inquisitive citizens who take into account the background of
musicians and the historical context music was created in.

Expected Impact on School/Community:

This course will hopefully get students more interested in studying music, and spark
interest in students and community members who may be looking for other ways to
engage with music. Perhaps a student does not have a passion for composing or creating
music- this course will show them new ways they can be connected to music. Also, this
course will result in people who can listen critically to music to hear the underlying
messages the artist may be trying to convey.
 Works Cited

Allsup, R. E., & Shieh, E. (2012). Social justice and music education: The call for a
public pedagogy. Music Educators Journal, 98(4), 47-51.

Kratus, J. (2007). Centennial series: Music education at the tipping point. Music
Educators Journal, 94(2), 42-48.

Shuler, S. (2011). Five Guiding Principles for Music Education. Music Educators
Jounral, 97(3), 7-9.