Are our Schools "Learning Institutions?"

"Real learning gets to the heart of what it means to be human. Through learning we re-create ourselves. Through learning we become able to do something we never were able to do. Through learning we re-perceive the world and our relationship to it. Through learning we extend our capacity to create, to be part of the generative process of life. There is within each of us a deep hunger for this type of learning." Peter Senge

If we educators are doing our jobs, students receive knowledge, insights, advice and wise counsel from us. But do our students perceive their teachers themselves to be learners, open to new directions of thought, eagerly analyzing and embracing the changes in today's music industry, evolving technology, and new musical styles that stretch the imagination?

Universities are often categorized as "research" or "teaching" institutions. But are our schools "learning" organizations? We expect our students to learn, but do we expect the same of our faculty?

If we are not extremely vigilant, the curriculum of a music business degree will be closer to "the history of music business" than to the rapidly evolving realities of the music industry.

Many music executives are still tied to the historical business models that are fast becoming irrelevant. Are teachers tied to curricular models that are equally outdated?

With a few exceptions, the music curriculum in many colleges and conservatories looks much the same as it did decades ago (dare I say centuries ago?). We teach harmony, counterpoint, ear training, ensembles, music history and so on as if music itself has not moved, largely ignoring the seismic changes that have come with the new technologies.

We ignore the fact that consumers of music have drastically changed how and when they listen to music, how they choose to purchase it (the vast majority now download one song at at time), and how easily they can bypass all the elements of the historical music business and go directly to the source through the Internet.

Musicians today can write, arrange, perform, tour, and record in domestic, international, and virtual environments. Live concert, recording session, film and TV scores, video games, and music libraries provide opportunities to musicians in abundance, all with different earning opportunities. It is an enormously exciting time to be a musician, and to be an educator, and as Peter Senge states so eloquently, it is always a wonderful time to be learning.

Professional development of our faculty must be a high priority. The college should provide it, the faculty should take advantage of it, and performance reviews should take note of it. Helping teachers continue to grow, develop, and model learning for our students is essential. Let's be sure to treat our faculty as the tremendous resource they are and keep the learning process alive and flourishing for everyone -- students and faculty alike.

Harry Chalmiers, President
McNally Smith College of Music

Real learning gets to the heart of what it means to be human. Through learning we re-create ourselves. Through learning we become able to do something we never were able to do. Through learning we re-perceive the world and our relationship to it. Through learning we extend our capacity to create, to be part of the generative process of life. There is within each of us a deep hunger for this type of learning....Peter Senge

If we educators are doing our jobs, students receive knowledge, insights, advice and wise counsel from us. But do our students see their teachers themselves as learners, open to new directions of thought, eagerly analyzing and embracing the changes in today's music industry, evolving technology, and new musical styles that stretch the imagination?

Universities are often categorized as "research" or "teaching" institutions. But are our schools "learning" organizations? We expect our students to learn, but do we expect the same of our faculty?

If we are not extremely vigilant, the curriculum of a music business degree will be closer to "the history of music business" than to the rapidly evolving realities of the music industry.

Many music executives are still tied to the historical business models that are fast becoming irrelevant. Are teachers tied to curricular models that are equally outdated?

With a few exceptions, the music curriculum in many colleges and conservatories looks much the same as it did decades ago (dare I say centuries ago?). We teach harmony, counterpoint, ear training, ensembles, music history and so on as if music itself has not changed, largely ignoring the seismic changes that have come with the new technologies.

We ignore the fact that consumers of music have drastically changed how and when they listen to music, how they choose to purchase it (the vast majority now downloaded one song at a time), and how easily they can bypass all the elements of the historical music business and go directly to the source thorough the Internet.

It is an enormously exciting time to be a musician, and to be an educator. As Peter Senge states so eloquently, it is always a wonderful time to be learning.

Professional development of our faculty must be a high priority. The college should provide it, the faculty should take advantage of it, and performance reviews should take note of it. Finding good teachers and allowing them to stagnate in a cozy, low demand environment is a common failure of educational institutions. Helping teachers continue to grow, develop, and model learning for our students is essential.

The Technological Elephant in the Room

In a music college, students arrive motivated by a love for music that is so strong it overrides the instinct for a more secure career path, and often the resistance of their parents.

As music educators we are responsible to not only stimulate the intellectual advancement of the student, but also to provide wise and experienced counsel that will help the student prepare for a career in music. Music school graduates may ultimately choose a different career path, and a music education is a wonderful preparation for many fields of endeavor. But the challenging career path of a professional musician requires special attention, and the institution must lay the groundwork for its students.

A fact of musical life that cannot be ignored in music education is that technology has become central to every aspect of music. Yet, many educational institutions have not changed their approach in spite of this.

Can a student receive meaningful preparation for life after a degree without becoming fluent with the hardware and software that drive this industry? Perhaps every entering freshman should receive a laptop stuffed with the latest software, along with a digital camera, high quality microphone, midi keyboard, and other essential tools just as students in the past arrived with notebooks, pencils, manuscript paper, and stacks of textbooks.

There may not be a lot of full time jobs just waiting for young musicians to apply, but there is a lot of work for those prepared to perform it. A contemporary music education must help students understand this work, how to find it, and do it well. This requires a unique blend of study that develops intellectual and musical potential, and also provides a practical focus that is up to date, savvy, and realistic.

Harry Chalmiers, President
McNally Smith College of Music

Nice Work if You Can Get It...

I have been the President of McNally Smith College of Music for almost nine months, and it is clear to me that this is the best job I’ve ever had! The students are wonderful, the staff is skilled and enthusiastic, and the faculty are artistic, passionate teachers.

But other schools can make these claims, schools that are better known, have larger endowments and more famous graduates. Why am I still so certain that McNally Smith is destined to help set a new direction for music and education in the twenty first century?

I haven’t answered this question to my complete satisfaction, but I can throw out a few ideas that occur to me, and I can ask those of you who are interested in this subject to comment on this question:

What elements are critical to shaping a relevant contemporary educational experience that truly prepares students to reach their creative, intellectual and personal potential?

Not long ago, students in music schools would choose to major in either performance, composition, technology, business, education, or some variation on these themes. Today, I believe that a student must become adept in all of the above. The new model of a well prepared graduate is a skilled creative musician who is a tech savvy, shrewd entrepreneur – a music professional ready for almost any gig.

Technology has led to dramatic changes in every aspect of music: How we compose it, perform it, record it, produce it, edit it, promote it, sell it, distribute it, listen to it, and how we use it in daily life. There is, however , one important aspect of music that has survived virtually unscathed through all these changes: How we teach it! I suggest that this is a serious mistake that must be immediately addressed.

McNally Smith College of Music is dedicated to creating new approaches to music teaching and learning, and over the course of this blog I hope to generate a vigorous exchange of ideas on how this can be done. I invite your comments, suggestions, criticism, and send you my best wishes.

Harry Chalmiers, President
McNally Smith College of Music