Zipporah alcaraz by Freestyle Academy

Perfect Consonance Written and Designed by Zipporah Alcaraz

Acknowledgments

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d like to take this opportunity to thank Freestyle Academy for giving me this opportunity to create my documentary. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m also grateful to Christie Skousen, for sharing with me her passion of music and allowing me to use Peery Piano as my location; Jenna Atkinson, for taking her time to tell me about her love of teaching and her the experiences; and last, but not least, Tessa Cowley, for being willing to share with me the happiness and inspiration piano has given her.

T a b l e

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PReface... 06 i. MusICAL... 10 III. PRACTICAL...

C o n t e n t s INTRODUCTION...

iI. MUSCULAR... 16 CONCLUSION... 25 5

Preface The first thought that came into my head when asked to do a documentary project was food, maybe because it was right before lunch, or maybe because I really wanted to do a food business, I’m not too sure. However, as the due date for choosing a topic and a location approached, I found myself not having a location for my documentary, even if I did e-mail all the cafes, and restaurants I hoped to research. Having this problem in mind, I began to think about what brings me joy and what has deeply, emotionally moved me in my life – the first thought being music.

Although my family has some musical background, such as singing karaoke or playing guitar, we mostly have a sports-oriented life. Since my dad used to be an athlete in the Philippines, he wanted us to experience the joy of playing a sport; so, growing up, my siblings all played sports, ranging from basketball to soccer to volleyball. When I was younger, I remember loving basketball, but the competitive aspect of sports never appealed to me as much as it did to my other family members. My brother, Lehi, would sometimes teach me how to play some chords on guitar, and I took piano lessons on and off, but I never even thought about music as something other than sounds you hear on the radio. Once I entered 5th grade, I had to choose an instrument for class to learn. Influenced by my brother, who wanted to “jam” out, I chose Violin. I stuck with it for three years until 9th grade, and looking back I realize how much music has shaped me. Violin has taught me about the logistics of music, how dynamics affect a song, the feelings portrayed through mellifluous chords, and how moving it can truly be. I’m now involved in choir, and so I now know even more about myself within the world of music. It’s something to share with others, and something that I feel. It’s brought me to amazing places and has allowed me to meet many talented and influential people, so I wanted to share with you the importance of music in our lives and having a music education. 6

Introduction

As a young girl, Christie Skousen fell in love with the magical sounds of piano. Starting at the age of five, she began to take lessons from her mother, who can get any student to play at an advanced level of piano. Inspired to honor her mother’s ability, Skousen wrote down what her mother did, intending to share with the world the results her mother produced. Therefore, Skousen decided to recruit teachers to see if they wanted to work together for her program as she provided places for recitals. In doing so she was able to find others who shared the same love for music, but once it got to recital time the students were not at a level that she could support. This is when she decided to take action. Skousen created a tested curriculum by collecting information on how she and her mother educated their students. Once she felt it was something others could use, she required her teachers to use this beginning level piano program in their instruction, ultimately creating the Peery Piano Academy.

There are many forms of music education around the world, and Peery Piano is one of many places that support learning within the arts. Several have questioned the effects music has on students and don’t understand its importance. While researching this topic to see what people have said about music education, I’ve read that it’s not just something that teaches you how to express yourself in a different art form, but that it can really change your life for the better. From being a stress reliever to teaching you life lessons, when you passionately pursue music through hard work, the outcome of it is mind-blowing. For example, Paulo Baudi, drummer for the band CAKE, went through his high school life moving around a lot, which made it hard for him to create relationships with others. He wanted to find a sense of belonging, a sense of being appreciated as an individual, and he found that through Marching Band. Baudi states, “Marching band in particular is the savior for people who may or may not be athletic. Marching band is music, memorization, eyehand coordination and good for your

posture. It may hurt to be told your paradiddles suck, but it builds character. It’s a team sport. You create friendships that become your buddies for life…” Through learning music with others, Baudi not only had the high school experience he hoped to have, but was also able to grow musically in his learning. As a music student myself, I’ve seen the impact of music in my own life; I find that it touches our hearts in ways we wouldn’t expect, and helps make connections with people who understand the happiness gained through music. For all of these reasons, music education should be an important aspect of our[a] lives.

I. Musical

“the piece they’ve been working on in a month or more that they can play in front of their Grandma and you know she’ll love it and cry...” - Jenna Atkinson

Stevie Wonder once said, “music is a world within itself, it is a language we all understand.” Music has the power to move people’s hearts. The power to make you feel emotion without the use of any words. The power to change one’s view on the world, and bring beauty/life into something mundane. Peery Piano is not built simply off of being able to have the correct hand position or play a piece, but the magic that is created through the sounds of music. A song is not simply a song because ran-

dom notes are put together to create beautiful harmonies, but it is a song in that it can also make people feel what you are trying to express in your music. Music is a very big part of our culture, but many do not realize the effects it has on us spiritually. Scientists of The University of Missouri did a study on how music affects people by conducting two different studies, and found that your mood can truly be influenced by what you are listening to. The first study was based off of a group of students who

were asked to try and improve their emotional state as they listened to various types of music. The results being that most were happier listening to the optimistic upbeat songs of one over the sad dreary tones of the other. The second study held at the university was having participants listen to two weeks worth of uplifting music within lab sessions, and trying to see the changes in their character. Similar to the outcome of the previous study, those involved showed high levels of positivity, proving the point that music

can influence one’s emotions. As research shows how music sways ones’ soul, Peery Piano effectively teaches its students how to express themselves through song and the ability it has to make people feel. Jenna Atkinson, a teacher at the piano academy, states, “For some of the songs like ‘Fly like an eagle,’ which is pretty majestic in the beginning, I say “ Imagine a giant mountain and you’re like ‘Oh my gosh this is so cool,’ and then the next part is really quiet and you see a bubbling brook and you’re like

‘it’s so nice and quiet ‘ and so then they feel within the dynamics what the song is trying to express.” In other words, she tries to help the children envision a story as they play a song to ensure they can truly feel the message conveyed. Although many are unaware of the effects music has on others, the musical aspect of The Habits Program at Peery Piano truly tries to get their students to understand how music can move you and the power it has. It is vital when gain-

ing a music education to beautifully express yourself through song and share a message with o t h e r people. The t e a ch e r s and owners are there to show you how all the hard work you do in trying to learn the piano pays off in an amazing way, that can change your life forever.

ii. Muscular “Muscular habits are best learned at five, the younger the better because your body is just soaking it in but it’s the hardest to control...” - Christie Skousen

Within the music education world, administrators wanted a way for musicians to be able to gauge where they are in their learning. Therefore, people created music examination organizations to test students on their musicality level; this includes the MTNA, the Royal Conservatory of Music, CPMNT, etc. Although with so many different systems, a concurrent problem music teachers have is figuring out which system students will get the most out of. In Peery Piano’s case, Skousen bases her program off of Canada’s Royal Conservatory of Music syllabus, which is similar to the world renowned

Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music in London, but the question that needs to be answered is why does Perry Piano base their program off of this examination system over others? The music system in the US is like a hierarchy, there is an over arching organization called MTNA, standing for the Music Teacher’s National Association. This is a system where they let each state determine their own examination and within them are their own organizations. For example, in California, there are two, CPMNT, the California Academy of Professional Music Teachers and, MTAC, the Music Teachers Associa-

tion of California. The thing about this system of examinations that appeals to people is the freedom that comes with it. Both tests for CPMNT, and MTNA, have the must knows, such as scales, arpeggios, sight reading, and aural skills, but you have the ability to choose from an unlimited amount of songs you can test with as repertoire. The problem with the way this is set up is that since states can choose how to independently test their students, tests may vary in difficulty from place to place, meaning you aren’t able to truly know how well you are doing. As Skousen was beginning the creation of her

program, she tested out the Certificate of Merit (The MTNA test) as the foundation of her program, but found herself unsatisfied. She states, “I prepared my students and I knew a lot of things they were doing wrong and they wouldn’t correct, and I was hoping to get that reinforcement, like do you realize this is uneven, and this was sloppy and you missed these dynamics or you didn’t phrase this well and instead they would just get comments like ‘great job’ because they’re just trying to encourage the students, which is really neat but it’s not what I believe in.” Skousen understands the importance of encouragement, but not when you are learning something incorrectly.

After the realization that the US’s system was not for her, she found solace in Canada’s, which is now being slowly adopted by the MTNA. Skousen found that the reason why her mother, who is Canadian, was such a good teacher was because she learned through the Royal Conservatory system, which was very intensive. Therefore, she began to base her curriculum off of the RC so that she could further help her students develop their piano playing. Compared to MTNA and CPMNT, the Royal Conservatory follows a strict syllabus and scoring in which everything is founded upon the same standards depending on what level you are on. Although

all three exams consist of the same things, the Royal Conservatory has judges who are all specifically trained on certain mastery skills, making it harder for people to get 100% on their test. Skousen found that the Canadian system supports her belief in making sure everything is precise, to the point where it makes it relatively easier for students to advance in their learning, which really resonated with her. Wanting her students to get the most out of their music education whilst having a strong foundation of piano skills, Skousen found the Royal Conservatory to meet the standards of learning she desired.

iiI. Practical “I learned that I care and it’s not fun to work hard and I don’t like it, but it really makes a difference...” - Tessa Cowley

Music education and the arts in general do not get enough credit for the immense impact they have on its students. Within Peery Piano’s beginning program, there is a unit called Practical, in which the children learn sight-reading skills, including notes to make it progressively easier for them to practice the pieces they receive. As they go through this section within their learning process, they grasp concepts they must attain in order to get ahead in the curriculum. Music is something that takes time and practice, and without putting in any effort you do not get anywhere. Hard work is an important aspect of our lives that we take for granted, and some do not seize the opportu22

nity of the life lessons it is able to teach you. Valerie Strauss states, “You don’t find school reformers talking much about how we need to train more teachers in

the arts, given the current obsession with science, technology, engineering and math (STEM)...the arts — while important to study for their intrinsic value — also promote skills seen as important in academic

and life success.” The essence of Strauss’ argument is that schools do not put enough emphasis on the arts, and do not understand the influence it has on students/individuals. When thinking about a career, or how to succeed in life, most people don’t see music having any importance to them, because it won’t help them academically. It’s often simply seen as an extracurricular to put on your transcript, but there are several important beneficial skills that come from learning within the arts community. This includes accountability, dedication, problem solving, non-verbal communication, collaboration, and more.

In agreement with Strauss, the owner of Peery Piano, Christie Skousen, finds that learning music teaches children great life lessons while making them better people. She believes, “it teaches them the process of no matter how talented or musical you are, you still have to work for it, and it teaches you how to set long term goals, it’s not something you can cram for the night before or stay up all night and learn this piece and perform it well, so it teaches you great time management.” In making this statement, Skousen explains the value of music education in a child’s life; It

teaches them the importance of hard work as well as humility, patience, and organization. Since Skousen has began teaching, she has dedicated her time to helping kids truly learn

piano, in a way that can bring extraordinary results and help kids learn lessons that will help change their lives for the better. It is never easy learning to play an instrument, especially the pi-

ano, but the work that has been put into this program is incredibly amazing, and it is never too late to start. The overall goal of Peery Piano is to show that through time and commitment, you will be able to achieve the aspirations and hopes you have[d]. This program was created by someone who truly lives by this belief, and who has put so much effort into creating it, showing how much the school really cares about its students. Music works wonders in all ages, and it is my honest belief that it can teach you more than just how to play notes and rhythms, but lessons that will last you a lifetime. 23

Conclusion Why is Peery Piano so significant to know about, and why am I so desperately trying to convince you why learning music is of such importance? Ultimately, because I feel that people should experience how it can change your life forever. Music is part of our daily lives, whether we realize it or not, yet most are not aware of the effects it can have on a person. It is hard to understand why or how music works in the way it does, but just know it is something that helps us connect with one another on a deeper level. It helps us understand the importance of hard work, the importance of communication, and the importance of feeling emotion. There are so many

things to be expressed through music, and it allows for people to release what they want to be heard. Starting at such a young age, children are already starting their musical career, whether it is a hobby or not, at Peery Piano. It is a place based off of values such as hard work, integrity, humility, etc. and it was created by someone who is truly passionate about the piano and has been through the hardships of learning it. They truly care about their students and take so much time to teach them the value of learning music. For some, The Habits program may not be ideal because of the work or amount of time you have to put in it, but there is so much that comes from learning music and the results are impeccable. Peery Piano is

able to give children and adults an opportunity beyond playing the piano, but the chance to share music with others and learn about themselves in ways they cannot even imagine. If you are thinking about pursuing piano in any way, and want to get something out of it, then Peery Piano is just for you because it has so much to offer, and it will work wonders in your life.

works cited

Atkinson, Jenna. Personal interview. 02 Kampmeier, Valerie. “Music Exams- What Do You March 2015. Think?” Music Teachers Helper Blog. Music Boothby, Suzanne. “How Music Affects Teachers Helper, 28 Feb. 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. Our Moods.” How Music Affects Our Moods. Healthline News, 17 May 2013. Ku, Yiyi. “Comparing Different Music Testing SysWeb. 15 Mar. 2015. tems.” Music Teachers Helper Blog. Music Teachers Cowley, Tessa. Personal interview. 10 March 2015. Helper, 04 Mar. 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2015. Student Evaluations Piano Level 8 Syllabus. California Association of Professional Music Teachers, Piano Syllabus. Royal Conservatory of Music, 2009. 25 Mar. 2015.

2008. 25 Mar. 2015

“California Association of Professional Music Skousen, Christie. Personal interview. 14 March Teachers.” Student Evaluations. California As- 2015. sociation of Professional Music Teacher, Strauss, Valerie. “Top 10 Skills Children Learn from 2014. Web. 25 Mar. 2015. the Arts.” Washington Post. The DiFiore, Vince. “The Importance of Music Educa- Washington Post, 22 Jan. 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2015. tion in Schools.” CNN. Cable News Network, 31 May 2011. Web. 27 Mar. 2015.

Zipporah Alcaraz, also known as “Zippy” or “Venize”, currently resides in Mountain View, California, where she attends Freestyle Academy and the creatively named Mountain View High School. She has four independent siblings, one about to graduate from Brigham Young University, and the other three happily married. Zipporah likes to dance, sing, and eat food, preferably Panda Express. She also enjoys spending time with her friends and going on spontaneous adventures whenever she can.