Table o 6 8
Meet the Editors Austinite Art : Local Bands In Austin
12 14
Austin Live Music Factbox
18 20 24 26 30
Women History in Music : A Timeline
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Women In Music: Role in the Music Industry
Culture The Music : Different Effects Music in Cultures : A Factbox From Desk to Stage : Music Education Let’s Talk About Your Musical Future
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of Contents
L E T T E R S
Hello all! My name is Michael Stage, and I’m a LASA freshman. I have lived in Austin all my life and I love it here. I don’t know what I want to be later, but I hope that I figure it out before college applications. The reason that I wanted to do a music magazine is because I think that music changes society in a way that other things can’t. Music education is an important topic that should be studied and that’s what I’m trying to convey. There are so many artists that would not be here now without education.
F R O M E D I T O R S
Hello world! My name is Emily and I’m a freshman at LASA. I was born in Austin, Texas, and am absolutely in love with atmosphere of the city. My hobbies include painting, drawing, keeping Michael from deleting the documents off my computer, listening to music, and singing. The reason I decided on pursuing the topic of music for my magazine is because I’m very passionate about it. I chose my article topic because I’d always been interested in the role of women in the music industry, specifically their underrepresentation, and wanted to explore it further. Hope you enjoy reading our work!
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Hey whoever is reading this. My name is Phillip Herrera. I’ve lived in Austin, Texas my whole life. I love listening to music, drinking water, and talking to my friends. I have two sisters and a dog named Sonny. My goal is to go to flight school and become a pilot. I chose the magazine topic because I love listening to music and there is a lot of things associated with music. I chose my article topic because I grew up in Austin, surrounded by live music and I thought it’d be cool to learn more about it and I wanted to talk to some local bands.
I have a very exciting introduction but hey, it’s Annee, another LASA freshman. I was born in Pakistan and came to America when I was 2 years old. My goals are to become an orthopedic surgeon, have all A’s at school and to publish a book before college. I decided to do a magazine surrounding the topic of music because I feel like music is an international way people connect to each other, and it’s something everyone enjoys. I chose my article topic because I come from a different background and live between the line of two different styles of music in two different cultures and I wanted to explore further into that, looking worldwide. Other than that, I hope you enjoy reading out magazine! Summer 19
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Austinite AUSTINITE Audible Art AUDIBLE ART
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ustin Texas, it is considered to be the Live Music Capital of the world. In this musical heaven there are many live bands and music events. This city’s musical pulse, the nightlife mainly consists of live bands or singers performing in bars. Austin seems to always has a music event going on, Every year, the city hosts South by Southwest (SXSW), Austin City Limits (ACL), The Pecan Street Festival. The Longhorn Jazz Festival. These events draw many people from all over the country to come together and listen to music. Austin has an interesting musical history. In 1992, it was crowned the Live Music Capital of the world after it was discovered that Austin had more live music venues per capita than anywhere else in the nation. Austinites have been involved with music growth for a long time. Austin music first emerged in 1972 when a mix of country and rock music formed and became very popular. The genre’s popularity spread through music venues and festivals, The city became infatuated with live music. Today there are over 200 live music venues. Willie Nelson is a big part of Austin’s live music culture. ‘Armadillo World Headquarters’ was Willie Nelson’s music venue, where he united everyone through a new music genre and brought a vibrant culture to the city. The city embraces music, it has had a great impact on Austin. There are a lot of murals and sculptures about music scattered across the city, one mural is of Willie Nelson, it reads “Willie for president” and there are many guitar sculptures too. Some bands like Panic! At the Disco have performed in small venues around the city. On March 31, 2018, they held a pop up show in a tiny Austin venue. The city attracts musicians of all scales, Panic! At the
Disco liked the city’s appreciation of music. Austin is a great city for bands working on getting their big start, there are many venues and bars that need live music for their customers, so they have a high chance of booking a gig, then they get their music out to a larger audience. Austin’s culture is surrounded around art and music. “I think Austin is a great place to be if you want to be a live band because of all the opportunities you have available,” Josiah Sanchez, guitar player in the Austin band Ali Angelee, said. Austin and it’s many music events can jumpstart the careers of artists. The band started six years ago and in that time they went by many different names, their current name is their lead singer’s. They found a good amount of success in their music career. “They became a band when they were 14. It was originally four of them and they had pretty good amount of success with live performances. They played at SideWinder and at the city of Pflugerville anniversary, which I think is pretty cool,” Sanchez said. Many people move to Austin to get a start in the music world because of the city’s culture. The SXSW music festival features 2,000 musicians and bands from 60+ countries. New artists travel to perform at the festival to reach a bigger audience, the showcases help establish a fan base for the beginning artists. Another opportunity for growth given by Austin. “You’re able to see a large amount of artists in one spot, and you get to see a lot of artists you wouldn’t have ever seen before. It opens your ears to more music,” James Beene, Austin local said. The ACL music festival is an annual live music festival held in Zilker Park, approximately 400,000 people attend the festival every year. The
ACL lineup for 2018 featured musicians such as Paul McCartney, Travis Scott, Arctic Monkeys, and Metallica. The festival doesn’t just focus on music, it also has an art market, food and drinks, and a children’s area for families. These events draw in many different crowds of teenagers, college students, adults, and every different class of Austinite. Austin nightlife surrounds music, this city has many music venues, and bars. Some well-known establishments that offer live music are The Elephant Room, and The Skylark Lounge. These bars have loyal patrons that continue to go there because of the environment. “They have really good live music. The employees were friendly, I was able to get a good seat to hear and see their performances,” James Beene said. The venue’s patrons enjoy the decor
Austin musician playing banjo. Photo courtesy of Ben Thompson, 2018.
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and friendly environment.Their Venues offer refuge to people just wanting to listen to some live music and relax. “It’s a great atmosphere, and nice spot to sit and enjoy jazz music. I continue to go there because of the friendly environment. The dim lighting and candles on the table helps relax while listening to music,” Debra Briones, frequent music venue patron said.
economic activity of artists, venues, and the industry has fallen 15 percent from $856 million in 2010 to $720 million in 2014. There were once well over 300 live music venues in Austin but recently that has declined to around 250. Many music venues have closed such as Skyline Club, Soap Creek Saloon, Armadillo World Headquarters, Liberty Lunch, Romeinn and Alamo Hotel and lounge.
Live music used to be so common that you can walk around 6th Street and discover new bands daily. But as the city grows the Austin music scene is dying, Decibel level regulation, and other factors are contributing to the demise of live music. In the past four years, Austin has gotten rid of about 1,200 music-related jobs. According to
Austin is losing a big part of its culture that many people moved here for. The music scene isn’t what it used to be. “When I used to go downtown I would walk around and there would always be live music, it was great because there is so much variety, but now when I walk downtown there are very few bars or venues that you can hear music coming out,” Charles Crist, venue owner said. Austin has lost many music venues but some of the great ones
Guitar sculpture on Congress Courtesy of Phillip Herrera. 10 MUSIC MANIA
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are still standing, for example The Elephant room, Stubb’s Bar-BQ, Antone’s, Pete’s Dueling Piano Bar, and Mohawk Austin. These venues along with others still keep Austin’s music scene alive. “A large part of Austin’s culture is music and because of that I don’t think that live music will be gone for long, it might not be doing as well as it once did but it could have a come back. Even with the decline of live music in Austin it still brings people together and is a part of what makes this city so unique.” Crist said. Austin is a unique city that has earned its popularity through its culture and the musical history it contains.
ACL Music Fest Guitar sign courtesy of Phillip Herrera.
Outside local music venue, Lit Lounge. Courtesy of Dylan Alvares, 2014.
“A large part of Austin’s culture is music and because of that I don’t think that live music will be gone for long, it might not be doing as well as it once did but it could have a come back. Even with the decline of live music in Austin it still brings people together and is a part of what makes this city so unique.” -Charles Crist Summer 19 MUSIC MANIA
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Austin live music history factbox In 1970,country music had The Greatest concentration exploded in Austin, eddie of music venues in Austin Wilson opened Armadillo are located around 6 street, World(music venue) which the warehouse district, drew large crowds to south congress, and many alternating Country and Rock other places. music shows.
In the 1940s and 1950s Dessau Hall peaked with acts as diverse as Glenn Miller, Hank Williams, and Elvis Presley.
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Austin supports two orchestras: The Austin Symphony and Austin Civic orchestras.
ATX iL ve al t i p a C c i s Mu the of rld W
Summer 19 Sources https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_Austin,_Texas) http://www.kut.org/post/how-did-austin-become-live-music-capital-world https://austindetours.com/austins-live-music-scene-a-quick-history/ Summer 19
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Women In Music By Emily Kerr
er eyes close as she hears the same excuse she has for the past years of her music career, the same comments that dig into her already worn-out skull. The remarks aren’t sexist to a point where she can call them out for it, but enough to make her want to. The radio host himself says to her, air stagnant with unspoken tension, that they can’t play two female artists back to back. Why, she wants so badly to ask. A room full of men, they all say it’s what the listener wants. Who’s to decide what the listener needs, when all she needs is somebody to listen to her. The life for a female musician is difficult. Most people on Earth can guess that, nobody needs to ask twice. How strenuous of a career
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is not widely known or talked about. Especially with the recent movement of women speaking out against sexual assault, women have begun to speak up and have their voices heard by not just each other, but everyone. However, this is a slow and steady process. Women have been taught their whole lives to almost hide from the spotlight, and this translates heavily into the music world. For example, if a female artist is working on a song and they make contributions, they’ll likely not take credit because they feel their additions to the song didn’t make a huge impact. Although, male artists are much more likely to claim to be a co-writer of a song that they’ve made one suggestion for. If you ask a person on the street to name their favorite artists, if most of these are males it’s not because they’re sexist fiends who hate women,
it’s simply what they’ve been exposed to their whole life. It’s a deep rooted issue that needs to be discussed more, as the main cause of a lot of these issues is ignorance of the public. Even thinking from a business perspective in the industry women are valued less than men. They are thought of by companies as having a lower life span. Essentially equating all artists to products on a shelf. They see women as having only until they turn 30 before their career inevitably fails, but a man can last 20-30 years past that mark. From a marketing perspective that’s 20-30 more years of profit. Which, of course is going to make the company more interested off the bat. Giving the male artists a pretty large advantage on the path to success. All of this was no different for Betty Soo or Akina Adderley.
A girl ho
lds a sig
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n on Jan
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ch en’s Mar m o W e h sa k hat at t of Melis n y i s p e t r le u p a co a st 7. (Photo n wears A woma anuary 21st, 201 2019.) y, on J Mckinle in D.C. Summer 19
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Betty Soo smiles for a photo at Mozart’s Coffee Shop in Austin. (Photo by Emily Kerr, 2019.) They’re experiences working as female musicians in the industry conveys a lot about how damaged the system actually is, even after all these years. The annual report released by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative, which examines the Billboard Top 100 songs from 2012-2018, states that only 17 percent of the artists were female. The amount of songwriters and producers is even slimmer, with 12 percent of the songs being written by women, and 2 percent being produced by them. “I mean it’s a reminder really, it’s both shockingly low and also something I knew, you know what I mean?” The fact that this wasn’t surprising to her is appalling, as it is such a low number. “They aren’t making these decisions consciously, or they are making these decisions consciously but they aren’t willing to confront the inherit sexism in it,” she explains further. “I honestly don’t know if there are any inherent advantages to being a woman in music,” Soo said, commenting on the highs
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and lows of being a female in this industry. This sentence seems to encapsulate her wholehearted feelings on the topic of sexism in the music industry. In a work field that’s already difficult to navigate in general, being a woman only adds another layer of challenge. She even then tells a story of a time when she felt upset after
“It is much easier to gain opportunities as a man” - Akina Adderley
assumptions about women were made at a concert. If a videotape is being made of a performance, “As soon as the solo starts,” she said, “the camera will pan to a man. Because they don’t realize, that the woman is taking the solo. And it’s so infuriating.” In addition, she doesn’t want it to seem like she hates what she does or she hates being a woman cause that’s far from the truth. She loves both, this is just her reality. Soo then also remarks on the difference of sexism between genres, she said, “I don’t know honestly, I think the biggest barriers don’t have to do with genre. They just have to do with being an independent musician in a market in a society that value music as something you pay for less and less. And being a woman in an industry where women are kind of perceived as having a shorter career track career span.” This idea heavily ties back to the idea of women being expendable musicians. Even childbirth plays a role in this factor. Men who have children and work as musicians, their jobs never seem to be threatened by that part of their lives. “If you’re a
Akina Adderley poses for a selfie outside her home. (Photo courtesy of Akina Adderley, 2019.)
“I honestly don’t know if there are any inherent advantages to being a woman in music” Betty Soo woman who decides to leave most of the parenting to your partner or to other people then it’s seen as, you, you’re a terrible human who’s abandoned your child,” Soo said. Adderley adds to the topic of other advantages men have in music, “It is much easier to gain opportunities as a man, and, at least from what I’ve seen, you’re even paid more, which makes absolutely no sense because
we work just as hard as men do.” So even issues as commonly talked about as this one are still prevalent in this world and in the music industry.
have of themselves and give them perseverance to chase their passions. As time goes on, women’s impact on music and the industry itself will only continue to grow. If the people continue to elect women into positions of power, the pre-existing notion that the listeners want a certain amount of female artists in an hour or back to back, will change. After all, if half the musician population is female, why not let half the music played be made by
In the next 10 years, Soo would like to see the world “continue to chip away at the lies about women not having value after they have wrinkles. Or when they turn 30. Or have children.” The body positivity movement is making a huge impact on the music industry and along with other social changes and factors them? the world is moving in a positive direction. “One of the things that probably prevented me from entering this field earlier was that I didn’t see anybody who looked like me, making this kind of music and doing this kind of a thing. And I think the more that you see people who look like you, doing the things that you’re interested in, the more permission you feel to pursue it,” Soo said. If the next generation of girls gets to see someone that looks like them pursuing the careers and interests that they’d like to do, it could significantly change the views girls
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Ella Fitzgerald 1958 wins 2 Grammy Awards. The only other woman recognized that year were Renata Tebaldi and Kelly Smith.
1910 Ethel Smyth composes “March of The Women” which becomes an anthem of the British Suffrage Movement.
C beco wom on t
1947 Miriam Abramson (later Bienstock) co-founds Atlantic Records. She handles finances and production.
1777
3 Feb 1625 The first opera composed by a woman, La liberazione di Ruggiero Dall’isola D’Alcina, by Francesca Caccini is performed in Florence, Italy.
A friend of Benjamin Franklin, Anne Louise Boyvin d’Hardancourt Brillon de Jouy composes the March des insurgents to celebrate after the Revolutionary War.
WOMEN IN
MUSIC THROUGH HISTORY
Walk through time in the form of music notes on a scale, and learn about different woman’s accomplishments in music.
By Emily Kerr
1994
1960
Connie Francis omes the 1st solo man to hit No. 1 the Billboard Hot 10.
2010
Beyoncé takes home 6 Grammy Awards. This is the most won by a female artist in a single night (Adele will tie the record in 2012).
1987
Aretha Franklin is the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Sylvia Rhone is appointed chairman/ CEO of Elektra Entertainment Group, becoming the first woman, and AfricanAmerican woman to hold the title at a major label.
2018
2002
The USC’s Annenberg Inclusion Initiative releases a report that 17% of the Billboard Top 100 songs from 2018 were made by women.
Julie Greenwald is promoted to president of Island Records.
Sources •Billboard Timeline on Women’s Acheivements in Music •Oxford Music Online Timeline •BBC Article on the most Influencial Women in Music
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Cultures and the Music
By: Annee Athar
he heart of culture that the soul connects to, music. Music has placed its spot in multiple different cultures around the world. Though, with all the different types of music of each generation and various hits being produced daily, music is leaving a big effect on people and their culture.
T
One of the most basic facts about music is that it has played a role through all sorts of languages and instruments. Some songs are lyrical while others are just instrumental, but music can be enjoyed in either or both ways. Music is also very effective as its lyrical message can give people a different point of view on certain things and make people feel different ways.
French singer playing a guitar while singing. Photo Courtesy by Thibault Rives, 2019
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Culture, on the other hand, is what defines the kind of music a person could find appealing.
Most of the time, it’s because of what’s heard often through their lives. Everyone has different taste and interest in the various music genres out there, and the music they hear often leads them to new perspectives on their daily life. At times, it derives them from their cultural path to a new, different path. In other words, the music affects them and their view on culture. The biggest reaction to this effect is all present in the 21st century, as this generation is creating a brand-new future of music.
played often, and not everyone enjoys it.
“I’m more just about having fun and making things all about music and to just see where things go, not follow cultural traditions and all of that,” Arnold Benjamin, a Salvadorian musician said. Cultural traditions often enclose
But not all types of music has affected everyone in a way where they abandon their culture. For example, Thibault Rives, a French college student studying in the field of music, listens to many genres of music, but Arnold holding the guitar and sitting. doesn’t have the Photo Courtesy of Arnold Benjamin, 2019 feeling of his culture locking him into a closed circle. “No, my traditions from my culture have not changed, nor has my culture in French people marching in Parade at Corsica. general,” Photo Courtesy by John Harry, 2019. Rives said.
Arnold Benjamin, a Salvadorian musician, after hearing a lot of western music outside of his culture, was affected in a way where he believed that his culture was locking him from exploring other artists’ and the different styles of music being produced. It lead him to be further apart from his culture, as he doesn’t follow the traditions or the religion anymore.
“I’m more just about having fun and making things all about music” - Arnold Benjamin people within that culture to listen to certain type of genres of music. For example, in El Salvador and other Latin/Hispanic countries, such as Puerto Rico, reggaeton is
Thibault did not have the same reaction as Arnold Benjamin, a Salvadorian musician, did, for as Thibault believes that music has just become meditation and a way to isolate himself from all the stress he feels
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at times. It did not lead him to the same feeling Arnold Benjamin had felt. Though, the fact that they are both part of two different cultures, is another factor as to why the reactions were different, also considering they are two completely different people with two different perspectives and beliefs. Sometimes, music creates a neutral affect. An effect which doesn’t necessarily bring the cause of straying from culture
Haitain people dancing during a carnival. Photo Courtesy by Christine Daniels, 2019
to come forward, but nor does it feel as if being part of the culture is needed. It’s right in the middle, and the feeling of both of those come at the same time.
Haitain Singer smiling in front of a mic. Photo Courtesy by Chrisitne Daniel, 2019
“I’m still very much involved in my culture. That hasn’t changed. But there are times where I feel like I should isolate myself from my culture.” Momina Mehtaza, a Qawali singer, said. Mehtaza is
Pakistani and sings Qawali, a type of music which is a huge part of Pakistani culture. She religiously follows her culture, and loves it too, there’s no negativity associated with it. Though, after hearing a lot of different styles of music, she, occasionally, has the desire to stop singing Qawali and sing something else.
Qawali singers sitting on the ground with instruments, singing. Photo Courtesy by Amina Mehtaza, 2019
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Though, it’s not only the person and their thoughts on culture that music has a prominent effect on; music can also affect the style of people in a certain culture. The style as in their daily life and what they usually do, as related to their culture. “In Haiti, as the music modernized, so had the people. There really isn’t much on traditional clothing, it’s mainly outfits like, crop tops and shorts or jeans and a random hoodie. Music videos, I believe have a big part in that, their style of clothing influenced Haiti’s,” Christine Daniel, Haitian guitarist and former choir player, says. According to Daniel, her culture has modernized and became what the generation became. Instead of church music being played, as religion is a big part of her culture, rap songs about money and broken hearts are played. Though this is the main way music has influenced and affected todays many cultures, it is not the only way.
around, it gave the new generation an update to its culture, and according to Mehtaza, it was not a good update. “I personally don’t like the change. I mean, yes, I’m happy about the more freedom brought, but it’s like they’ve forgot their heritage. They have forgot who they were, and have become what everyone is now,” said.
Amjad Sabri posing for picuture with mic. Photo Courtesy by Amina Mehtaza, 2019
Then again, this wasn’t the case
and being under the influence of music, isn’t necessarily a bad thing. There’s always good in change, but sometimes the bad defeats the good.
“They have forgot who they were,
and have become what everyone is now.”
- Momina Mehtaza
“Apparently now it’s a daily thing for boys to fight with each other, for them to hit on girls. And for the girls too, to think only the latest trends and styles will make bring you a relationship. I’ve noticed how the different genres of music played in Pakistan has influenced its people, our people, to be now unrecognizable,” Mehtaza said. In Pakistani culture, peace is obligatory and there shouldn’t be violence, along with romance, it shouldn’t happen publicly. But after the big trend of songs going
with other cultures. “Salvador changed from being, uh, all about men. I guess that should describe it. Like our people used to be very heartless, and women didn’t have enough rights, but as of now, things have changed and progressed very much,” Benjamin says, as he believes through music, women gained rights that they weren’t given before and that there’s more gender equality now, than there was before in El Salvador. In ways such as this, cultures progressing
Music is a universal form of art, residing in all cultures in many different forms and ways. It’s changing many aspects on belief and bringing cultures to become more modernized, in both good and bad ways. Just like Rives said, music is very important in this day and age and it’s changing a lot, especially culture, but music allows one to do a lot; such as to enjoy themselves, isolate oneself, or to just be in peace. With the huge following surrounding music, people and their culture are bound to have an effect, as the people are no longer chasing the past, but the new, upcoming generation, filled with unlimited styles of music.
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Music in Cultures
Traveling accross the globe, with music and culture side By: Annee Athar American culture relates a lot to its music, with dances, concerts, musicals, etc. Music plays an important role in America’s developement of its culture. To the USA, the music industry is important.
In South America, music is played in their day-to-day life, as it is a big part of the culture.
Egypt and its adaption to modern times revolves around music, as that was the biggest factor.
Music played in France broadcasts their culture in its lyrics and influences their language. 24 MUSIC MANIA
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Africa’s music has a lot as their songs are deepl and achievements; bring a form of art.
e by side.
t to do with its culture, ly rooted with struggles ging a lot of that out in
In the history of Russian music, their culture adapted to having feasts while dancing and playing traditional instruments, such as the domra. China, relating to its culture with music, has 12 different traditional outfits to go a long with their classical music. Australia has ancient heritage running through its music, as it has been part of their tradition for the longest time.
Sources: Advantour.com Musicedmasters.kent.edu The-artiďŹ ce.com Worldmusic.net
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Daniel Ching’s student plays a concerto as practice. Photo courtesy of Michael Stage, 2019.
From Class To Stage By Michael Stage
ne day, at a desk. A few years later, a student is on a stage, performing for the masses. “How did this happen?”, the reader might wonder. Years of practice and a wondrous amount of luck, that’s how.
0
There are many types of music in today’s culture. Theatrical music is related usually to musicals or scores for movies. Orchestral music is dealing with the main strings, such as the violin, viola, cello and bass. Choral music is usually a professional choir singing a classical piece. There are many
others, but what unifies them is performance and some form of education. These forms of education differ between schools, teachers and types of music. Music education has inspired other
“If you have passion for what you’re doing, then nothing can stop you from working toward that goal.” -Daniel Ching musicians to learn more and even go on to teach. Even teaching can vary, from
taking a college course to learning guitar from a random person in the park. Music education, while differing in outcomes and methods, can’t cover everything and often doesn’t. Rob Mikulski, the former musical director of the musical “Aida”, said “it’s not all who you know, in other words, it’s also the talent to back it up.” So, meeting future megastars in high school won’t matter if the skill is not present. Producing music is different from performing. A producer, Joshua Levy, who is the founder of an establishment that utilizes a teaching method called the “Creative Outlet Method”, has been teaching children with
Daniel Ching is teaching his student how to play a concerto on the violin. Photo courtesy of Michael Stage, 2019.
disabilities to perform music, while he himself does not
“Learning never ends. Time with teachers are finite, so the best thing those teachers can do for you is to equip you with skills that allows you to continue learning for the rest of your life” -Daniel Ching
perform. Levy is concerned business aspect of music production and has learned to “expect the unexpected”. He said that he had not been taught to do this while in college, but that he found it a very important skill. Learning in the real world is what most of our lives will be spent on, so interviewee of ours, Daniel Ching, works at The University of Texas (UT) Austin as the Associate Professor of Practice, said that “time with teachers are finite, so the best thing those teachers can do for you is to equip you with skills that allows you to continue
learning for the rest of your life”. We felt that it was important that education not only teaches the music but teaches one how to teach themselves. This is true of music education as well. A professor can tell the reader to keep practicing and performing all of your life, but from then on, it is the reader’s job to do that and teach themselves new things. To teach someone music is a complicated process and usually does not work out as well as some other teaching professions. Teaching music is enlightening to the spirit, however, because it feels good to successfully teach a person or group how to play an instrument or unlock choral talents that they might have never happened
Daniel Ching playing along with his student. Photo courtesy of Michael Stage, 2019.
upon on their own. Ching said that teaching is also a humbling experience and is, in itself, a learning experience. Changing someone’s life and giving the opportunity to learn to someone must be a gift beyond money or power.
in college, Ching studied at many different institutions, while Joshua only studied at one. While level of education might not be completely equivalent to the level of
“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words.” -Victor Hugo
Back to the method of teaching, Levy said that the Creative Outlet Method is an encouragement to promoting enrichment activities for people with special needs, which differs from Ching’s methods of teaching, which he says are to help you learn how to teach yourself. These methods of teaching differ, if only in part, by the level of music education that the teachers were given.
teaching, they must be somewhat correlated.
Another point that might incite interest is that music education influences the eventual turnout of the musician. A teacher in college may be harsh and over While they both studied music demanding, which may lead
the musician to not pursue music. However, the opposite is also true. A teacher that is supportive and caring may prompt the student to continue to chase their dreams, however hard it may be to get there. The style of music that is taught also influences the musician. If a student was taught the violin, but was pushed into the instrument, they might move to another instrument or style because of this push to do a preprescribed thing. The common misconception by people in the music industry, and outside of it, is that a person plays the same instrument or sings the same style of song forever, but this is simply not true. Take the famous 70s-80s hit rock band, Queen. While mainly releasing
Daniel Ching giving notes to his student. Photo courtesy of Michael Stage, 2019.
hit album after hit album of rock music, one album, “A Night At The Opera�, was in the completely opposite direction for the band, singing slow melodies and blissful serenades. Therefore, the style that is commonly sung or played by a group or individual is not always the style that they stick to, whether it is for training reasons, or simply because they want to switch it up. That is why music education is vital to a songwriter’s life and achievement. Without this education, the musician might never learn professionally, but more important still, they would not have foundation to build off in terms of skills. This foundation of skills is what allows them to build new skills and new abilities.
Belting in singing is one such ability. To belt, one needs to already be in control of their voice in terms of breath and volume. Vibrato on a stringed instrument is another example of a skill that requires some can see these singers and foundational skill to master. performers taking tests and The reader can learn that Musical education is important in many vital ways. It affects how one may learn music in the future, if one may even pursue the career at all. One may also learn that the method of teaching is important to the outcome of the student and their interest or fervor in the profession, and that the selling of that skill is important to their success. Music is probably flowing through about 2 billion pairs of ears right now. And if we look back just a little bit, we
playing gigs at the local bar for some small cash. To see these icons of musical history learning what they know from teachers and textbooks is almost stunning, but if we find these trends and learn these skills, we can all become performers like these.
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Let’s Have A Talk About Your Musical Future! By Michael Stage
So, you Con it’s with life. illus with to b
•First Off, Some Stats! In 2015, Peter Miksza, who is a Music Education professor at Indiana University, and educator Lauren Hime ran a study to see how many students with music degrees are currently working in that profession.
•The Results Were Astonishing...
•Musical Educ
Love to teach kids? Want to get Music Educations might be good A whopping 75% of Music Education majors found work low-paying, but it can more pro as soon as 4 months after graduation. Over 50% of Music college. Performance majors had the same results.
•Performance Careers:
•More Sch
Now, I know that your all groan These are some of the hardest musical careers to get into If you get some more schooling will seem more interesting to al because they require precise skill sets. Success is less forthcoming and the path is less clear. This career path is Whether its Broadway or Water you farther. very entrepreneurial and not as lucrative to start.
you’ve finished ur degree in Music. ngrats! But now time to get on h the rest of your . This article will strate what to do h your music degree begin your future.
MajoringInMusic, MajoringInMusic. “MajoringInMusic.” Music Major - Majoring in Music, 2016, majoringinmusic. com/what-can-you-do-with-a-music-degree/. cation Careers: Sparkman, Kyle. “How to Plan Your Career in Music after College.” Transferring to Thornton |USC Thornton School t a job pretty fast? If yes, then of Music, 2017, music.usc.edu/how-to-plan-your-careerd for you! Teaching might be in-music-after-college/. ofitable at higher levels, such as Zuckerman, Bill, et al. “What Happens to Music Majors After They Graduate College? New Study Reveals Amazing Data.” Music School Central, Music School Central, 1 Mar. hooling: 2016, musicschoolcentral.com/ what-happens-to-musicmajors-after-they-graduate-college-new-study-re ning at that, but hear me out. veals-amazing-data/. g, a graduate perhaps, you Picture created by Luis Prado from Noun Project ll the places you want to go.
rloo Records, schooling can get
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“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.” - Victor Hugo
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