How often
do teenagers say, “I really wish I could play guitar!”? Guitar is one of the most popular instruments
in the United States with hundreds of thousands of kids attempting to teach
themselves each year. Why then, is guitar not implemented into the high school,
or even middle school classroom? Surely it would draw a huge crowd. The answer
appears to lie in the fact that many teachers rely on older proven teaching
strategies. While Kodaly and Orff undeniably are geniuses in the field of music
education, we must begin to look towards the interest group of our students and
form a curriculum that encompasses them.
For this
reason, I believe implementing a guitar program would be incredibly beneficial
towards music programs in schools. I know that when my school started a
beginning piano class there was a fifty-person waiting list in a school of five
hundred kids, and guitar is even more popular than that! By incorporating
guitar into the program, the music department will be able to draw students who
usually would not be involved in ensembles, but still have the desire for
musical skills.
Therefore,
my PLN for this week is a website that shows individuals the basics for guitar.
GuitarTricks is a website in which many guitar specialists have posted videos
teaching the fundamentals to guitar, as well as other important skills. There
are 24 videos free of charge, and each video goes in depth explaining the
skills slowly and clearly. What’s great about the fact that it is online is
that one can watch the videos again and again if he or she needs additional
practice or help.
As a future
music educator, I definitely want to take the time to learn guitar, for though
it isn’t taught in most colleges, it is a key advantage in getting a job. If I
were to have knowledge of guitar, and the desire to create a program in my
school, that would certainly give me a leg up on the competition.
This is awesome! Great find. Could you post the link please? It's always nice to find other resources for learning guitar. It will come in handy for all of us.
ReplyDeleteThis is great! I've always wanted to at least try playing the guitar but I really have never known where to start. I'll have to check out this site. I also agree with you. Music educators should be well versed in all areas of music. Learning to play the guitar can be a skill that you can use to your advantage in your teaching and in your job search.
ReplyDeleteGuitar is such a great instrument because it has an appeal in schools. Most kids would jump on the opportunity to even hold on. While I myself am one of those people who know four chords and just play along to any song I can, I have been dying to learn guitar for years. It is so useful in the classroom, especially because it pertains to so much of today's music. This is site is perfect, and free! Great find.
ReplyDeleteThis is a nice find. I think a guitar program would be desired in public schools also. The trick is to get the funding, to buy a class set of guitars. Great idea!
ReplyDelete