Progress

     From my time at NHMS, I'm completely set on being a band director. I'm currently looking into the music education programs at both UGA and Kennesaw State (both schools have outstanding programs). Once I'm out of college, I will hopefully get to start as a high school band director, though  middle school band is also very appealing.
     I have found that I really enjoy conducting the band. It was an almost frightening experience the first time, having that much control over a group. But, I have gotten more comfortable with it and its really great fun. These past few months have been some of the most eye opening of my life.

Planning the Final Project

     For my final HMP project, I will of course be answering the question: How does band help a student in other ares of school and in their everyday lives? To do this, I will be filming myself asking the kids questions about how they view band and how they think it has helped them. Also, interviews with accomplished music educators and other respected teachers in which I ask them questions such as: What difference do you see in the academic performance between band kids and non-band kids? and What kind of attitude does a typical band student have toward school as opposed to a non-band student? I will compile these clips into a kind of short documentary on the subject.

Music Educator Interview

     In the interest of finding out how music helps students in other areas of school, I asked my mentor about his thoughts on the subject. These were the questions and his responses.

How does an understanding of music help kids in Math?

-Subdividing (dividing the beat into 4ths, 8ths, etc.) helps kids be able to divide quickly off the top of their head

How does an understanding of music help kids in language?

-Since music is written in italian, kids get exposure to a very different romantic language (as english is a germanic language)

How does an understanding of music help kids in history?

-The music of a given time period (Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Contemporary, etc.) reflects the “attitude” of that time period

Does help a student emotionally as well as academically?

-Yes. Kids sometimes, without realizing it, get a bit of a “break” from their daily stress when they get to play their horn in band class. 

Have you seen a student become more motivated by band?

-Since band requires a lot of hard work and self discipline, students almost subconsciously push themselves in every aspect of their lives because of band. 

(Derived from previous question) Do you see a students drive to succeed progress through their 3 years?

-The students who stay in band all the way through middle school tend to have a more lasting positive attitude towards school, which can translate to academic success. 

Does a student who is a superior player perform better in school than one who doesn’t play their instrument as well?

-As long as the student is dedicated to practicing and disciplining themselves, their level of skill on their instrument doesn’t have a very big affect on their academic success.

How did you do as a student since you were in band?

-I (Dugan) was pretty successful as a student and I partly credit what I learned from being in band to that success.

Did you see that drive for success in me when I was your student?

-You (Gage) had a way of thinking about everything objectively and analytically, which is seen a lot in a student who is gifted in music.

Looking Ahead

     For the final project, I will ask the question: How does learning music help a student in other aspects of school? This is an important question for me to answer because some schools don't realize how important the music program is, and they cut it simply because its the most expensive program. When I present this to the people, there is one thing that would make a future band director's presentation particularly outstanding: A performance by the students. I've talked to a few of them and they have mentioned how band has made their middle school life much better. I think it would be great to have a video of the kids talking about how band has affected their lives. As my final inquiry, I will interview the music educators that I have worked closely with and allow them to give their opinion on the affect music has on their students' lives.

Essential Question

My essential question:
   
      How does learning to play a musical instrument facilitate other aspects of learning?

I chose this as my essential question because most kids wouldn't think that learning an instrument has a real impact outside the band room. I knew I had to look further into that idea when I realized how much more interest kids have in a subject when they are told they can apply it in their everyday life. This question does reflect my interest in the topic because its something that neither I, nor most people (as far as I know), have ever thought about. And who doesn't like to learn weird things like that?

Background Experience

     Over the past month, I have been working as almost a second Mr. Dugan with the bands at North Hall Middle School. I have worked on building the students as individual players by working with them one-on-one, as well as working with them as entire bands. During our off time, me and Mr. Dugan talk about what he does when he's not working with a band (i.e.. choosing music, lesson plans, grades, etc.). We have discussed giving me opportunities to work on conducting with the older bands.
     I have applied what I have learned in my Symphonic Band class to my work at the middle school. Watching Mr. Carwile (director of bands at NHHS) work has showed me how a rehearsal should be run. I have been in Symphonic Band, which is the advanced band class, for all 4 years of high school and I have seen the growth my friends and I have made and I hope I can make that growth happen in one year at the middle school.

Profile

About me: My name is Gage, and music isn't just what I do, its who I am. I take pride in my abilities as a performer and as a private instructor. I have played in many bands, but right now I am pursuing jazz as a drummer. Jazz is a very big deal to me because it is the most diverse kind of music and is filled with the most talented musicians on Earth.
I wasn't always terribly interested in teaching music until I was the low brass section leader this year. I got to see incredible growth in the rookies of the low brass and it made me realize that I could see that kind of inspiring improvement all the time if I was a band director, so thats what I decided to strive for.
My Mentorship: I found my mentorship later in the year than I should've. I started at a law office but quickly realized that wasn't my gig. If I'm not working with music, I'm not working at all. So I got transferred to North Hall Middle School to work with director of bands Rob Dugan and from the beginning it just felt right. I love working with the kids because I remember being their age and being excited to be learning an instrument. I get to see that same excitement on their faces every day and wouldn't trade that opportunity for the world.
My Future: I plan to go to Georgia State to get my masters in Music Education, then go to graduate school and get my doctorate in Conducting at the University of Georgia. From there I'll be directing either middle school or, preferably, high school band.