UPDATE
06/10/08:
I am very pleased to announce that beginning this September
I will be teaching an online course for The Universities
of New Hampshire through Granite State College: Understanding
& Experiencing Music. The course will be based on this
radio series! I will add more information here as it becomes
available, but in the meantime if you would like to register
for it, let me know. All you will need is a computer and
an Internet connection.
Dear Listener,
Many teachers and home-school
parents have approached me about developing a classroom
curriculum around The Message In Music. These educators
particularly like the wholistic, multidisciplinary approach
I take to a subject, and believe that being able to think
about an issue or idea from many perspectives is a skill
that needs attention in the classroom.
To this end, I have begun
to develop a "Great Themes" Curriculum based around
13 programs from the series.
The idea for the series originally
developed out of my experience teaching music at Kenyon
College, a fine liberal arts institution in Gambier, Ohio.
I found that since I was teaching music theory to many students
who would go on not to be musicians, but instead doctors,
lawyers, teachers, business people, entrepreneurs, scientists,
writers, actors, accountants and more, music came alive
to them if I could show the students how it could touch
their lives and make a difference in the quality of their
lives.
The approach I took, therefore, was a truly
diverse and holistic one, where the topic took the main
seat and science, history, languages, philosophy, art, literature,
athletics and, yes, music were all brought to the table
together in support of the topic. And while it's important
at times to compartmentalize learning, when the topics deal
more with perennial questions of existence (what does it
means to be a human being; what's my purpose in life; why
is it important to strive to do good deeds; etc.) it's important
to bring all the disciplines to bear. After all, these questions
are about life, not just biology or philosophy or religion.
The first draft of a program curriculum has
now been written. I welcome you to take a sneak peek at
the PDF study guide by going to www.TheMessageInMusic.com/studyguide.
Along with TMIM-related, creative activities for the classroom,
you’ll find some thoughts about my vision for a new
brand of “Music Appreciation,” in the INTRODUCTION
of the Guide.
Please let me know if you have any comments
or suggestions: write me at Micah@TheMessageInMusic.com.
Also, if you are an educator or school administrator and
woul like to see this curriculum in your school, please
let me know.
Happy listening!
Micah D. Rubenstein, Host,
The Message in Music
