Music, do we
take it for granted?
By Keri Vockins.
Why is music one of those subjects that get taken
as “This
is a stupid subject, we’re not learning any literacy or maths”?
A band like Metallica, which is so good and makes so much money
from writing songs, is a good example. Their songs are poetry – so
why can’t we put English and music as one subject?
For instance, in their song Unforgiven 2, the chorus goes:
“
What I feel’s what I’ve known
Turn the pages turn the stone
I’m behind the door and should I open it for you
What I feel’s what I’ve know
So sick and tired of staying alone
Could you be there?
Cause I’m the one who’ll wait for you
Or are you Unforgiven too?”
Too often we treat music as if it is something
just for listening to – instead of telling students that
they could have careers in bands and as singers.
Look at David Campbell, the Ross Smith Secondary old scholar who
has just released his first album. Even if you don’t like
his songs the fact is that he has made a successful career from
music – and that opportunity is also open to us all.
So music is not only for listening. There is a good reason to study
it at school so students can develop the talent to write or play
music.
Even if you never have a career in music the skills you learn will
always be with you to enjoy and maybe pass on to others.
So maybe next time any students think that music is not a proper
lesson because they’re not learning enough or that it’s
not as much fun as it could be, think again because what would
life be like without it?
Ross Smith students are again leading the world in on-line publishing after the school became one of the first to feature student-produced videos on their website as part of the literacy project in 1999.
The Ross Smith E-View was started this year after articles were put onto an international schools website with highwired.com, but in 2002 Ross Smith has made a magazine on the net for themselves.