Understanding Music
(The who, what, where, when, why, and how of your music.)
(The who, what, where, when, why, and how of your music.)
(The band director is just going to tell me what to do, right?)
Developing a deeper and more personal connection to the music you are preparing is integral to crafting the best possible performance, and honestly, it just makes playing the music more fun. This website will act as a resource for inquisitive musicians who want to take their performing skills to the next level. Here you will find guides and digital resources that will help you develop a deeper understanding of music theory, music history, and performance practice. The resources on this website are aimed at those just beginning their musical journey but links to more advanced materials will be provided for those musicians with more experience. Thank you for allowing me to accompany you on this adventure, I hope these resources can help!
Three Keys to Really Understanding your Music
You must know why you're sitting in a band room before you can fill it with sound.
You must know why you're music ends up sounding so cool before you can make it sound cooler.
You must know how everyone before you performed it so you can perform it better.
Grades: 6 - 12
Students should learn the techniques necessary for developing a deeper understanding of the music they are playing. The foundation for all music is music theory, so students should begin by learning basic music theory; This includes key signatures, scales, chord progressions, and rudimentary roman numeral analysis of harmony. Next is learning about the various time periods in music history. Students should be briefed on major historical/musical events, composers, and techniques that occurred within the Medieval, Rennaisance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th-century. Finally, students should learn about how all of this impacts the performative aspects of music and how they can incorporate that into their music playing.