Critique on article: "Creating Musical Flexibility through the Ensemble"

I appreciate the efforts of our Secondary Methods professor, author and music educator Brandt Schneider, to encourage us to create musicians through the school ensemble experience.  As a product of a school system that "feed" students through the school levels, from the elementary grades through high school, it is still easy to find students at the college level lacking necessary skills in sight reading and music theory.

By establishing musical discipline, it is possible to have students learn to transpose music, and be familiar with all 12 keys.  How many times have I groaned when I looked at a composition written in five flats until I started playing and transposing to all keys?  At the very least, early exposure to music theory, and incorporating practical exercises for just a few minutes of each class will eliminate anxiety when students are presented with a music challenge during the course of their budding musical careers.

It is especially important to incorporate theory into a program that does not have a formal class.  As a music educator, I find myself looking ahead when I think of teaching.  What benefit my students when they reach the next level?  How can I prepare them now?

I am still not sure how I feel about student composing at the elementary and secondary levels.  I tend to look at composing as a higher level skill.  However, I think that there are many opportunities for students to arrange music in their ensembles.  Especially when it comes to selecting their "fun" pieces.  I remember asking my junior high music teacher to let us play Barry White's "Love's Theme" back in the day.  (Barry White made playing strings cool!) He asked me to bring in the record, and away we went.  His arrangement, I thought, was not as soulful as the record, but looking back, I would have loved to help him arrange the song.  I can't help but think how I could have made the arrangement better.  (or at least sound more like the record!) But, hindsight is 20/20 as they say.  As a teacher, you know the  abilities of all of your students.  I would have liked just knowing why he made the choices he did.  So, yes, I believe that students and the teacher should collaborate on arrangements as soon as there is an interest expressed.

I agree that there is such an overarching emphasis on performing in ensembles.  If there is a separate music theory class available, then that is ideal, but mostly that will not be the case.  Ensemble teachers should be ready to develop their instrumentalists into well-rounded musicians.