So lately I've been having lots of conversations with people about the CMAS program - how it started,where it's going, why I structured the curriculum the way I did, etc. Inevitably, one of the questions is about how the current "traditional" program at the school is dealing with the success of CMAS.
The truth is, not well. While CMAS is certainly going through some pretty massive growing pains, overall the general path is forward. Fast. So much so that I have been wondering if I need to reign it in just a bit to ensure that we maintain the level of quality I feel is essential -bit that is another topic.
The point is, I was recently talking with some folks from the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences (my buddy Brock, and the school's Administrator Kirt Hamm - also a great guy) about how CRAS could do more to reach out to other music teachers in the community - to say nothing of their support of CMAS, generally - and we got to talking about my transition from the traditional program to full implementation of CMAS. The context was more about helping other, interested teachers do something similar, even if on a smaller scale; but in the course of that discussion something so unbelievably obvious struck me that I am kinda ashamed I have not talked about before whenever the topic of the current traditional program at the school comes up:
(I wanna preface this by stating clearly that this is definitively not a commentary on any other teacher - just a statement of some facts.)
In the years just prior to the full transition to CMAS I was simultaneously running what would become the bulk of CMAS as well as the complete band and orchestra at the school. There was also another teacher facilitating several other classes that would eventually evolve into part of CMAS as well while also running the choir program at the school. Full disclosure: for many years this other person was my wife Michele, who to be frank, is a far better teacher than I in all areas, but I digress.
The point is that during this time there were big numbers of students in the CMAS -like classes as well as strong numbers in the band, orchestra and choir. All working together somehow. All viable educationally - despite the compelling argument that I was at best a mediocre band/orchestra teacher. So if the numbers have diminished since in the traditional classes, I just don't buy it that it was CMAS's fault.
Look, the job of the traditional music teacher at the school - at any school - is very tough; and having done it for years, I can vouch for the fact that it stretches the traditional teacher far too thin to possibly succeed at their best level all the time in all aspects. But blaming CMAS for the drop in numbers is not only unfair, it's untrue.
OK. I just wanted to get that out. My personal goal, if I am very lucky, once the CMAS curriculum is fully implemented and running (likely within the next 18 months or so) is to help revitalize the traditional program. Who knows, maybe reinvent it a bit...if they'll let me.
Showing posts with label CRAS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label CRAS. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Sunday, March 14, 2010
In Your Back Yard
This past week, while on a break from teaching (ha!) I had three very cool musical experiences. Well, actually, there were five, but I will leave for later the discussions about the awesome new preamps in the studio and the massive progress on some very exciting new songs for the CD. So back to the three I started with...
The first, is actually thanks, yet again, to Michele's Mom's club. Through her connection to that group I have become friends with another dad in the group, Brock. Brock is one of the lead teachers at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences here in Phoenix. Needless to say, he is musically on a level I cannot even explain, much less equate myself to - simply, Brock, is a master, in the truest sense of the word. He's also a very cool person, just generally. Though I had heard of CRAS many times, Brock's tour was the first time I had actually spent time in the facilities. I have been in many studios, but this was really incredible - especially for an "educational" institution. The level of skill of the people who attend this school, much less the instructors, is pretty staggering. This is not your 4th or 5th tier audio specialist getting $20 per hour. There are so many gold and platinum albums on the walls, earned by CRAS students that they have to rotate them out into storage every few months. Same goes for the movie posters from all the post production work they have been responsible for. It was simply mind-numbing to walk through. The rooms were just full of so many cool audio "toys" I felt like a kid in a candy shop. This place turns out 48 students, only about 10% or less from Phoenix, every 6 weeks. It's an intense year for them. The most telling thing is that there are only something like three places in town that CRAS feels are acceptable for the required internship each student must complete. Three. That's a pretty high standard. Every know and again I meet someone who is clearly so many steps beyond my skill set that I cannot believe I get to call them friend. Brock is definitely in that category. He's also being kind enough to come speak to my more advanced students about the Conservatory and what the "real" music production world is like. Very cool.
The second was guest speaking at ASU for some Music Ed. classes (one undergrad, and one grad) about the CMAS program I created, for a prof. friend of mind, Dr. Evan Tobias. Evan is a brilliant guy, vastly more forward thinking than most people, and a big fan of what we're doing with CMAS. The opportunity to talk to some of his students about the program was really quite fun. It also forced me to really consider how the program's details are presented just generally. Clearly, I need to address this issue, but I am glad I was at least partially effective as after both classes I found myself talking for quite some time to numerous students about ways to push the music educational envelope. I'm eager to see what the future holds with ASU. Evan already sends me several interns/observers each semester, and I am hopeful that we can create a scenario whereby ASU students might be able to work with me directly as CMAS teaching assistants or something similar.
The third was a brief stroll through a local Zia Records store. It has been a terribly long time since I have been in a record store of any kind. I get almost all my music, as most people these days. on-line. The experience of walking amongst all those rows and rows of actual, tangible CDs (no it's still not the same as the days when I could walk through shelves of vinyl LPs, but still) was really cathartic. It was very freeing to just brows, something that you really cannot do with the same kind of feeling to it online. I plan to do it more often.
It was quite a week.
The first, is actually thanks, yet again, to Michele's Mom's club. Through her connection to that group I have become friends with another dad in the group, Brock. Brock is one of the lead teachers at the Conservatory of Recording Arts and Sciences here in Phoenix. Needless to say, he is musically on a level I cannot even explain, much less equate myself to - simply, Brock, is a master, in the truest sense of the word. He's also a very cool person, just generally. Though I had heard of CRAS many times, Brock's tour was the first time I had actually spent time in the facilities. I have been in many studios, but this was really incredible - especially for an "educational" institution. The level of skill of the people who attend this school, much less the instructors, is pretty staggering. This is not your 4th or 5th tier audio specialist getting $20 per hour. There are so many gold and platinum albums on the walls, earned by CRAS students that they have to rotate them out into storage every few months. Same goes for the movie posters from all the post production work they have been responsible for. It was simply mind-numbing to walk through. The rooms were just full of so many cool audio "toys" I felt like a kid in a candy shop. This place turns out 48 students, only about 10% or less from Phoenix, every 6 weeks. It's an intense year for them. The most telling thing is that there are only something like three places in town that CRAS feels are acceptable for the required internship each student must complete. Three. That's a pretty high standard. Every know and again I meet someone who is clearly so many steps beyond my skill set that I cannot believe I get to call them friend. Brock is definitely in that category. He's also being kind enough to come speak to my more advanced students about the Conservatory and what the "real" music production world is like. Very cool.
The second was guest speaking at ASU for some Music Ed. classes (one undergrad, and one grad) about the CMAS program I created, for a prof. friend of mind, Dr. Evan Tobias. Evan is a brilliant guy, vastly more forward thinking than most people, and a big fan of what we're doing with CMAS. The opportunity to talk to some of his students about the program was really quite fun. It also forced me to really consider how the program's details are presented just generally. Clearly, I need to address this issue, but I am glad I was at least partially effective as after both classes I found myself talking for quite some time to numerous students about ways to push the music educational envelope. I'm eager to see what the future holds with ASU. Evan already sends me several interns/observers each semester, and I am hopeful that we can create a scenario whereby ASU students might be able to work with me directly as CMAS teaching assistants or something similar.
The third was a brief stroll through a local Zia Records store. It has been a terribly long time since I have been in a record store of any kind. I get almost all my music, as most people these days. on-line. The experience of walking amongst all those rows and rows of actual, tangible CDs (no it's still not the same as the days when I could walk through shelves of vinyl LPs, but still) was really cathartic. It was very freeing to just brows, something that you really cannot do with the same kind of feeling to it online. I plan to do it more often.
It was quite a week.
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