I teach music education at Northern Illinois University. It's my 10th year here. Taught at University of Vermont for 4 years before that. Got my doctorate in 1996 from Temple University in Philly. I'm an east coast native. Only been here near Chicago since 2000. My life's work has been music. I lived in Manhattan and sang opera professionally for 10 years in New York and I have taught vocal/general music grades K-12 for many years in addition to that. Worked for Leonard Bernstein and so on. Lots and lots of life experiences, most of them in music. I've sung with symphonies, conducted full scale opera productions, all kinds of interesting musical activities.
Never in my adult life have I been a "fan" of popular music, especially rock or rap. But last summer, when Michael Jackson died, I began a journey, an odyssey, of discovery and extreme joy that has been life-changing. I didn't know MJ"s music much -- Billie Jean and the Jackson 5 stuff. Not much else. Didn't follow his life or career at all. I'm very uncomfortable with screaming, hysterical crowds and have avoided them all my life. When it came on the news on June 25, 2009 that he had died at age 50, the news program I was watching showed a video called "Black or White" with the song. I'd never heard it. I went upstairs to my computer and downloaded the song from iTunes and that was the beginning. Spent 6 weeks listening to MJ's music and watching the videos, all of them. Hours and hours. Fell completely and irrrevocably in love with MJ's music, with his dancing, with his vision of the world. Found myself grieving his passing deeply. What could I do? I felt deeply compelled to DO something.
Serendipitously, I was teaching a summer grad course and we had a guest lecturer, Dr. Jere Humphries, who is one of the most well-known music education researchers in the world. He lectured to my class about how in music ed, we teach only DEAD music by DEAD composers. Something clicked in me. I decided to write the first ever music education methods text preparing music teachers to teach children music literacy and listening skills using rock and rap music--the music that they listen to and love. Almost without exception. The book will be called Beat It! After the MJ song and of course, with reference to 'beat' as an element of rhythm.
Of course, I needed to learn about rock and rap music. 40 years' worth. So I've downloaded 100's of tunes to my iTunes library. I listen 9 to 10 hours a DAY. I've read a number of books such as Slash, and bios of Jimmy Page and Aerosmith and Richard Barone and The Beatles and U2. I'm meeting living rock musicians and rappers on Twitter and Facebook, something I never in a million years thought I'd be doing.
I'm in awe of the sheer immensity of wonderful--beautiful--music I've found and keep on finding. I am shamed by the ignorance and intransigence of my academic peers who dismiss this music as being inconsequential. It is the symphony, the sonata allegro, the concerto grosso, the opera, of our era. And we have largely ignored it. I've become devoted to hard rock and heavy metal. And I guess, based on my ADORATION of Alice in Chains and Pearl Jam, grunge. WHO'D HAVE THOUGHT????????
I've delved deeply in rock culture because it is so much an integral part of the art form. The U2 360 degree tour concert in Chicago on Sept. 13 was the first rock concert I've ever attended. I also went to Mos Def's concert at House of Blues. Mos Def is a GENIUS! I am now a MEMBER of House of Blues in Chicago and go there regularly to concerts. I'm on FIRE with excitement and have started to write the book. With a little help from rock musicians I've met on Twitter who are going to write for me about the composition process and other things.
So if you have any comments to add, please do so! I want this text to be ALIVE and living and breathing and RELEVANT above all. I rely on the wonderfully insightful and skilled observations from rock and rap musicians. I'm merely the coordinator, the editor, if you will, channeling their words and ideas. \..../ Rock on!
Hmmm.... The moment I read that you've been an Opera singer, and that you teach vocals too, I was like : "You can sing kinda each and every song with a lot of ease and comfort ! " Since I think that Opera is the most hard part of vocals, though I'm not sure of that ! :D
ReplyDeleteAnd, Its good to hear that you're now influenced by Rock and Metal too, since I rarely find any musical geniuses of your age who would listen to these genres , that too 9 hours a DAY ! Well, though, I personally live and breathe the music of the 80's or 90's era, since present day bands and music is much bent towards the money and fame factor, and you don't find any good, "PURE" musicians these days, though I would mention Kings of Leon or Coldplay or John Mayer among some exceptions to this !
I'm also dying to read your book too Glenda, the title itself makes me curious to read ! Music is definitely an unbeatable way to teach any subject to any student, and studies have proved that it is a lot effective too !
Have a great day anyways ! Keep Rocking :D !