By Madeline Wood, United Junior High and High School (Monmouth, Illinois)
When in-person learning was suddenly suspended in March, I was left with building from some favorite in-class activities that did not require instruments. I thought back to a chat my students had with composer Dr. Lauren Bernofsky. At our last concert, the United High School Band performed her composition We Wish You a Klezmer Christmas. During rehearsal, students had questions about terms she used and compositional techniques, so I contacted her through her website to see if she would meet with my band. She suggested talking via Skype and when I told the band it would happen, they were incredibly excited.
To prepare for this first composer chat, I created a worksheet with her biography and had the group formulate questions. I coordinated with my technology director to ensure we would have the capability to effectively speak through Skype during class. We were ready!
In the opening of the piece We Wish You a Klezmer Christmas, there is an extensive clarinet solo. Our principal clarinetist asked Bernofsky a few questions about the solo and she invited him to play it for her. He was speechless, but after the band cheered him on, he performed it. She complimented him and offered some pointers. As a result, he had a better understanding of the composer’s wishes and new confidence in his interpretation. The band was absolutely starstruck that we had talked to a real composer! I think many in the band were surprised Bernofsky was a woman, alive and not much older than their teacher.
During the shutdown, the students and I used Zoom to continue meeting together. I went through the scores we had been working on in class and emailed the composer of each. Through musician websites, websites of publishers, Twitter, Facebook, and word of mouth, I found contact information for our potential guest speakers and wrote to them. I was in disbelief when they started writing me back! During the course of e-learning, the musicians at United chatted with composers Robert W. Smith, Brian Balmages, Randall D. Standrige, Jay Bocook and Bruce Pearson. They connected to performers Brian Allen, Jasmine Muhammad, Phillip Lopez, Julia Coronelli, Tage Larsen, Matt Wilson, Craig Wright and Matt Lee. They met music education student Sarah Purlee and spoke with conductor Maurice Cohn. As a result, my 6th - 12th grade students had the opportunity to ask questions of these famous musicians, hear how they started their careers in the same way our student musicians start and receive invaluable life and musical advice.
As with Dr. Bernofsky, I posted each musician’s biography, headshot, and YouTube link in Google Classroom to pique my students’ interest. After reviewing the information, students formulated specific questions. They included “How did it feel when you got to perform with John Legend and Kanye West?” and “What have you done to stay musically active, without your fellow musicians [while in quarantine]?” I assembled questions in an order I felt made sense and asked them to the guest. I would give the student credit, saying “Sara S., sixth grade flutist, wondered…” I did this to maximize time with our guest during the 30 minute chat while still giving ownership to the students. After our guest left, I invited students to turn on their video and/or audio and discuss amongst ourselves the chat we had, as well as to catch up on how and what they were doing that day. All chats were recorded, with permission, so students unable to join in real time could access them later.
Some guests stuck to answering questions, while others deviated and gave uplifting and inspirational advice. Drummer Craig Wright wrote, “I found the questions thoughtful and interesting. The one that really stood out to me was: ‘Did I always know I could be successful as a musician or was I doubtful?’ That’s a very insightful question for anyone looking to do and be anything in life. If I didn’t believe I could do it, who else would?” An especially memorable chat started with a lovely performance by Milwaulkee Symphony Principal Harpist Julia Coronelli and Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra Principal Cellist Jake Hanegan. They performed their own transcription of the Intermezzo from Act II of Fedora by Umberto Giordano.
When asked about her favorite chat, seventh grader Ella B. ”loved the opera singer. I just loved his voice and learned it’s not very easy to be an opera singer.” For many of my students, this was the first time they heard an opera singer. Senior Rebecca M. revealed “I really enjoyed all of them. I liked learning about different people’s experiences with music, and how they got started.” Sophomore Caydence W. “really liked chatting with Randall D. Standridge and Brian Balmages because we’ve played so many of their pieces and it was really cool to ask questions about the pieces that we play.”
North Central College Senior Music Education Major Sarah Purlee said “being a part of this chat was a great opportunity to see students from a more personal standpoint than I get to in practicums, and for that I am very grateful! I also enjoyed the opportunity to share the importance of private lesson study.”
Harpist Julia Coronelli thought the chat “felt very personal and special to be able to connect with students from my home, and from a different state, especially during such an isolating time.”
Many of our guests had not addressed a group of student musicians, and some had never ventured into the world of virtual meetings. From Dr. Bruce Pearson: “By providing a framework for the questions and a “trial run” prior to my virtual visit to Ms. Wood’s classroom, the session went off without a hitch.” Dr. Pearson’s publisher sent out an email blast, inviting other classes to virtually connect with him. During the month of May, he visited teachers and students in 30 classrooms from across the country. I was thrilled to be the catalyst for so many other conversations!
Although the musicians said they wanted to see and hear from the students, I erred on the side of caution and had students turn off their video and audio while our guest was present. Conductor Maurice Cohn wrote “I totally understand the privacy instinct to have the students not on video, but I would have loved to be able to get follow-up questions from them.” Before conducting future meetings, examining policies and best practices for virtual meetings with students will be an important consideration.
Our chats helped students see composers and performers as real people, many who also started their musical careers in a public school band room. Additionally, the chats helped my students in rural Monmouth see many successful musicians start in small towns like theirs. Matt Lee, principal trumpet with The Chicago Sinfonietta, and graduate of the school where I teach said “I think the questions about my ‘path’ from growing up in a small town and attending a rural school, to finding a career path in music were the most beneficial. I hope that it inspired the students to follow their passions and help them to realize that anything is possible.”
Because of the variety of musicians, and the interesting and creative questions asked by students, there was something that appealed to almost everyone. One student wanted to know what it what like to study at Julliard. Another asked if our guest played sports while in school. Many students were interested in the celebrities our guests had collaborated with, asking questions like “What is Eric Church like in real life?,” “Did you actually get to talk to Lady Gaga?,” and “What is a rehearsal with Ricardo Muti like?”
D.J. D., a recent graduate, had the fantastic idea to ask each guest musician the same question: “What makes a musician great?” It was fascinating how varied the responses were! Senior Rebecca M. reflected “one thing I learned that really stands out was how each performer/composer described what made a musician great. They all had very different answers, but I would say that they all agreed that a great musician is someone who enjoys making music and making others enjoy music.”
I was able to create content based on our chat. I had each student articulate what they thought made a musician great. Brian Balmages gave my students this advice: “How are you going to emerge better than you were when this [the pandemic] started? [Ask yourself] How am I going to treat people differently? How am I going to interact with my family differently? Don’t waste a crisis.” I assigned my students to answer his questions, outlining a better version of themselves, musically and in all areas of their life, post-pandemic.
Balmages sent us a video clip of astronaut G. Reid Wiseman demonstrating from the International Space Station how sound is different in space. I feel like I now have another layer of appreciation and understanding for Balmages’ composition ‘Open Space’ and can bring that understanding to our rehearsals. By speaking with the composer about a specific piece, we learn insider information about their intention and their thought process when composing it.
Another example of creating content from our chats happened with composer Robert W. Smith. He discussed how he thinks music is a language. I asked the class to respond to the following questions:
“Do you agree with him? In a Google Document, give at least two reasons why you support his claim or two reasons why you disagree. He also said we are lucky to be musicians. What are ways we can share our music with others to bring joy?”
We can connect our student musicians to the wide world of music without ever leaving our music room or living room!
When I think back on teaching music remotely, although I would have preferred in-person instruction, I was happy to be able to provide space for us to be together a few times a week. Musician chats are applicable during in-person instruction as well as e-learning. It is amazing how we can connect our student musicians to the wide world of music without ever leaving our music room or living room! As a result of the performer chats, my students and I are connected to 15 incredible musicians who I can contact in the future. The next time we have a question about a piece by Randall D. Standridge, we can ask him. The next time Eric Church’s band comes to town, I know who to contact about a masterclass for my drummers (and tickets!)
Madeline Wood teaches at United Junior High and High School in Monmouth and Carl Sandburg College in Galesburg. Most recently, she was the recipient of Alpha Delta Kappa’s Excellence in Education award. She serves as ILMEA District 2 President.