Myers, D. (2007).

Freeing music education from schooling: Towards a lifespan

perspective on
music teaching and learning. International Journal of Community Music
1(1): 49-61.
David Myers begins with the email that Stephen Brudinsky wrote to him.
Some key points are those kids leave high school and never touch their
instruments again. He believes that school music will not have a lifelong
musical affect on the students. Also as Myers points out: producing
successful ensemble performances in schools does not necessarily instill
skills and understandings that empower people to fulfill their musical drives
and potential over a lifetime. This is the sad truth for many high schools. For
example, in my high school: we had a great music program and we won many
gold medals for our performances; the two music teachers main put in so
much effort to make us work hard to win the competitions. Once we all
graduated, an average of 3, out of 20 or so, people would continue music in
post-secondary. Its true that I did not learn the skills through high school; I
had to learn them out side of school with my private teacher. Even though
this happened, the excitement of competitions and performing kept me
engaged in the music program. In a way, Brudinsky is right. Only some school
music doesnt have a lifelong affect on the students. However, it doesnt have
to be this way because it is up to the music educator. Connecting with
Dolloffs point of view, its not about what the teacher taught the student, its
about how the teacher made the student feel that will make a mark on their
lives and stick with them forever.
Later in the article, Myers provides statistics on people who personally
performed or created art in 2002, where choral music is the highest: 4.8%;
1.8% for classical; 1.3% jazz; 0.7% in opera and 2.8% participated in
composition. The numbers look very low but in Harvard, there was a 300%
increase in the number of student arts organization.
One point that stuck out was we suggest that unless one begins music
before the age of nine, the attempt is largely useless. I disagree; I never
took formal music training until I was 18 years old, and I began doing music
in high school. Myers brings up arguable points but they seem slightly
negative as I was reading them. As I mentioned earlier, its up to the music
teachers to make their positive mark on the students and teach them skills
that they can have for the rest of their lives.