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Why study
music? People who invest in learning and making music a part of their
life have an instinctive feeling that it is "important." Suffice to
say, the reason to study music is that it teaches us how to think,
feel, cope, breath, live and in some cases brings us closer to god.
Unfortunately, over the past decades, many school systems have cut music from their curriculums. This type of
cultural and educational devolution is a huge mistake for which our children and society will pay a huge price
if unchecked. Since music predates civilization it is time we recognize it's
importance and value by reintroducing it into our educational matrix.
Types of Music Schools
The Local Music Studio
usually employs a small staff of independent local musicians. A piano,
guitar, drum, brass, jazz theory teachers will work with young children
and adults in a private setting. Teachers teach classical, jazz,
composition, basic ear to beginning, intermediate students.
The Community Music School
is usually a more substantial and well-funded facility that melds as an
institution that is part of the town or city where it is located. These
types of schools often employ dozens of teachers/musicians. They offer
study of a broader range of instruments, banjo, mandolin, soprano,
vibraphone, woodwinds, horn, viola, violin, clarinet, trombone,
baritone sax, harp, vibes, tuba aside from the standard faire of piano
and voice. An example of a community music school would be The Settlement Music School, Philadelphia, PA which has five branches in various neighborhood throughout the city.
The College of Music
which is usually a part of a large university, will offer degrees in
various studies of music such as a Bachelor of Music (BM), Bachelor of
Arts (BA) and Bachelor of Education, Masters Degrees and in some
schools, Doctorate degrees. Many of these degrees require study and
credits in courses that are more academic and vaguely or indirectly
related to music. Many Universities have Colleges of Music who employ
staff with comprehensive and accomplished music backgrounds.
The Conservatory
is a school that is primarily dedicated to music studies and music
careers. Similar in many ways to “the college of music,”
the “conservatory” is not bound to a broader University
structure, politics and policies and thus limits academic distractions
and engenders a more focused attention on only music, all the time. Julliard,
Curtis Institute,
Manhattan School of Music,
Boston Conservatory,
Berklee School of Music are examples of Music Conservatories.
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