Discovering Music FAQ

Music FAQ: Professor Carol answers your questions about studying music and the Discovering Music Curriculum:

ABOUT THE STUDENT

1.  Does a homeschool student need formal music background or training to take this course?

None whatsoever. Parents need not worry about any kind of pre-requisite. I designed the curriculum with the assumption that the student would approach these topics for the first time.

To the degree that a student does have exposure to music, the Fine Arts, history, geography, and literature, then the course materials will spark connections even more quickly. But this is one of the bonuses of all education.

2. What is the right age or grade level for this curriculum?

My overall answer is, “it depends.” The course was designed to serve the needs of secondary school-aged children and adults. Thus, a “target student” might be a 10th- or 11th-grader needing a Fine Arts/Humanities credit, or a 12th-grader using the course to strengthen college prep.

But the ideal student could also be an eager 6th or 7th grader with curiosity about history, arts, and the world. We have had students as young as 7 watching the videos methodically with their older siblings.

Finally, we are happy that quite a few parents purchase the course either to prepare to teach their young children in the future or simply for their own enjoyment of it. The course is entirely suitable for adults.

ABOUT THE CURRICULUM

1.  What should I expect to learn from this curriculum?

While music is at the center of this curriculum, the primary goals for the course are three:

  • To enable the student to draw a more comprehensive picture of Western cultural history from c. 1600 to the dawn of the First World War.
  • To become fluent in describing artistic styles and trends that shaped these three centuries.
  • To gain familiarity with significant works of art during a three-century period, as well as the musicians, artists, and writers who created them.

2.  Does this course substitute as a history curriculum?

Discovering Music was not intended to substitute as a history curriculum. It will, however, nicely complement whatever history curriculum you use. Some history courses don’t give the Fine Arts their rightful place at the core of cultural and historical developments. Yet, for most students, a deeper understanding of music and the Fine Arts helps history spring to life. “Boring” facts become memorable if viewed through the lens of music, painting, sculpture, and architecture. History and literature are no longer dusty or flat if a student can see and hear them reflected in the arts of a given period.

3.  Why did you focus on the approximately 300-year period of c. 1600 to 1914?

First, if a student can travel from the popular music of Shakespeare’s time to the edge of World War I, that’s a pretty good piece of history for anyone to undertake.

More importantly, these 300 years correspond to what is known in music as “The Common Practice Era.” Across this period, Western music shared many common elements, such as a focus on melody, clear support of harmony (chords), basic rhythms, predictable uses of instruments, and easily understood musical forms. Around 1900, these common features began to break down. By the time of World War I (1914-1918), innovations were exploding most of the commonly held principles of music, just as common assumptions of society were being felled by the horrors of WWI. So it was useful to frame this study within that period.

It’s also true that the composers students are most likely to have heard about (Mozart, Bach, Beethoven, Brahms) fit within this 300-year period. This period also coordinates nicely with divisions used in certain of the popular homeschool curricula.

5.  What is the religious standpoint of this course?

My focus was on retelling the story of European and American music, with as many connections to history, literature, the Arts, technology, and historical figures as possible. I did not choose a particular religious standpoint.

The course teaches both sacred and secular art forms. It discusses the Reformation and the Counter-Reformation, along with certain aspects of Russian Orthodoxy. The Jewish heritage of some people and the conversion of some people are discussed where relevant to the topic.

Parents and reviewers have described the course as “Christian Friendly” and “Catholic Friendly.” I’m grateful to say that students from many religious backgrounds are pleased with the course.

6.  Why are there 17 Units? It seems an unusual number.

I agree. But when I sketched out all of the content, it fell nicely into 15 units plus a Russian unit and a unit on American music and culture. So, the tally ended up 17.

OBTAINING COURSE CREDIT

1.  How long does it take to complete this curriculum?

The course ordinarily spreads across a semester or a full year, depending on the age level of the student and the degree to which in parents integrate it into other academic studies. Some families have used the course as a summer study. It has even been employed (with older students) to fit into a mini-mester (winter-interterm or May-mester).

A number of families have chosen to go through the course quickly and “lightly,” emphasizing the DVDs and CDs (for exposure) and then return after a year or two for deeper and more focused study.

2.  Does Discovering Music fulfill a Fine Arts or Humanities credit for high school? If so, can you provide documentation as to the accreditation for this curriculum?

If done conscientiously, Discovering Music more than fulfills a full credit of High School Fine Arts and/or Humanities (1.0 hour). As the author of the curriculum, I am happy, upon request, to provide detailed attestation about the course’s level for attaching to a transcript or in answer to an inquiry by an agency of accreditation.

The course can also serve as a Free Elective for 1.0 credit.

USING THE COURSE

1.  How important is it for the students to get to know the pieces of music on the CDs?

Gaining familiarity with the musical pieces (repertoire) is most important. This familiarity can be achieved by repeated casual listening to the CDs as a whole, much as one might listen to any CD in the car, on mom’s player in the kitchen, or on an iPod. But at some point, students will do well to give focused, concentrated listening to the music, piece by piece, as each piece comes up in the unit being studied.

2.  What is the goal of the Listening Set (3 CDs or, in the online version, “Required Works”)? Should the student be able to name the pieces or tell which piece is by which composer?

It’s fun to be able to identify specific pieces and composers. And if your student(s) enjoy doing this, then great! But more useful is a student’s ability to analyze what is heard: to say “Hmm, that’s so . . . Baroque! Listen to that harpsichord and the high-energy, perpetual rhythm.” Or, “I can see why Louis XIV liked this kind of regal-sounding music in those gorgeous halls at Versailles.” Or, “I can just imagine Chopin, pounding out these notes at the piano, when he heard news of revolution back in his native Poland.” Such associations of music with history, architecture, literature, and current events is a primary goal of Discovering Music, particularly for older students.

3.  The exercises at the end of Unit One seem so simple, especially if a student is already taking music lessons. Is it necessary to do them?

All students should do these exercises, particularly if they think they have a lot of musical training or think they can predict the results. They may be surprised at what they’ll discover.

4.  Can the Fill-Ins (Consumables) in the course text be reproduced?

They absolutely can be reproduced within the family, but only within the family. Additional textbooks are available for purchase, if families wish to have separate texts for individual children.

5.  What if I want to use Discovering Music with a larger group—a co-op, a public or private school class? What materials can you make available?

We have a variety of plans for larger groups, including co-op plans and plans for public and private schools. Some plans offer individual student texts and/or CD sets. Other plans feature .pdf files for the consumables. Contact our office at carol@professorcarol.com or call 800.884.7897.

COMMUNICATING WITH STUDENTS AND FAMILIES.

1.  Can the students and parents write directly to you?

I’m always happy to hear from the students and families. I do my best to answer each person. Email communications are the quickest and easiest for me, but parents are welcome to phone too. If you don’t hear back from me, please send the email a second time, in case your original email gets caught in a spam filter.

2.  Do you ever look at individual student’s work (projects, essays)?

Students do sometimes send me their projects and essays, and I’m always interested in seeing what they are accomplishing.

I hope this answers the general and music FAQ, but feel free to contact me with additional questions.

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