Albertia Burgess, English, West Charlotte High
Synopsis
Often, music serves as the connective tissue to many factions and events in our personal and professional lives. During holidays, we often celebrate, commemorate and praise each other through anthems and memorial tunes. Special events and activities, such as sports games and political events, are typically accompanied by team inspiring or subtle instrumental tones. Finally, this tends to be a medium that many of us indulge in when enjoying personal, leisure and even family time. The vast array of creative methods employed during the music making process continues to be something that progresses with time. Along with the methods of creation, the practical usages of music have also evolved to a phenomenal extent. Sesame Street is, perhaps, one of the oldest tv shows that incorporates the utilization of music to relay educational concepts to students. In fact, Sesame Street paved the way for hits shows like Barney, Blues Clues, the Wiggles, and Yo Gabba, Gabba. Though this highly engaging and effective method for teaching young children is necessary and appreciated, it does not negate the fact that applications for this tool at more rigorous levels is extremely rare. Except for platforms like Flocabulary and the newly released Ear Sketch, very few musical avenues for learning exist for students in the high school or collegiate levels. The CTI Unit “A la Carte: Putting Music on the Educational Menu” offers high school educator resources for incorporating music into the classrooms that will promote increased engagement, offer tools for refining learning, and assist in improving classroom management efforts.
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