Music and the Classroom

The classroom should be considered as a safe place to learn.  It is the center of information that can be attained form and informally.  It is the wisdom of a good teacher who can regulate what information is relevant but also she needs to have an open mind to other subjects of which she does not teach.

Music is one of those subjects that gets mistreated on a daily basis.  Music should be taught to students who need or desire it, not to be forced because the teachers of the other subjects cannot manage disorderly ones.   Many schools with music programmes have  not been given a breathing space to grow because of the following:
1.  heads of department without performing arts experience developing a programme without solid input of the music specialist.
2. lack of support  from top management for the growth and development of the music programme.
3. poor perception and lack of understanding of parents of interested music students.
4. members of staff who dissuade science based students to pursue music as a subject.





It is unfortunate that the benefits of music are not respected or understood by parents and members of staff thus contributing in the direction  Jamaica is going to the point that many persons are not happy with.  The lyrics and the musical arrangement of many of the "Dance Hall" music are nothing short of advertisements for  an amusement park for "dry sex". Though I have not seen recent research has on the effects a faulty music programme has on the development on the Jamaican musical culture, one must realize that aspects of Jamaican music has spiraled into darkness.

Still, music must be taught because from my experience, it is a beautiful escape from the stress of the world and home and the best tool to release their creative energy.  Also, it is an opportunity for the genesis of beautiful music to be developed and channeled correctly in the right direction.  In the end, music can become receptive to for students to better learn concepts and skills that can enable them to become good musically competent practitioners.   Therefore, teachers of the other subjects should be more selective in "sending" students to do music and spend more time supporting the music programme like any other programme that receives  "harmonic" support from various educational stakeholders.