Myers,D.(2007).

Freeingmusiceducationfromschooling:Towardsalifespan
perspectiveonmusicteachingandlearning.InternationalJournalofCommunityMusic
1(1):4961.

For what I believe is our final annotated bibliography on the syllabus, Myers
(2007) fittingly talks about lifelong learning. The premise of the article addresses the
idea that music taught in classrooms does not promote lifelong learning, and that music
courses for adults and seniors do not cater to the wants of their target audience. The first
point is that music in schools is too far removed from what students learn outside of the
classroom, that no one would want to be in an ensemble outside of high school because
that isnt what music is to todays students. Myers then goes on to contradict this point,
discussing how many people are involved with choral and instrumental music, like the
New Horizons band based out of Western. I dont think that people are opposed to
playing in ensembles, I think that there is a group of music scholars who are all hopping
on the lynch classical training band wagon and are somehow bitter about a system
rooted in tradition.

There are many good qualities in classical training, but it can be too rigorous in
some cases. Myers next point is about adult music classes, and that they are not meeting
the needs of the adult learners. Upon being asked what they want out of the piano class,
the students revealed that they just want to be able to play simple tunes for their family.
Because the adults in the class were not seeing results, and feeling like they were
progressing, dropout rates in the class were rising. It turns out that the class was set up as

if you were training a young student for a conservatory exam, the material was very
technique heavy and this was not rewarding for the students. Of course, the class was
being taught by a concert level pianist, whose whole upbringing was likely to be centered
on technique. No one should be at fault here, all that is needed is a revision of the
curriculum and that would make the class rewarding for its target audience.

The general consensus is that people would like to be more involved with music,
but in order to do that they will probably have to learn the basics of singing or playing an
instrument. Weather its wanting to be able to play popular music, campfire songs, or the
famous popular-classical works, you will most likely need to learn an instrument. This
doesnt mean that we need to turn everybody into a virtuoso, but there is proven method
in classical training that will get students, young and old, the skills necessary to get closer
to the music they love.