As a musician and aspiring music teacher, I would be primarily interested in how music affects students' lives, communities, identities, and schools. One of the most interesting questions would be how music can shape identities, both individually and collectively. How does music shape how we view ourselves and others? Music is intertwined so closely with some cultures and groups of people that the music the music is used as a defining characteristic; for example punk can refer to not just a music but an entire subculture. Personally, I use music as a lens through which I view the world around me. Certain songs evoke images in my mind about my life. A piece of music can make me think of anything from a person to a season to a single moment. I tend to identify with people who listen to the same music as me, and am likewise affected by the music that my community listens to. Do urban students do the same, and if they do, to what degree? How strongly does the music they identify with define their individual and collective identity? How does the music they listen to affect their view of education? How does the music they listen to affect their view of authority?
As a music educator, I am also interested to know what effect music has on schools and individual student learning. My personal experience with music in school mostly had a positive effect on my education. Music gave me confidence and passion, and allowed me an opportunity to contribute to something bigger than myself. It also gave me a reason to come to school when I had few others. Can music have the same effect on everyone? Would it make an even bigger difference in impoverished urban communities? Or would it fall by the wayside because of more immediate concerns How does the quality of a music program affect the school as a whole? How does the quality of a music program affect the individual students enrolled in it? Does it improve learning in other areas, or distract and have a detrimental effect? Does a music program affect the students in a school who do not participate in it? What effect does music have on teachers? Do they value it? Do they use it for instruction?
I feel that music is important to individuals and societies. It can affect these in various ways, and my questions primarily deal with those effects. My own experience has led me to believe that music can have a very positive impact on education. I would like to see if this is a possibility in urban areas.
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I find your inquiry question very interesting and worth exploring. Music, in my opinion, goes far beyond the notes and combinations of sounds. It is emotional; it creates culture and community. Music has been an influential part of my life, particularly because I have been involved in several choirs, and used to listen to a variety of music genres. Reading your questions, I find that you are interested in the emotionalism of music, which in my opinion, would be a fascinating topic to explore. How does music affect people, or yourself? What are people's reactions or actions to music, and are they predictable? What are the positive and negative affects of incorporating music into the curriculum, particularly in Newark? In what ways do music create community?
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