The creation of a collaborative orchestra project by YouTube, Michael Tilson Thomas and others is one of the most exciting classical music initiatives I’ve seen in a while.
Harnessing the power of the internet, tapping into the notions of participatory culture, and drawing on the abilities of instrumentalists across the world, YouTube’s Symphony Orchestra project has tremendous implications for music educators.
What role might music educators play in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra Project? What role might our students play?
Why not get started on integrating this project into our curricula?!
Let’s have our students learn about the music of Tan Dun, the composer of the original work at the center of the project!
Let’s have our instrumental students practicing and performing the music, possibly even submitting their auditions for the project!
Let’s have our general music and instrumental students commenting and critiquing the various performance videos submitted to the site!
Let’s have our students create Theme and Variations based on Tan Dun’s composition for school ensembles or chamber groups to play !
Let’s have our school music programs create similar projects where students compose music and various schools collaborate, creating performances with students from across the country!
Let’s have our students remixing, and re-performing these performances and music submissions, posting them on school websites or even performing them at a school concert!
Let’s treat this as an experiment in new models of collaborative musical engagement and develop ways of integrating this project into our own music programs!
These ideas are just the tip of iceberg…… Think creatively about how you might work this project into your program.
An unfortunate reality for many music educators is that school districts often block access to YouTube. Obviously a project of this nature offers possibilities and issues of privacy that must be sorted out, thought through, and discussed in the context of school music programs. Even if your school cannot participate directly with the YouTube Symphony Orchestra Project online, there are many additional ways it can be integrated, modified and/or transformed in ways most appropriate for your local context.
If you do have some ideas or plan on participating in some way make sure to leave a comment and consider collaborating with others.
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