Modern Music Education: Themes, Instruments, and Artists

Professional musician Nik Preston points out that the concept of music education is incomplete without understanding that there are no fixed boundaries between different musical notes and tunes. It is only that these chords will differ from each other at some point in time. The same could be said about the vague distinction between classical and contemporary music.

There seems to be an intriguing trend whereby classical musicians consider diversifying their schools into contemporary music institutes. The move is to target a larger student enrollment and keep businesses going. This move can have lasting negative impacts on musical education.

Let’s first address the elephant in the room: What’s the difference between a contemporary musician and a classical musician? While most would say contemporary musicians improvise and classical musicians sight-read, we’d go with the primary distinction between the two that Nik Preston accepts.

Preston insists a classical musician follows the composition and vocal parts of others, whereas a modern musician is capable of creating their vocal ranges.

Want to learn classical instruments like the piano? Piano lessons in UAE are offered at The Young Musician Music Institute. Get in touch with our representatives.

Here’s a quick overview of the themes considered under modern music education.

Engaging Music Theory Lessons

Music theory is comprehensive and deals with what music possibilities and practices are applicable within the realm of music. This includes everything from the basics of music like rhythm, rhythmic notation, key signatures, and time signatures. The advanced levels in music theory bring in music analysis tuning strategies and music composition methods.

To understand music theory, students should master at least one instrument. Drum lessons are available in the UAE at our music school. Admissions to our violin lessons and music certificate courses are open throughout the year.

Modern Rock and Heavy Metal

The current music scene in Europe and America has opened its arms to popular music genres worldwide. These genres show a great deal of divergence from classical and semi-classical music genres in the past. The music themes and musical instruments now have a global impact, with modern music schools recognizing their contributions.

The rock and pop categories at music schools acknowledge modern rock as a popular genre of the day. The genre uses modern musical instruments like electric guitars and keyboards.

Hip Hop Bands and Group Singing

Most modern music education schools continue to give leverage to group singing sessions. Group singing helps with self-improvement and building confidence in shy individuals. Based on the instruments students decide to take up, they can choose classes in private and group sessions.

Advanced Tech in Music Schools

The landscape of music teaching and education has changed greatly in the past few decades. While traditional rigid music schools might resist change, modern music schools are all set to embrace the technological advancements that might change modern music pedagogy. Music tech applications and digital audio workspaces are now a part of music courses taught at musical schools.

If the music school also deals with music composition and production, experts employed are expected to know music tech better. DAW apps like Soundation and Cloud-based applications such as SoundTrap are common apps used in music schools.

Some tools and technology that have become quite common in music schools include:

• GarageBand
• Ableton
• Muse Score
• Audacity

Experts at the Thornton School of Music feel modern musical classrooms could produce exceptional orchestras, choirs, and bands if given adequate technology and a classic repertoire to practice.

A Range of Musical Instruments

The activity of learning and playing music is not age-bound. It transgresses all boundaries of age and gender. Experts often recommend learners begin learning an instrument from a young age. This way, learners are always prepared to present their skills to a smaller audience.

Modern music schools ensure they are equipped with some of the most common and popular music instruments available. A child should be encouraged to begin with more basic instruments. String instruments like the violin are the perfect musical instruments for beginners. Wind instruments like the flute are of medium-level difficulty. These can be taken up in senior classes. The oboe is one of the most difficult instruments among wind instruments.

Only take it up if you’re sure about your interest in the instrument or if you have an exceptional music teacher at hand. Ukulele is another challenging musical instrument. Trinity music courses are comprehensive and well-equipped for music enthusiasts and professional performers.

Modern Music Education is Performance-Oriented

The music industry is a budding global phenomenon that produces and welcomes incredibly talented artists every year. The emerging music scene is performance-oriented. Newbies in small bands and Capella groups are capable of storming the internet with their incredible vocals and music skills. A performance-oriented music education emphasizes the display of learned skills to the world. It isn’t like your private music tutorials.

Certificate exams in modern music education ensure the learner can perform renditions in front of an audience.

Working Together

Modern education encourages learners to learn from each other and grow together as world-class musicians. Many modern music schools encourage performance masterclasses to help learners work in groups and bands. This helps them understand their instrument better and work closely with their peers.

Modern music education is as holistic as it can be. The learner learns from not only the expert but from their environment as part of a thriving community to produce better musicians.

Local and Global Music Artists

Modern music education is all-encompassing. It considers all the aspects of context and thought that might affect the sound composition. Even with traditional musical instruments, some music artists have created a body of the musical composition that resonates with wider audiences. The notes, pitch, and chords of these musicians help beginners work their way through new music patterns.

Beyond the Classrooms

Like any other modern education setup, the music institute realizes all learning can’t be class centric. Apart from practice sessions in classrooms, students are also encouraged to practice musical instruments for at least two hours at home. Not just that, an awareness of how music works helps learners understand the music in nature.

At The Young Musician Music Institute, student/teacher performances are a norm. The school arranges concerts for students and teachers where they perform solo or in bands.

Apart from staff performances, modern education includes in-house musical events like concerts, topper performances, and band practices.

Finding a quality music school in UAE can be a challenge! The Young Musician Music Institute is affiliated with Trinity College, UK. The programs and courses we offer are regulated and supervised by international music experts. Apart from violin lessons and drum lessons for beginners, we also provide certification exams and diploma courses to performers.

Call for more information: +971 2 5560122 / 6783550.