Day 22: Never have I ever... taught a high school music class

I was thrilled when an a cappella friend asked me to volunteer at his after-school music program. He is a volunteer teacher for the program, as well. Every Monday, he works with a group of teens in a high(er) risk high school on the Lower East Side where his wife is a teacher. 

The Alto Section. Go Altos!

Since my music and theater experience are my fondest memories of high school, and it helped me make friends, discover my passions, and find a tiny morsel of teenage confidence, it's an educational offering that I feel is so important. I am totally with VH1. Save the Music! (That sounds trite. It's not. So many kids find their inner voice by way of the performing arts.) 

This Monday was my first class. It was a 75 minute rehearsal, and my friend (we'll call him Mr. G) was directing. He is working with the class on an a cappella performance for their school's annual talent show in early May. My role is to serve as the female vocal teacher. 

We started with warm-ups. Mr. G had them sing an "up" which was fairly complex. I was impressed. Then he turned to me and said "Carrie, what does Treble do for a down"? I started singing our warm-up. "Beeyum Beeyum Beeyoh. Beeeeeeee Ahhhhhhhh Beeeeeee Ohhhhhhh" (going down the scale in intervals of a perfect 4th, minor 3rd and major 3rd, for all you music nerds out there.) He said "Wow, that's a bit too hard." Uh oh. I'm there two seconds and already screwing this up. But I just kept singing. After a few scales of muddy notes and confused looks, they... they were singing it. They got it. OK, this is pretty cool. 

Then he moved on to the meat of the rehearsal. The piece Mr. G is teaching is "Just the Way You Are, as performed by Bruno Mars. I admit it: I kind of like the song. The song is a pop-y piece of crap, but it's a catchy little ditty nonetheless. He was only teaching the Alto and Soprano parts for a two-part harmony. Easy-peasy. I was able to sight-read most of it and right away I could hear where the Altos were having issues. I (politely) corrected some of their rhythms; I felt like such a bitch! I guess that's what a good teachers know how to do... correct students constructively so they want to improve. And not be a bitch. 

I was scared of the kids. I mean, they were looking at me. They were looking at me like I knew what I was doing. And I really don't. I'm not a music teacher; hell, I'm not really that great of a musician. I learn music by grit and repetition. But I wasn't there to just teach them music. I was there to teach them how to sing, how to perform, and how to feel confident doing it. 

A soprano that I worked with one-on-one

I noticed one of the Altos missed a coda and got lost in the music. So, during a pause, I asked her if she knew where to turn back to the coda. She didn't know what a coda was. Well... guess it's me that should explain this concept to her, because, um, I'm the teacher. Right. Ok, this is challenging... how do I explain, in words, a concept  that is now just intrinsic for me? I used the good old "show n' tell" method, and she seemed to get it. Wait, did I just teach someone about codas?! This made me very happy. 

We also worked on where singers should feel the sound  at different points in their range: head, throat, nose, etc. They were really interested in this! Finally, we worked on increasing volume while staying on pitch. I showed them a volume exercise where you sing the same note at increasing levels of volume from pianissamo to fortissamo. Sounds easy? Try it. Yep, try it right now in your living room/office/wherever you are. Try singing a note soft, then a little louder, then a little louder still, without changing your pitch, until you are at your full volume. It's harder than you think! The ladies liked the challenge and we agreed that next week we'd all do it together. Mr. G was pleased to see them engaged. 

The class was winding down, but I didn't feel ready to leave. The energy of the students was incredible. The giggles, the funny comments, the camaraderie, the enthusiasm... I loved being around these girls. In a world where teenagers are being constantly overexposed  and over-sexualized (thank you, MTV's Skins) it was so refreshing to be around kids who just seemed like... kids. They talked about college, graduation, being excited and scared to sing in front of their whole school, being excited and scared to leave high school. They were so relatable. They were just... honest.

Results: I'm not sure how much I really did for these kids, but I'm psyched to go back next Monday, and every Monday until their performance. And I plan to be front and center, clapping loudly, when these ladies perform at their school's talent show. 

I also had a tiny little window into the world of teaching. I have some fabulous educators as friends, and I've never respected and admired them more. Ms. Berkman, Ms. Behrman, Mr. Mosteirin, Dr. Brown, Mrs. Balsam, and all of my former teachers... I'm talking to you. Learning how to teach effectively is tricky. Connecting with kids is HARD. Thank you so much for doing that every day. Where would any of us be without our teachers? 

Status: I'm not the judge of this one. The kids are.