I’ve been thinking a lot about music education recently- the teachers who have helped me get to where I am, the methods that have worked and those that haven’t, the people who never “taught” me but from whom I’ve learned so much.
This thought path reminded me of the movie “Mr. Holland’s Opus” which I saw a couple years ago. It is an absolutely wonderful film about a frustrated composer who turns to education reluctantly, but ultimately falls in love with teaching as he inspires countless students throughout the years.
Regardless of whether one is considering music education or education in general, I think this movie is absolutely one which should be watched. It stresses the importance of loving what you do, and I think that is something we should all reflect upon as we begin to decide our futures.
One particular quote in the movie also very much relates to tonight’s “Music and the Brain” discussion: “Playing music is supposed to be fun. It’s about heart, it’s about feelings, moving people, and something beautiful, and it’s not about notes on a page. I can teach you notes on a page, I can’t teach you that other stuff.”
Enjoy the trailer below!
I really connect to the idea that you have to love what you do or else its not worth even trying. It’s like whenever I sit down to make a movie. If the movie is assigned in a class and I am not emotionally invested in it, the movie will turn out like crap. If I came up with a documentary idea that I am really interested in and that I actually want to explore, it’s going to turn out to be am amazing film.
I also love the idea of “teachers” who are not actually your teacher. The director of the technical theater department at my high school taught me more useful information than my film teachers ever could. Yeah, my film teacher taught me how to made edits and how to insert effects (the notes), but my “teacher” taught me about human beings and how we all have a story to tell (the silence). Yeah, the editing techniques would get me to produce a movie, but it wouldn’t have the heart and soul without what my “teacher” provided.
Hey, I guess Wooten was right, if you love something, you just relate it to everything else….