The words "music theory" have a dull, chalkdusty sound to most musicians, and with good reason. Music theory is usually taught by the "drill-and-kill" approach -- making students memorize how many sharps this key has, how to label that dominant-seventh chord, etc. The components of music theory are presented in a fragmented and arbitrary way, obscuring their underlying unity; and they are treated as neutral objects on the same level as car parts, without any discussion of their aesthetic and expressive characteristics. Teachers themselves are not to blame for this, however -- in these days of arts cutbacks, it is all they can do to keep a band program intact, much less devote scarce classroom time to theoretical discussion.
But in the days when music theory was considered one of the Seven Liberal Arts, it was considered an integral part of higher education. Musical intervals, for instance, were studied, not merely for the sake of ear training, but to gain insight into the meaning of ratio and proportion. The terminology and notational mechanics of music were not an end in themselves, as they are now, but a means to learn the philosophy of music.
I am constructing a Web site that will present teaching materials, articles, sound files, and relevant links that
The site will be a resource for teachers and students to use to supplement their classes, as well as for musicians and music-lovers to use for teaching themselves about music theory.
The overall plan for the Web site is based on what I call the "Five Elements" of music:
Explore a cluster of Web pages about modes and scales, the first phase in the construction of this site. If you are interested in providing financial or technical help to continue its construction, please contact me at srasmus@oldenwilde.org.
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