STUDENT INTERVIEW
Chloe Shippey
Beginnings
Chloe Shippey (my sister) is in grade 10 at Simcoe Composite School. She plays the trumpet in the junior and concert bands. She loves anything to do with art, especially drawing painting, and sculpting. She comes from a musical family.
Love of music
She has only played music for one year. Even though her entire family went to university for music or plays an instrument, Chloe has never picked up one. She just started but her thoughts on music are that: “music is beautiful. It takes you to another world so you can escape from stress and problems you are having in life. It’s a good place to go and have fun and be yourself.”
I asked her what her struggles are when facing a new song and she said that she struggles a lot with rhythm and key signatures. She knows that she needs to work on figuring out how metre and beats work, and how to remember how to play with a key signature.
I also asked her how she could improve on her pieces in band, and she said that she could practice and study the piece more. She said she needs to take time to learn the piece.
What music do you enjoy?
Michael Jackson is her favourite artist. She also loves soundtrack music, especially from Lord of the Rings. She loves hearing all the instruments in a orchestra that sound like one unified band. She doesn’t enjoy popular music now; she doesn’t think it is original.
Purpose of music?
Chloe believes that learning an instrument is important. She wishes that she had picked one up before grade nine. She believes that music helps you get through everyday life and to cope with stress. Lyrics are very important to her in a song because she feels that she needs to relate to the music in order to fully understand it and enjoy it.
I asked her what she thinks the purpose of music education is and she said: that it can help if you want to pursue music as a career.
University?
Chloe doesn’t think that she could go to university for music. She doesn’t think she know enough yet.
I asked her what she has learned in music theory and she said: major and minor scales, learning to play high notes on her instrument.
I also asked her what she has learned in music history: she said that she knows a couple composers and what time period they are from. She said that they also do listenings in class and they must analyse a piece a music.
If you were the music teacher?
Chloe said that if she was the teacher she would make sure the students took care of the school instruments. She would also be a little stricter on the classes. She would be more aware of her surroundings.
She said that she could never see herself in a career in music but she knows she will still play the trumpet after high school.
Beginnings
Chloe Shippey (my sister) is in grade 10 at Simcoe Composite School. She plays the trumpet in the junior and concert bands. She loves anything to do with art, especially drawing painting, and sculpting. She comes from a musical family.
Love of music
She has only played music for one year. Even though her entire family went to university for music or plays an instrument, Chloe has never picked up one. She just started but her thoughts on music are that: “music is beautiful. It takes you to another world so you can escape from stress and problems you are having in life. It’s a good place to go and have fun and be yourself.”
I asked her what her struggles are when facing a new song and she said that she struggles a lot with rhythm and key signatures. She knows that she needs to work on figuring out how metre and beats work, and how to remember how to play with a key signature.
I also asked her how she could improve on her pieces in band, and she said that she could practice and study the piece more. She said she needs to take time to learn the piece.
What music do you enjoy?
Michael Jackson is her favourite artist. She also loves soundtrack music, especially from Lord of the Rings. She loves hearing all the instruments in a orchestra that sound like one unified band. She doesn’t enjoy popular music now; she doesn’t think it is original.
Purpose of music?
Chloe believes that learning an instrument is important. She wishes that she had picked one up before grade nine. She believes that music helps you get through everyday life and to cope with stress. Lyrics are very important to her in a song because she feels that she needs to relate to the music in order to fully understand it and enjoy it.
I asked her what she thinks the purpose of music education is and she said: that it can help if you want to pursue music as a career.
University?
Chloe doesn’t think that she could go to university for music. She doesn’t think she know enough yet.
I asked her what she has learned in music theory and she said: major and minor scales, learning to play high notes on her instrument.
I also asked her what she has learned in music history: she said that she knows a couple composers and what time period they are from. She said that they also do listenings in class and they must analyse a piece a music.
If you were the music teacher?
Chloe said that if she was the teacher she would make sure the students took care of the school instruments. She would also be a little stricter on the classes. She would be more aware of her surroundings.
She said that she could never see herself in a career in music but she knows she will still play the trumpet after high school.
Influential Teacher interview
Shawn Beal
He played music his entire life. His entire family was musical and played all kinds of instruments. He had a huge interest in jazz music and loved playing the guitar. He went to Mohawk College first, then York University for Jazz guitar and then University of Windsor for Teacher’s college. It was a big dream of his to go to the University of Toronto. He told me that he was annoyed because he was number one on the wait list for U of T but he didn’t get in.
Teaching
Shawn Beal teaches grades 9-12 music at Simcoe Composite School. He directs the concert band, junior band, and jazz band. He also created multiple vocal bands to make sure everyone who wanted to sing could. He takes the concert band to multiple festivals such as the Norfolk Music Arts Festival, the Kiwanis Music Festival, and Canada’s Wonderland every year.
Conversations with Beal
Students loved talking with him, he was always someone you could talk to. He loves talking to his students about anything they might be bothering them in school, music related or not. His favorite topic to talk about was music obviously. He always believed that music should be a part of your life. Even if you aren’t going to university for music you can still learn an instrument and have music in your life.
Believed in local
Shawn Beal tried to encourage students, even if they aren’t going to school for music they should join a local band after high school and continue to play their instrument. I asked him how he started to play music with people other than his family and he said that he started a band when he was young and they would just play music and try to mimic songs they enjoyed.
Inclusive
Always wanted to make sure every student was involved in every band they could. If a student was having trouble he made time to help them at lunch or after school. Created multiple bands with multiple levels so that every student was able to achieve their goals in music.
New Teacher
Shawn Beal has only been teaching as SCS for 4 years. Every year he is trying to figure out the best way to teach and what material he should be teaching each grade level. Working out the curriculum was difficult because he had to make sure he was keeping up with what the school board assigned him, but also what he believed was necessary information to know in music theory and music history.
Its important for him that his previous students come back and give him advice on what we are learning here at university, so that he can better prepare those students that are interested in going to school for music.
He played music his entire life. His entire family was musical and played all kinds of instruments. He had a huge interest in jazz music and loved playing the guitar. He went to Mohawk College first, then York University for Jazz guitar and then University of Windsor for Teacher’s college. It was a big dream of his to go to the University of Toronto. He told me that he was annoyed because he was number one on the wait list for U of T but he didn’t get in.
Teaching
Shawn Beal teaches grades 9-12 music at Simcoe Composite School. He directs the concert band, junior band, and jazz band. He also created multiple vocal bands to make sure everyone who wanted to sing could. He takes the concert band to multiple festivals such as the Norfolk Music Arts Festival, the Kiwanis Music Festival, and Canada’s Wonderland every year.
Conversations with Beal
Students loved talking with him, he was always someone you could talk to. He loves talking to his students about anything they might be bothering them in school, music related or not. His favorite topic to talk about was music obviously. He always believed that music should be a part of your life. Even if you aren’t going to university for music you can still learn an instrument and have music in your life.
Believed in local
Shawn Beal tried to encourage students, even if they aren’t going to school for music they should join a local band after high school and continue to play their instrument. I asked him how he started to play music with people other than his family and he said that he started a band when he was young and they would just play music and try to mimic songs they enjoyed.
Inclusive
Always wanted to make sure every student was involved in every band they could. If a student was having trouble he made time to help them at lunch or after school. Created multiple bands with multiple levels so that every student was able to achieve their goals in music.
New Teacher
Shawn Beal has only been teaching as SCS for 4 years. Every year he is trying to figure out the best way to teach and what material he should be teaching each grade level. Working out the curriculum was difficult because he had to make sure he was keeping up with what the school board assigned him, but also what he believed was necessary information to know in music theory and music history.
Its important for him that his previous students come back and give him advice on what we are learning here at university, so that he can better prepare those students that are interested in going to school for music.