music to my ear

In this unit of argument, we have dissected the anatomy of an argument and summoned our nation's founding documents as a reference to truly understand what this looks like. We have discovered unalienable rights, premises, and conclusions, and met with a Montessori school to understand the reason behind learning the way they do. 

Introduction: Schools help prepare students for the futures they hold within, but maybe not in the most effective way. That raises the question, what is? Adding a more personal curriculum would allow true teaching to happen in accordance with students' strengths and interests. This will better prepare students for the future and decide what path they'll go down.


Preamble: Our unalienable rights allow us the right to an education. This Declaration supports that education does not include a one size fits all approach. The true purpose of school and learning is to enhance one's mind for further knowledge.


Body: Why can't classes be directed to specific areas of interest and inclination? Children have the right to education. Educational rights should not include a formula of standardized or a set of classes that pose no interest to all children. All children have educational rights. With the Internet revolution, the educational landscape is similar to how the telephone was to communication. There is a basic music course offered to most students covering basic music theory concepts, marching band, and orchestral music styles. This as an idea may seem to be functional. However, the issue with that is, there is no creativity involved, which is one of the fundamental principles of art. If one so chooses to instead play Austrian death metal, there is no such opportunity for that. The problem arises when schools claim to have certain properties that expand students' minds and create environments for creative expression when in reality it's all just one fundamental system.

    If students have more opportunities for less standardized education they will most likely succeed in dynamic environments. Psychologists, musicians, teachers, professionals, and students along with studies from other countries may promote learning of interest instead of learning of rote standardization. Every nation has some form of music education or form of musical expression. The unalienable rights of any student include the right to education. My rights as a student should include this as an option because it basically expresses my foundation. If students are allowed to study poetry and the history of drama, like Edutopia, a program bringing smaller subjects into school systems, I should be able to study Austrian death metal. There is as much if not more of a community around death metal as there is poetry or drama. Studying those courses of interest would allow students to master certain things as opposed to studying the same thing and mastering nothing. The way education is set up does not allow for true independence until you get to college and even there, classes are somewhat chosen for you. What most people get out of school is basic preparation for specific elements of the “adult” life ahead (college) and making money in the process. 

    There isn't any kind of class that teaches you how to pay rent, finance things, make dinner, save money, or pursue creative freedom. Not if you were to take all that away from a grownup's life they'd be destroyed. But we still need to learn about things like certain math concepts, not to discredit it but if someone is going into music why do they need advanced math concepts instead of focusing more on what they plan on doing later on in life earlier or even just preparing for college if not the basics of independent living? Why not teach students how to play Austrian death metal? Why not teach the history of extended-range guitars and blast beats to any who wishes to pursue so? 

                                                        Demonicera, 6/25/2017, group


P1. If there is a simplification in a course a student is taking and doesn't have full exposure to what the course is covering

P2. Learning how to produce music can be a very useful skill in life.

P3. Even just the basics of production or even mastering.

P4. There is no point in it being taught at all if you're only being taught half.

Conclusion: The official declaration is that students should lead their academic roadmap based on skill and interest level and not based on some standardized, rote methodology that is a one size fits all approach. The desired outcome is for any student to study a college-level curriculum based on interest designed for younger students. Psychologists, musicians, teachers, professionals, and students along with studies from other countries may promote learning of interest instead of learning of rote standardization. Every nation has some form of music education or form of musical expression.

Overall, I chose this for my ap because I'd love to learn about some of my specific strong suits in school, however, I cannot due to the general nature of the school curriculum. Music has always been one of my strengths, and I would love the opportunity to study more in-depth with academic guidance. I struggle with formatting my thoughts on a page, but after some revising, I've gotten a bit better at it.