#Music    #Education    #music    #musician    #SUNY    #college   

SUNY Fredonia is stripping away our musical education. From cutting many important classes, Free Improvisation and Improvista being two of the most vital ones for the creative musician, music educator, and music appreciator.

These classes allow musicians to explore and ignite the creativity of playing with peers, exploring new tonalities, and involving critical listening skills that benefit musicians. These classes also give music educators new tools and ideas for incorporating improvisation in their future music classrooms — which is vital in the Creativity standard of Music Education. These classes are open to non-music majors as well, making it an opportunity for ANYONE to come in and experience the benefits, community, and safe space to play and learn with zero judgement. These two classes give us the opportunity to have experience playing different instruments, secondary instruments, tertiary instruments, and creates a judgment free zone to explore the limits of instruments. These classes teach us about different cultures through the music and instruments that they play. These classes also give students the opportunity of seeing and learning about the Puerto Rican cuatro, the African Balafon, Siberian tone drums, to name a few, and it’s a disservice to deprive students of a space open to learning about not only world cultures, but the various cultures of their peers.

Administration has stated that there is “no need” for these classes, meanwhile, there is scientific evidence and research that proves the benefits of improvisation among emerging artists, as well as with our children in K-12 music classrooms. By signing this petition, the musical enrichment of musicians at SUNY Fredonia and our future generation of children is more promised as we move this issue into light at SUNY Fredonia.

https://youtu.be/bEFYWxCun3E