Tag Archives: philosophy

Michigan Music Conference 2011—Day One

Posted on January 21, 2011 by Joe Guarr
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I apologize for the somewhat disjointed nature of this post. I was scrambling to get as much information down as possible during today’s MMC sessions. When I went back to look at my notes, I realized that they were perfectly … Continue reading →

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Changing Education Paradigms

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Joe Guarr
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A fantastic video from Sir Ken Robinson. Tweet

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Music-ed-ophilia

Posted on June 3, 2010 by Joe Guarr
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Thanks to a bevy of recent substitute jobs filled with planning periods, I was able to plow through Oliver Sacks’ Musicophilia in about a week. I plan on doing a more in-depth review of the book in the near future, … Continue reading →

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Step Outside Your Comfort Zone

Posted on March 27, 2010 by Joe Guarr
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After graduating from college in May of 2009, I expected to have many musical opportunities available to me. Teaching, performing and composing were all very attractive options, and I’ve been able to do each of those in at least some … Continue reading →

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Michigan Music Conference: Day One

Posted on January 21, 2010 by Joe Guarr
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Today was my first time ever attending the technology pre-conference at the Michigan Music Conference. Not coincidentally, today was also the most informative and enjoyable day I’ve had at the Conference in three years. The first session of the day … Continue reading →

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Music is Not A Weapon

Posted on January 19, 2010 by Joe Guarr
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Imagine a Clockwork Orange-type education system, where students who step out of line are subjected not to detention, but to the music of Bach, Verdi and others on a constant loop. Rather than being taught to appreciate the great artists … Continue reading →

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Gladwell on Teaching

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Joe Guarr
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Disclaimer: I think it’s important to take Malcolm Gladwell’s writing with a grain of salt. At times, it seems like he uses small sample sizes or cherry-picks stories in order to support his thesis. It’s important to not take his … Continue reading →

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The End of Reason?

Posted on November 30, 2009 by Joe Guarr
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Glenn Branca, I’m calling you out. Sure, you’re writing for the New York Times, which is a loftier literary post than I’ll ever hold, but what good is your position with one of the world’s most prestigious papers if you’re … Continue reading →

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There’s No Music Like Live Music

Posted on November 26, 2009 by Joe Guarr
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This past weekend, for the first time in about 11 months, I was part of a live performance. Student teaching and graduation from college had conspired to keep me out of any musical ensembles for the past 11 months, and … Continue reading →

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The War On Music Education…

Posted on November 13, 2009 by Joe Guarr
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…Or “Maybe things aren’t all that bad in the United States, after all.” While browsing for music ed news this weekend, I stumbled across a pretty depressing item from Kuwait. Essentially, a hardline Islamist MP is taking the government to … Continue reading →

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