Music is all around you. In your car rides with your best friends, concerts, even in your favorite restaurants. Tana Fields, a GSP instructor of Music Theory and Performance, has taught and covered almost every music-related subject in her 20+ years of collegiate teaching. However, this class was not just learning more about music and instruments. Many days, scholars found themselves analyzing music in films, and even creating their own music with each other. The GSPost had the opportunity to observe an average day and talk to Tana and a few scholars about their experiences in this focus area.
After asking the scholars to reminisce about their time in this class and describe it in one word, they provided answers like, “Lively”, “Unpredictable”, and “Unique.” GSP has always been a great opportunity for scholars to widen their knowledge on certain topics, but Tana has taken it to a new level with this focus area. The scholars shared some moments that stood out to them during the class. Lily said , “When we got partnered up and had to improvise with another student- I’ve never done that before and it was surprisingly easy and really fun.” Santoshi also responded, “[I had a great time] when we had to write lyrics and compose our own songs based on certain stories.”
While discussing the program with Tana, she shared that “while the Music Theory and Performance Class had many ‘side quests’ throughout the summer, the major topic was the ability of music to establish mood, setting, and emotion…[My favorite topic was] Probably music in film and the psychology of film music.”
In only five weeks, the scholars have been able to create July 4th themed sing-alongs, selecting and arranging songs to fit this class of scholars. They made film scores for the film class project, created original works and arrangements to fit with the Historical Analysis focus area’s American Doll stories, and composed original songs for separate performances. Scholars also talked about physical media, radio, listening, the psychology of music, compositional styles and techniques, among other topics.
This class will continue to impact the lives of the scholars who took it even after the program ends. It is important to see the value of music, whether it is found in the most impactful moments, a favorite film, or even a simple car ride.
