Lucas Hobson MusEd 355 25 October 2011 Reading Log 9; Teaching Strategies for Performers with Special Needs

This reading is designed to alleviate any anxieties conductors and conducting students may have and to provide confidence when teaching students with disabilities. It begins by telling us that while many schools have drifted towards a policy of full inclusion of special needs students, most music ensembles have not followed suit, with low enrollment and poor environments for these students to succeed. To begin with, many teachers simply dont understand what they need to know how to work with special needs students. As Hammel and Hourigan state, it does not take much time to familiarize oneself with materials on special needs students, or to start understanding ones students backgrounds, but it is incredibly important (and also the law). Teachers must be able to adapt their instruction to include these students. They must be creative and willing to be reflective about how the learning process works. In addition, technology such as digital recorders, SmartMusic, and notation programs can be used to extract, modify, and simplify parts or to allow students to perform performance tests on their own, rather than on cue and in front of an instructor. Hammel and Hourigan also included a list of other adaptation ideas for performing ensembles.

The authors next say that large ensembles may not always be the best place for all students, and give possible reasons. They suggest starting special needs students in chamber music or individual lesson settings, and continuing only if the students become interested. The authors bring in a story about special needs students being left out of school functions, from the standpoint of one of the childrens parents, to make a point that some conductors feel that students can not contribute to the ensembles overall musicality. They then tell the readers that this is completely wrong. Educators must use the many resources, such as IEP or 504 plans, other professionals, or this book, to learn about these students and create the necessary accommodations for them, as well as all other students, to have a meaningful learning experience in the classroom.

Im really depressed that this is an issue that many otherwise excellent teachers refuse to deal with. If music education cannot be available to all students, whats the point of having it in public school? This is particularly bad because often, as in this case, the people who are not able to get into performance ensembles may be the ones who could benefit the most. For instance, I know of a couple of students with autism in a middle school in Jeffersonville, Indiana who are in the band. They thrive in the music performance setting, and it certainly helps them by allowing them to develop an identity. In addition, musical ensembles better immerses these two students with the rest of the student body. It seems that sometimes students with special needs can become

shadow students that the normal student body (and possibly most of the staff) never notice. Inclusion in the band program here has kept that from happening. I can think of no better example of allowing people with special needs to join ensembles then at Blue River Services, a not-for-profit corporation that services and houses special needs people. My mother is a director there; she is in charge of the industrial division. They provide jobs for many people (18+), but she also has to create meaningful activities for them to do when there is no work to be done. A year or two ago, she created the Spirit of Blue River Color Guard. This special needs Color Guard, in her words, has really caught a lot of peoples attention... it has given an opportunity for people to participate more in activities that they wouldnt get to before. They like it, its fun. Music educators should make every effort to include special needs students in ensembles, and accommodate them, for those very reasons. Inclusion in very public performance ensembles creates opportunities for special needs students to interact with other students and with the community, mitigating the bigotry that students with Downs, autism, physical or other disabilities will face later in life. It allows these students to learn more about music, which is an opportunity that all students should have. As a teacher, I am responsible for being aware of my students needs and backgrounds. I will be sure to know my students 504s and IEPs, and to find the necessary resources to accommodate my students so that they can all participate fully in music.