PODCAST · music
What Music Means to Me
by Scott Watson
This podcast explores how music and life intersect: how music affects life and life affects music. As a music teacher, I discover these connections all the time and I thought others might be interested in hearing about them.
Episodes
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Intersection of Life and Music
The premise of this podcast is that there are all sorts of connections between music and life. In each episode I have shared observations about some of these connections. The idea of making connections between music and life, of being a musician whose musical life is integrated into his broader...
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Two important "Music Lessons"
In other episodes of this podcast, we've discussed life lessons that music can teach us. In this episode, we take a look at two more important character lessons one can learn from studying and playing music. One of these, the value of contributing your efforts to something bigger than yourself…
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The Powerful Language of Music
Many people compare music to a language. You may have even heard a music teacher say to you in school, “Music is an international language all people can understand.” Of course more recent multicultural studies reveal that the music to which these teachers are referring – Western, tonal music –…
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Classical Order and Drama
When you hear the term “classical music” you probably think of any serious art music played by orchestras, string quartets, pianists, or any other concert performers….and you’d be right since that is one common use of the word. But…more correctly Classical music (with a capital C) refers to music...
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Modal vs. Tonal
In this episode of What Music Means to Me I’ll attempt to tackle one of the toughest musical concepts to explain: the difference between modal and tonal music. Around 500 B.C. Pythagoras wrote about various modes and by 500 A.D. Pope Gregory the Great was compiling church plainsong, which we call...
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When Copying Is Good
No one likes “busy work”. And nothing seems more like busy work than copying. When I was in grade school corporal punishment – or spanking – was still administered occasionally by a building principal, but more often a wayward student was sentenced to copy a corrective phrase over and over,...
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Musical Fusion
In this episode of What Music Means to Me, we’ll look at the concept of musical fusion, the idea of combining elements of two or more musical traditions to create a new, unique sound in music.
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The Music of My Youth
One thing I am sure of: the music of one’s youth makes a lasting impression. What you listen to, especially in your formative years, is more than just nostalgic. I believe it helps define who you are, and who you are becoming. I know it did with me. In this episode of “What Music Means to Me” I...
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A Season for Giving (2013)
Long time followers of this podcast know that when all the leaves on the trees here in the Northeast have just about fallen, when temperatures drop, and when Thanksgiving and Christmas are in our sights, that the students in my fall Music Production class at Parkland High School have been hard at...
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Episode 20: The Importance of Being Warmed Up
I view every single moment I have with my students as precious! Whether it’s the half hour, “small-group” lessons I have with beginning instrumentalists, the sectional lessons I have with my second-year players, or the longer rehearsals I have with the entire band, there’s always so much to...
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Get Your Groove On
Groove is one of those extremely important, yet somewhat ambiguous, concepts in music. In this episode of What Music Means to Me we discuss and explore the vital concept of groove!
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The Baroque: All About Contrasts!
The term Baroque is used to describe a style of European classical music from around 1600 to 1750. The term, used to describe the visual art of the period as well, means “highly ornate and extravagant in style.” It’s very appropriate since Baroque painting, sculpture, and music are elaborately...
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Please Don't Quit!
I’d love to see all my instrumental students stay in band, grow as players, and contribute their talents to our district instrumental program; but realistically there are always a handful of students who quit each year. In this episode of “What Music Means to Me,” I’d like to take a look at some…
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A Band Director's Guide to the Diagnosis of Student Diseases and Conditions
Have you ever noticed that performers of certain instruments in band share common, sometimes quirky character traits? If you’re in a band or ever have been, you probably know what I mean. And if you’ve worked with instrumental music students for several decades like I have, you’ve seen these...
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"Bad Boys" of Classical Music
There are some very visible examples of classical musicians who get into some pretty silly situations in their personal life. In this episode of What Music Means to Me, which I’m calling “Bad Boys of Classical Music.” I’ve decided to focus on a couple infamous artist-musicians whose excellence in...
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Bach’s Musical Offering
The date is May 7, 1747. The place is Potsdam, in the Kingdom of Prussia….about 15 miles from the capital city of Berlin. In the newly built summer palace of King Frederick the Great, the day was drawing to a close as it usually did – with an evening concert in the palace’s large music room. This...
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Interview with Robert Sheldon, Part 2
In Part 2 of my interview with composer, Robert Sheldon, he continues to share insight into his music for band as well as his feelings about music education and the future of instrumental music in our schools.
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Interview with Composer, Robert Sheldon (Part 1)
In the first episode of What Music Means to Me, back in October of 2007, I mentioned that I intended to do interviews with leaders in the field of music. I ended up making good on that promise in the Spring of 2009 with this interview with composer, Robert Sheldon. The interview brings out some...
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The Significant Role of Repetition in Understanding Music
In this episode of What Music Means to Me I want to discuss the significance of Repetition in music. Specifically, we’ll look at how the right mix of repetition and variation of musical ideas – on both a small- and large-scale – contributes to how music is understood by listeners.
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Music Lessons: Tenacity and Diligence
This episode of WMM2M is one in a series of episodes I call “Music Lessons.” Aside from the obvious joy and aesthetic pleasure that comes from producing music, and the way music augments intellectual development (often called the “Mozart Effect”) music additionally teaches valuable life lessons…
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Episode 9: Encounter with Excellence
Perfection is a standard that – in almost every case – can never be met. How many lines can really be drawn “perfectly” straight? And for those of us working in the arts, what exactly does “perfect” mean? We'll examine the usefulness of high standards and expectations as applied to music making -...
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The Thing About Rhythm
Pitch, Melody, Harmony, Rhythm, Meter, Tempo, Texture, Tone Color, Dynamics...these are often referred to as the Elements of Music. As a composer, all of these serve as building blocks when I craft together a composition. Of all those “elements” of music, I have a favorite! It is, in my opinion,...
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Things That Truly Satisfy Are Greater Than Ourselves
The idea that we join forces with others to do something bigger than ourselves, and that we might not live to see finished, seems kind of foreign to contemporary sensibilities. Yet we do sometimes have the chance to become a part of something that is larger than ourselves: perhaps our faith or a...
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The Awesomeness of Pedal Point
In my last episode, I vaunted the glories of certain types of notes in music called "Non-Harmonic Tones." I shared how I liked the way non-harmonic tones mirror the virtues of diversity and delayed gratification in life. If you haven’t listened to that episode, I hope you will sometime. But one...
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Non-Harmonic Tones, Diversity, and Delayed Gratification (rebroadcast of Episode 7)
In this episode I’d like to talk about a term from the world of music theory….NON-HARMONIC TONES. Non-Harmonic Tones….the phrase sounds so negative, doesn’t it? NON-Harmonic Tones…it’s as if they are outcasts and don’t fit in, somehow they’re different than the other, perhaps more “cool” tones in...
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The Craft of Composition (Fantasy On An Old English Air)
Many folks imagine that composers are suddenly struck with a lightning bolt of creativity as they sit at their pianos, enabling them to pour out divinely dispensed notes onto the page. In reality, inspiration plays a much smaller role than you'd think. It's the craft of composition - the nuts and...
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Episode 11: Eight Principles for Unlocking Musical Creativity
This podcast is based on my book, USING TECHNOLOGY TO UNLOCK MUSICAL CREATIVITY (Oxford University Press), and deals with pedagogical techniques to free students to create musical content in project-based learning. I'll be presenting on the topic at the SoundTree Institute METOS: Spotlight on...
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Episode 45: Parkland Holiday CD for Charity
Each year the talented students in my Music Production class at Parkland High School produce a holiday CD to sell in our school/community for charity. This year's CD, called "Parkland: A Season for Giving," will be officially released on Dec. 7 and will raise money to support the Allentown Rescue...
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Episode 44: Night Journey
On Sunday, October 14, 2007 I posted my first episode of my podcast, WHAT MUSIC MEANS TO ME. With this 44th episode, I'm moving my podcast to Podomatic. The main theme of this podcast is finding intersections between music and life. Back when I started my podcast, I imagined I’d use some episodes...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
This podcast explores how music and life intersect: how music affects life and life affects music. As a music teacher, I discover these connections all the time and I thought others might be interested in hearing about them.
HOSTED BY
Scott Watson
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does What Music Means to Me have?
What Music Means to Me currently has 29 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is What Music Means to Me about?
This podcast explores how music and life intersect: how music affects life and life affects music. As a music teacher, I discover these connections all the time and I thought others might be interested in hearing about them.
How often does What Music Means to Me release new episodes?
What Music Means to Me has 29 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to What Music Means to Me?
You can listen to What Music Means to Me on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts What Music Means to Me?
What Music Means to Me is created and hosted by Scott Watson.
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