Richard Gill | Some rights reserved by TEDxSydney
Thanks to Chad Criswell over at “MusicEdMagic” for posting this video from TEDxSydney. In this video Professor Richard Gill, the Music Director of the Victorian Opera Company, presents an inspiring talk about the value of music education.
Some of the highlights that Prof. Gill offers include:
All of that improvisation, all of that creativity… is the right of every child no matter where and no matter what the circumstances.
Music does not describe. Music does not narrate. Music does not tell stories. Music evokes. Music suggests. Music implies. And music opens up the mind of a child in an extraordinary way.
The most important thing about music is to make your own music. Children must make their own music.
Music is worth teaching for its own sake. It is worth teaching because it is good. It is worth teaching because it is unique. It is worth teaching because it empowers children spectacularly.
Richard Gill presents some striking arguments for the sake of music advocacy, and I believe that the entire thirteen minute video is worth a view. My music education professor in college always talked of finding your bumper sticker philosophy, I may just steal borrow from Richard Gill, and paraphrase:
Music is worth teaching for its own sake because it is good, unique, and it empowers children spectacularly.
If you are interested in reading more thoughts from Richard Gill on music education in Australia, check out his blog at http://richardgill.blogspot.com/. I hope you enjoyed the video as much as I did, and remember:
When in doubt improvise.
