When looking at writing and music on a surface level, it seems as though the two share nothing but a verb. But when examining further into how the two are taught, they have much more in common than just the fact that one “writes” both of them. In my experience as a peer tutor and music director of an a cappella group, I’ve found the way that I go about teaching music to my group is strikingly similar to some of the core practices we use to teach writing at the UCWbL.
1. Agenda setting
In the beginning of UCWbL appointments, peer tutors ask their writers what they want to accomplish during the time they have together. These goals become agenda items and typically there are no more than three. We do this because we want to tackle the most important things as thoroughly as possible. The same can be said for teaching music. When singing through arrangements in rehearsal, there’s always bound to be something we can work on for the next time we run the song. Sometimes, there are many things to work on for the next time. Instead of trying to change five or six things for the next run-through, we choose two or three so we can actually hone in on fixing them.
2. Mitigation
No one likes to hear long lists of nothing other than the things they’re doing wrong. I know that when it happens to me, it makes me less willing to want to try again. Mitigation is defined as the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something. In teaching writing and music, that means highlighting the things someone does well while you also give suggestions on revision. When reading through my writers’ papers, I always try to pick out at least one or two things the writer did well to help boost their confidence when starting their revisions. I try to do the same thing when running rehearsal. For example, before pointing out that the group ended our song flat, I’d point out the fact that they brought out their dynamics really well that time and that for next time, they should focus on tightening their guts so that the note will stay on key.
3. Anyone can learn
At the UCWbL, we firmly believe that anyone who writes anything is a writer. Our job as tutors is to act as a coach to help our writers become the best they can be. That being said, everyone has the capacity to learn and become better writers. I think this can be very applicable to singing as well. I hear so many people say they’re “tone deaf” or “strictly a shower singer” without knowing that they’re already taking a step in the right direction! They’re singing. Just like writing, you can’t learn how to sing overnight. It takes practice and time. And it’s always easier if you have someone coaching you and rooting for you along the way.
Despite obvious differences between learning music and writing, like content or a revision process, the two share some very crucial and fundamental similarities. Overall, I believe that when teaching artistic subjects like music and writing, there has to be an atmosphere of respect and patience. Because singing and writing are sometimes very scary to do in front of others, using tactics like agenda setting, mitigation, and believing that anyone can learn with practice helps learners to build confidence and, slowly but surely, craft their undeniable talent.