<p>My D is a sophomore violin performance major at a liberal arts school in the Midwest. While she loves the performance side of things, she is struggling to get a passing grade in music history. She already has a tutor for 2nd year theory and doesn’t feel she has time to have other tutoring appointments in her very busy week! We talked on the phone last night about other options for her education, but since she really wants to play for life, she doesn’t know what to do! Supposedly music students are typically good at math, but theory was and still is difficult for her, and now this history class. She even mentioned that she thinks she might have a learning disability! She was home schooled for high school, and did great in several advanced classes that she took through a local college. Any ideas or thoughts?</p>
<p>Some ideas- Maybe she does have a learning disability. Perhaps she is having trouble taking notes in class? Do they post them on blackboard, or does she have a friend with good note taking skills? I am thinking this is a possibility bc while homeschooled she might not have had to this. A large group, the noise in a classroom, speed of listening and getting it onto paper can all be problematic. These factors can effect someone with ADD, hearing disability or other auditory problem, fine motor/writing difficulties, etc. Just a thought, but this might not be the problem at all. Also, some professors do not speak English well, or have an accent, is that a problem?</p>
<p>Ask her how many times she’s gone to the prof for help. She has to do that. I suppose music history is mostly memorization, but usually musicians are good at that!</p>
<p>I’d say, if she wants to be a musician, she should just slog through it somehow and not consider changing her major. After all, how many musicians have to stop and tell you something about music history?!</p>
<p>She’s coming home for fall break soon, and I’ve offered to help her with some strategies. Maybe looking at her notes will give me some insights. I read something in a study skills book about taking notes from reading material on the left side of a 2-page spread (like in a 3-ring binder or spiral notebook) and then taking notes from class on the right hand side. Have you ever heard of that note-taking system. I suppose her adjustments to learning in a classroom have been harder than I imagined they might be. She has very sensitive hearing so maybe she’s distracted. Also, she has always liked to read aloud, which may actually be slowing her down! thanks for your thoughts. It helps me just to have a place like this to think out loud!</p>
<p>I would not try to find a new notetaking strategy. This might not be what she needs. I would try to get a complete evaluation for a learning disability done first. You say that she has sensitive hearing. I really don’t know that means, but it could be a symptom of a learning disability. Testing for a learning disability is very expensive, so if you have a clue that it might be an auditory issue, I would start there first. Perhaps discussion groups or literature is available through an organization like the American Speech, Language, and Hearing Association. I would do some searches for organizations for audiologists, and speech therapists and other orgranizations for other disabilities that you might suspect and start reading. She might not even have a disability though. Perhaps she can’t understand this particular instructor. Who knows, but if she suspects she has a disability, I think that you almost have to follow it through. Where to start evaluating is the next problem. I assume you don’t want $5k+ of testing!</p>
<p>I took Music Theory and Music Appreciation at the same time. Music Appreciation was required for graduation and I was a Math Major who thought that Theory might be an easy A. Music Theory was an easy A - the easiest I ever had in high school or college. Music Appreciation tests consisted, to a critical part, of the prof playing recorded music and our telling what “period” it was from. I made a D and, to this day (remember I am Granny), I consider myself lucky to have made the D. I can imagine Music History being tested in a similar way. For years, I thought that I must have had some learning disability until I realized that I could often hear a new pop country song and guess the author without anyone having told me who the author was.</p>
<p>Back in my day, the only way students could “learn” the various works in a Music Appreciation class was to go to a listening lab, and sit there with earphones listening to music for hours and hours…
Now, with iPod, a music listening class would be a joy- if you can put the works on your device, you can listen all day long- while walking to class, studying, etc.</p>
<p>Check with her college–many offer free testing for learning disabilities. If hers does, I’d have her take the tests. Moreover, almost every school has some sort of center for students who are struggling. She should investigate and see what her college offers.</p>
<p>Your idea is a confirmation for me! I just went to the college website where she attends and they do offer this service. I think this will be the first suggestion I give her. Thanks!</p>
<p>I know your D is busy. Perhaps over a break, or if she even likes to read for down time, she might enjoy these books, that might help her understand some of what is being taught. They are hillarious, easy reading, and give a nice context for the facts.</p>
<p>Bach, Beethoven and the Boys: Music History As It Ought to Be Taught. David W. Barber, with Dave Donald (illustrator), Anthony Burgess (preface). Sound and Vision Publishing Limited. 1996. ISBN 0920151108 (paperback). </p>
<p>If It Ain’t Baroque…More Music History As It Ought to Be Taught. David W. Barber, with Dave Donald (illustrator), Anthony Burgess (photographer). Sound and Vision Publishing Limited. 1992. ISBN 0920151159 (paperback).</p>
<p>db61, I just wanted to add that getting an evaluation for a LD is a great idea. My son did great all through high school, though always was a slow reader and writer. His freshman year he felt overwhelmed (more than I thought reasonable for new environment, classes, etc.) We had him tested for LD and he was off the chart for ADD, an auditory processing problem and borderline for a couple other categories.</p>
<p>It helped him so much to find out “the why”. He received counseling at his school which focused on study strategies for his disabilities and also started medication.</p>
<p>Even if she is tested and nothing in particular shows up, she will feel better knowing and then go on from there with strategies for studying.</p>
<p>My S is in a different field (Engineering) but found himself having academic struggles as a sophomore in one class in each term that year. There might be parallels to your D, so I’ll mention what he/we did. (IDK anything re learning disabilities, so the posters who mentioned checking on that might have another important avenue to pursue). In order of value, for him:
- Go to prof office hours. I believe this is key. Because even if it doesn’t actually help technically, profs are human and see that the student is trying and may reflect that by bumping a marginal grade up a bit.
- Go to TA sessions if there are some.
- Get a study partner or change study partners. Won’t necessarily take any more time than studying on your own and may be way more effective.
- He went online and found a textbook that worked for him better than the one being used in the class.
- We, the parents, did what you are doing. Empathized, tried to think of strategies that would help. What I think was MOST important. We told him to just try to pass the course. Like your D, he said he feared he might even fail - a totally new experience for him, always the A/B+ student in Honors/AP/college classes before then. Just pass it. Don’t worry about the grade. Just pass. I repeat this phrase over and over because I’m convinced that it relieved pressure and stress for him to know that we were on his team and wouldn’t be disappointed if he just barely eked it out. Lifting any stress he might have felt re our expectations made it easier for him to focus, I believe. Eventually, he received a C+ in each of these two classes. Lowest grades he’s ever had, and the ones we have been proudest of.</p>
<p>Hope that might help a bit. She is not alone. Happens to good students in tough programs, who <em>are</em> in the right field. DS loves his field, does NOT want to change, had a great summer internship in it. But sometimes the professor’s style of communication or testing just doesn’t mesh with the student’s.</p>
<p>Very good tips, Jmmom.</p>
<p>Excellent advice jmmom. I always feel like I missed my “dream” because I was having trouble in the math classes and switched majors. (I wanted to be a biology major - I would have ended up a botanist I bet). I really wish someone had just told me – JUST PASS THE DARN CLASSES. Don’t let these pointless obstacles derail the dream.</p>
<p>Violin performance IS a dream of hers, so I’ll encourage her with these thoughts when she’s home this weekend. Just pass the class! Go to the prof’s office as much as you need to (she met with him today, although I haven’t heard how it went). Don’t give up on the dream!</p>
<p>db61 - In case she is down about the meeting with the prof. DS didn’t feel it was working too well when he visited the prof’s ofc hours in the first class. Got the feeling the prof was rushed and just wanted to get him out of there (I think this is atypical for most profs, but this is what he felt in that case). So he moved on to the other strategies, but did still go to ofc hours with specific questions.</p>
<p>So I hope she won’t let it get her down if some of her efforts don’t seem to be working. I don’t know much about Performance Majors, but maybe there are just some courses she has to “get through” in order to get the parts that are more her cup of tea and forte? At least that’s what I’m hoping, as a fellow-traveler and empathizer. :)</p>
<p>What is she saying to prof when she goes into her meetings?<br>
I think that’s important.<br>
If there are resources available- study sessions, optional Q & A’s with TA’s, tutoring in the student union, etc., she should definitely have tried those first, and be able to honestly “testify” that she’s done this, that, and the other.<br>
Some teachers believe (and rightfully so) that students go to them when they get into trouble, not necessarily having made a great effort to begin with, and expect sympathy and grade forgiveness. If anyone goes to a professor for help, I’d recommend that they have done EVERYTHING else in their power first, otherwise it might look like begging.
Just my two cents, from a mother of a son who tutors for his university. :)</p>
<p>Also, as a performance major…
For the rest of her career, she’s going to be judged, and get jobs, on her PLAYING, not her knowledge of history. Just pass the course, is what I say.</p>
<p>Doubleplay, As far as what she said when she went to the prof, I don’t know. She did attend a study session before her first exam, which she failed, and she felt like it was just a place where the students who already know it all went to show off. It was led by a tutor, but directed by the “smart” students. Pretty discouraging from the sounds of things! </p>
<p>DD has GREAT people skills, but loves to play violin too! Any ideas for major or minor that would play to her strengths in this area? Does anyone know anything about careers in music management, say for orchestras and venues like that?</p>
<p>db
you don’t say how she did in her last years freshman classes…even as a performance major she must have taken freshman English or history or something?If she managed to pass other required courses, then she certainly isnt learning disabled. Is she failing in everything else this year that isnt directly performance related or is it just the related music courses that arent performance based? Could she just be resisitant to non performance required music courses?some performance majors are resistant, thinking they won’t ever need those courses.
D, now a Musicology PhD student who TA’s Theory as well as History classes and was orginally a Performance major struggled mightily with that first theory/ear training class in the required sequence(especially ear training).She made much use of the TA’s available in her dept,going to differenet ones for help in different areas where they had the most expertise (they all know each other and will provide this if asked)</p>
<p>cathemee,
She did ok in her classes last year, except music theory was a struggle. She finally got a tutor in her 2nd semester and ended up with an ok grade. Maybe she is resistant to the idea of learning music sorts of things that she doesn’t feel directly apply to her performance desires. I will continue to encourage her, and I appreciate your insights. Her ear is pretty good, and last year she received an A in that part of her theory course. This year is a little tougher for her, and she’s getting a B, but I think that’s good! I was a music education major, and i can relate to the difficulty of these courses, especially theory. I didn’t have as much trouble with history, but I do remember an exam or two where my grades were pretty awful. I guess I turned out fine in the end and today I love learning music history sorts of things!<br>
this is a great forum for talking things out and i really appreciate all of you!</p>