Article in Bhutan Times in late November!

Greetings!

It's time for a few blog updates. As I am way over due on updating it. In late november an interview with me was published in one of Bhutan's newspapers "Bhutan Times" under the title "For the love of music". I thought I would share with you the complete Q & A on which the article was based entirely.

Cheers,

Noam

1. As a music teacher , please describe your teaching method.

My main focus as a teacher is to instill a love and appreciation for music and music making with my students. To do that, of course we spend time focusing on learning the very important fundamentals of playing the instrument, as well as learning theory, and rhythm, but I also put great emphasis on creativity and music making. So we also spend a lot of time singing, and making up music by way of composing and improvising. Though, learning how to play music is a top priority, the highest priority during lessons with students is to have a good time, to make learning music a fun process and that's what I strive for in my teaching.

2. What is music to you ?

This is a tremendously challenging question to answer. I asked my older students this question earlier this semester. And I tell them that there is no right or wrong answer, because really there can be so many different definitions of music. The other day I was actually asked this question by a young Bhutanese man I met. This was my answer to him then. I said, whenever an individual or a group of people create sound with the intent of expressing something, then it is music. I then hit my umbrella against the electricity pole, and said: that was music. If a person honks their horn on their car with the intent of creating a sound, then it’s music, whereas if that same person is honking the horn because he is impatient with the car in front of him than it is not music. What if one day a composer here in Thimphu decided to compose a piece using all the cars in Thimpu, which on a given day will honk their horns at a specific time. Perhaps at 11:00am in Mothitang, 11:01 near the Dzong,11:02 near the Chorten. That is a piece of music.

3. How can music help children build their self esteem and confidence?

I believe as with any activity that a child takes on, when they see that they can do it well, when they get encouragement from their teachers and their parents, than their self-esteem and self-confidence grow. During our lessons, we learn how to play many songs on the piano and how to sing, and at the end of a semester when they see how much they've learned, that helps them feel good about all the progress they've made.

4. Why is music important to the young mind?

I think we spend so much time today in schools all over the world teaching lots of subjects that require memorization of definitions and terms, and dates and concepts. So much of the children's time in schools even from a young age is dedicated towards "doing well" in tests, so that they can have a career. But, music and the arts in general do something different, and something that I believe is really missing from schools in Bhutan and all over the world. Music is perhaps the only activity that perfectly integrates what's called left brain and right brain. That means it allows the child to engage both her analyitcal (left brain) and rational side as well as her emotional, intuitive side. Another way to put it is that it feeds both the brain and the heart simultaneously and in a totally interconnected way. We all know how we feel when we listen to music or sing a song, we feel great!!! Music also gives an outlet for children to express themselves through it. Also, it helps children develop discipline. When they have to practice every day, and see the progress that daily practice and discipline can bring that teaches them a very valuable lesson about commitment and dedication. Music is also a form of communication, and it feeds a person's entire being. It feeds the spirit, and the body with beauty and joy. This is really important.

5. Music helps develop kid's skills , did it help you when you were a kid?

Yes, of course. Music not only gave meaning and purpose to my life, it brought me tremendous joy and happiness. It gave me a way through which I could express all the different feelings that I had growing up that I had no words for. So, especially as a teenager music was so important for my well-being, because through it I could express sadness, anger, disappointment, joy, happiness, and feelings that we don't have words for. It helped me feel better about life, you see. And of course, I believe it helped me with discipline and dedication. It taught me how to communicate with others, and it brought to me my first spiritual experiences of interconnectedness with all beings, and with the universe at large. Really, music has been my greatest teacher in life!

6. What do you think about bhutanese young musicians?

I've met several Bhutanese musicians from all walks of life here in Bhutan. There is so much talent, musicality and a love of music here in Bhutan, both in terms of contemporary music and traditional music. But there are so few opportunities for musicians to perform and share their music with audiences here. I would love to see more venues open up for live concerts and shows. I would love to see cafes, clubs and restaurants that have live music as a part of their regular schedule. This would give the youth a place to perform and perfect their craft as musicians and will provide income for people who otherwise might not have a job. I think there is a lot of room for the music "industry" to grow here in Bhutan. This is an optimistic thing I think, because it means there's lots of potential for growth.

7. How important it is to have a music program in public schools?

It is absoloutley necessary. As I was saying earlier, our children are working, working, working from such a young age, and when they finish school they continue to work, work, work. We need to have subjects in school that are not just about career and jobs. We need subjects that are about fun, joyfulness, playfulness. But, the thing is, that actually, as I was saying earlier, music is not just for fun, it teaches our children valuable and important lessons and helps develop their emotional being in ways that all the other standard subjects cannot. Furthermore, I'd like to see Bhutanese traditional music taught in schools as a part of the regular curriculum, so that future generations will grow to appreciate and enjoy their own musical heritage.

8. Do you think music will help kids keep away from bad stuffs like drugs and alcohol?

I believe it can. Of course, there are no guarantees. But, as I wrote earlier, I believe that music can help give meaning and purpose to young peoples' lives. It can fulfill them, comfort them, and give an expression to their suffering. This can really help to steer youth away from trouble.

9. Describe your experience as a music teacher at KMS

My experience here has been fantastic. It has been a great delight to work with all of my students, and I say this wholeheartedly and without reservation. My students come to study with real joy and an eagerness to learn that is wonderful to experience. They are inquisitive, bright and quick to learn. They are respectful and kind and therefore are a pleasure to teach and be with. Kilu Music School provides a great work atmosphere, I enjoy my colleagues, Masayuki, Saito and Rinchen and we have a fantastic board of directors that is always helpful and supportive. We have a lot of fun together!

10. What motivated you to want to volunteer with children in bhutan ?

It was a great opportunity for me to come and share my love of music and music-making with the children and youth here in Bhutan. I wanted to be somewhere where my work could be helpful, where I was needed. My interest in buddhism and knowing how special Bhutan is made me want to come even more.

11. In your opinion, how do you think the children at KMS benefited by your presence?

Well, i've only been here for three months and will be here for at least nine more months, so there's lots of work still to be done. Really, you'd have to ask the children, but I hope that my enthusiasm, passion and love of music has rubbed off on them a little bit, that music lessons are fun and of course I can see with my eyes and ears that my students are making terrific progress in learning how to play the piano, read and write music.

12. I am sure you were able to teach lots of new things , in turn what have u learned from from them ?

Dzonghka! Bhutanese songs, and other music that my students like and enjoy. I am learning every day from my students, because as a teacher, every lesson I learn more about how to become a better teacher, how to better serve my students, how to better teach the subjects. In this way, my students are my teachers!

13 what was the most memorable advice a music teacher gave you?

My beloved teacher, W.A. Mathieu in California, taught me that of course learning and teaching music is about learning and teaching music itself, but more importantly, it's about getting to know yourself. As students, through music, we learn who we are, we can see our own feelings, insecurities, talents and this is music's greatest gift to us. If we are quiet enough, to listen to even the pure sound of one note, we will discover that it has the power to show us our own intrinsic beauty, the beauty of music and the whole world itself.