Translator: Yura Ganjalyan
I have learned it from my own experience that the music factor is extremely important in children’s educational and upbringing process. Music, if only taught as a mandatory school subject, may cause children’s resistance, and sometimes even dislike, whereas any work is done with pleasure if it is accompanied by music.
The learners of “Mkhitar Sebastatsi” Educomplex can subconsciously differ a good piece of music from the music of low quality. They are trained to be in high spirits while listening to good music; it is very much like their natural state of mind when they mix with each other or eat sweets. One of the distinguishing features of the author musical education at Yerevan “Mkhitar Sebastatsi” Educomplex is that it is directed not only to the pre-school and school children, but also to their parents and teachers. At our Educomplex everybody listens to music, dances and sings without any age limitations. Those who do not believe can come and see the teachers sing and dance (sometimes more cheerfully than the learners) at our general morning trainings. Musical education is carried out by means of musical lessons, general morning trainings, media Friday concerts, regularly organized concerts of classical music, rituals of national holidays. Parallel to all these annual musical reviews and festivals take place in the Educomplex for which we are preparing with special care and responsibility: Anti virus Komitas, Komitas Days. Media concert is included in list of EduDigitech nominations and the reviews of annual May gatherings of author pedagogy. Learners can make their choice among the reviews and festivals to take part in.
You are simply not allowed to dislike or misunderstand Komitas at our Educomplex: That is something which is not tolerated by one of our best friends Arthur Shahnazaryan, the well-known expert in Komitasology. In autumn, during one of his visits, the strict maestro, after having been present at our music lessons, expressed his admiration and, furthermore, he recorded the whole process of one lesson and disseminated it on the Internet.
Making video films of the musical lessons, individual and group concerts, rituals is also considered to be important component of our educational program.
The review “Media Concert” within the framework of the 9th May Gathering of author pedagogy appears to be the first in its kind. The aim of the review is to summarize and evaluate all the programs of the Educomplex related to musical education presenting them with live performances and media versions. This is a wonderful stimulation for us to improve our performing skills, record our performances, review and disseminate them.
Constantly increasing interest and seriousness of attitude towards music in the Educomplex is remarkable. This is confirmed by periodical changes and innovations in the environment of musical education. The acting Children’s and Teachers’ Choirs “Sebastatsies” were replenished with a new Youth Choir. Musician learners and music lovers of the Educomplex were united by the newly created musical laboratory. All the schools of the Educomplex have been replenished with pianos this year. On the whole there are five pianos in our three pre-schools. The Educomplex administration is determined to create this kind of musical environment in all the primary schools (Grades 1-3). There is a piano in most of the classrooms. Creating such conditions will make it possible to organize further musical education just in the primary schools. The new musical teachers have brought freshness with them. At our High Schools further musical education has been included in the individual curriculum of learners. We are experimenting the presentation of the results of further musical education this year. It is a new obligation written in the learner’s contract. Organizing concerts regularly is an educational project carried out by the teachers and learners of the Educomplex. In our previous articles we have already mentioned the organization of concerts as an educational project. We have mentioned the key objectives, organizational issues, shortcomings and achievements.
The media-review live concert gives the learner spectator a chance to present himself/herself as a performer musician, and consequently, he/she gets to know the stage etiquette, some professional details and have a bigger responsibility for work. On the other hand the preparation of both good performers and good spectators are equally important. Unnecessary applauding, chewing a gum, talking even in a whisper, looking to the left and right with an indifferent look demonstratively showing how boring the concert is, tell us about how much work we still have to do in this field. We teach very important qualities in the learners by developing their ability to listen to junior and senior friends, maintain order, respect and value each other’s work.
The review “Anti-virus Komitas” is on June 2. Check and see the learners, teachers, classes, schools, the whole Educomplex sing Komitas with more and more love and self confidence.