I feel very proud to say my grandmother earned a Master's Degree in music and my mother (age 59) just graduated with her Bachelor's Degree in music (first one ever at Dixie State College to earn a 4-year degree in music/vocal performance). Clearly I grew up in a musical family. I sat at a piano from a very young age and have played ever since. I was exposed to many styles of music. I also learned to play the violin and took fiddling lessons. My mother sings and I have grown to love singing also. I have always had a love of theater as well, enlisting neighbor kids to put on little plays, or reading plays as a form of entertainment. However, dance is one of the arts that has eluded me. I don't seem to enjoy it, understand it very well and certainly will struggle with knowing how to adequately integrate it into my teaching.
Since I do not considering myself an artist either, I like the idea of free-expression through art (painting, drawing, coloring, scultping, etc.) I really need to study art myself a bit. I can appreciate art that looks like something, but have a hard time appreciating art that looks like paint splatter, or like a 2-year old could do it. Abstract images escape me.
I hope to have lots of music, singing, and reenacting in my classroom. So many memorization requirements are strengthened when put to music, at least for me. When things are reenacted, you can better understand how a child understood a subject, what stuck with them, how they felt about it, etc. I like the notion of "no wrong ideas" when it comes to art. I think it is highly personal and subjective.
