Thursday, November 1, 2007

Music is for life

When I asked Prof. Sapieyevski for an interview I never imagined it would be as interesting as it was. As soon as our conversation started he demonstrated to me how he believed that music is an international language because, as he explains, “it is the only language that while only having seven letters, it speaks to everyone.” He moved towards his piano, and played a piece for me. Throughout the piece he narrated a story of two lovers, and with changes in the dynamics the relationship evolved into a complex bond between the two lovers. As I heard the accords my imagination wondered and music became a story inside my head- they were dating, they fell in love, they had a fight, one of them tragically died, the other was only left with memories. When the piece was over I realized how music is a language that speaks to everyone; even someone from Russia would have pictured a love story with the same ups and downs as I did.

Prof. Sapieyevski believes that his class is not about facts. He uses a teaching website, Music Happens, where he helps his students get the gist of the class, leaving the class period for discussion and demonstration. He believes his most important goal is to make the students aware of the emotion of music, something you cannot read on books. Therefore through demonstrations in class, Prof. Sapieyevski teaches his students how to "feel musical emotion" and to recognize how music sets the atmosphere on everything from a movie, to life.

Prof. Sapieyevski truly believes in the power of music. He told me music is a direct mirror of our emotions, something I also believe is true. I have played flute for almost five years, and I believe music is more important in life than we give it credit for. It helps us express feelings difficult to share with others; it gives us a safe route where we can expose our true feelings. In Prof. Sapieyevski’s words, “music is cheaper than a psychiatrist”.

Besides using a website to help with his class, Prof. Sapieyevski uses the program “Painted Music” to invite his students to mix painting with music. Through incredible technology, I didn’t even know existed, he is able to teach his students to paint on sensitive canvases so that they can create the sound they want; painting therefore becomes the instrument. This way, through painting on a canvas, the students are also able to create music and unite both disciplines into one. This helps the students realize that the world is a multidisciplinary place, where we have to learn to apply everything we know to our day to day actions.

When I asked Prof. Sapieyevski why he believed his class met the requirements of a general education course he told me “because unlike many subjects, Music is for life”. He told me that almost everything else in life becomes obsolete, but music has lasted centuries, therefore it is important for students to know about this subject. It teaches them to have a good emotional life, something many subjects here at the university do not attend to. In our modern world, we lack enrichment of emotions because we have focused ourselves on getting jobs. Through this course students are taught that there is more to life than a job, it teaches them the emotional aspect of life.

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