Four Wires and a Stick?

I am starting this blog to fufill class requirements for my Technology for Music Teaching class at Kent State University.  I've wanted to run a music ed-themed blog for a while, though, so it's hopefully something that will continue after the class is completed.

If you're not familiar with string instruments, the blog title might not make too much sense to you (and I might change it if I can find something clever-er).  I have been talking to my students recently about the importance of singing and vocalizing, especially when learning pitch and rhythm. I asked my middle school orchestras what the difference was between singing something and playing it on their instruments. They tried a few silly guesses, so when one kid finally admitted they didn't know I pointed out that the voice and the violin family share the same way to monitor and change pitch -- the ear has to drive the brain's decision-making skill and effect change in the pitch-generator, whether that's the vocal cords or the fingers on the string.  I told them that singing their part "makes it easier to hear pitches and understand the pitches because you don't have to deal with the machine that makes sound."

They were all a little confused when I referred to their instruments as a 'machine' that makes sound, so I elaborated... "You know, that box with four wires and a stick we all play?  That's all it is -- a machine.  A tool. Something that we can use and manipulate, but pretty useless on it's own -- it needs our brain in order to work.  And our brain sometimes needs to work on it's own before we add the machine in."

As I was trying to come up with something interesting/funny/thoughtful to title the blog, 'four wires and a stick' stuck with me.  I guess that most premium strings would be better referred to as strings or ropes instead of wires, but wires are exactly what student instrument have running on them.  So much of what I teach revolves around that stringed instrument machine, both how to manipulate it to make beautiful music as well as how to not let it get in the way of musicianship and musicality.

So, welcome to my blog, and I hope you find something of interest within!