The Music Student’s Manifesto:
1. We learn musical instruments, songs, and games to strengthen our spirits and our togetherness. The strength of our spirits and our togetherness is the most important part.
2. We learn about notes and rhythm, instrument families, the treble clef sign, and what that little p and f means to better understand how music works. But the music we make is the most important part.
3. We all have hopes and fears, wishing to be the best or dreading to be the worst, but when we all participate together, we turn the ‘me’ into the ‘we’. Letting go of ‘me’ to become part of ‘we’ is the most important part.
4. We learn challenging music not for the purpose of perfection, but for the purpose of improvement. Our readiness to change, always listening, always thinking, always looking for a better way- that is the most important part.
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Over the summer, I read a technology article that included 'The Manifesto for Agile Software Development', also known as the 'Agile Manifesto'. The manifesto is quite short with just four points- but also sort of profound in its simplicity. So I challenged myself to rework the Agile Manifesto as something that could apply to music students. Really, all the thought and creativity and depth came from the Agile Manifesto, but when I reworded it with music terminology, it was so nice that I wanted to turn it into a video. So I hope others can enjoy this- and hopelly it can spurn a lot of conversations as students start their music classes.
The Manifesto for Agile Software Development:
1. Individuals and interactions over processes and tools
2. Working software over comprehensive documentation
3. Customer collaboration over contract negotiation
4. Responding to change over following a plan