I have several friends who love Music Learning Theory (MLT). And they post about it on Facebook every day.
Personally I'm a fan of MLT and incorporate it into my teaching of younger students. MLT, kind of like Suzuki, takes the language-learning model and applies it to music learning.
You know how kids copy their parents' words, form their own ideas from those words, and it's only after they're fluent in the language we even think about teaching them to read?
MLT uses a similar sequence for music learning. And so, kids move, sing, imitate, and improvise things on the piano, leaving music reading until much (much) later on.
Over the years, this has not gone over well with traditional teachers for reasons we won't get into today. But, it's hard to argue the logic of the process.
The problem is, the greatest advocates of MLT tend to post quotes from Edwin Gordon (MLT's creator) all the live long day.
And there's nothing wrong with this. But, the problem is they believe they're making a difference and swaying others' minds.
Not that Facebook comments are any definitive measure of accuracy...but I can't help but notice that the only comments are those in agreement. No minds have been changed. And no one has really questioned it either.
(Questioning is a good thing. Good, civil debates can occasionally head us in the right direction. But, you won't really find those on Facebook, so I guess the point is moot.)
My suspicion is the act of talking about it on a public forum on Facebook makes us think we're doing something. Making a difference. When the reality is, we're probably not.
We see this in political banter all the time on Facebook. Democrats bashing and lecturing the entire Republican party in one brutal Facebook post that would never be spoken face-to-face.
That kind of thing.
But what about meaningful action that could change even one mind? Or at least open the conversation?
That's the stuff that takes more guts. Requires more interaction. Taking some risks.
Which means, it's the stuff we desperately need to do.