This semester, I have been reviewing musical periods and musical instruments as I prepare to eventually take the PRAXIS for music teachers. I decided to undertake this project because I received dual enrollment credit for the course that normally focuses on these topics. Musical periods and instruments are important throughout a music student's college experience and are also music concepts that are important to be generally aware of.
I have been reviewing the characteristics of the musical periods, including common instruments used, compositional techniques, common composers of the periods, and other factors. This has filled out my understanding of basic music history and of where certain pieces fall in it.
I have also been studying musical instruments, particularly brass and woodwinds, their tuning and transposition rules, and their sound. It has been helpful to work on aural identification of different instruments.
This is a project that I would like to spend more time on, but so far it has been very helpful. I know that this will help me as a student, as a teacher, and as a test-taker when I take the PRAXIS in the next year or so.
