Written by: Ethan Morgan
When you walk into Tana’s Music Theory, you see exactly what you would expect: a drum set being drummed as you walk in and down the steep staircase giving way to Tana Field and her podium. Behind her are musical notes and the names of country music stars plastered in a chaotic manner on the white board.
You can tell Tana is completely enthralled in and has an affinity for teaching music. As one scholar spontaneously burst into playing the drums, she rushed to give aid just as if she were a musical Mary Poppins. Within an instant, a tuning peg was produced from her clutch, even though she does not play the drums. Sitting idly in her bag, the tuning peg has been awaiting its call to fame for 15 years, hoping for a suitor.
Tana started the day off with a question to the class: What is their soundtrack of the day? In order to gauge a feel for the mood of her scholars, Tana presents this question and generates discussion amongst the scholars. Some responses include Rotten, Eye of the Tiger, Drake, White Noise, Tyler Childers and even just complete and utter silence. Even just these few examples represent the wide variety of emotions amongst the scholars each and every day. When asked personally, Here You Come Again by Dolly Parton was my obvious choice for my relaxed and intrigued mood for the day.
There was no apparent structured class seating. Instead tana prefers an open campus style of learning, or in the case of Music Theory, an open campus band. Even through the laid back open music environment, Tana still held the attention, but it wasn’t hard to notice the squirming, humming, and beating of the pencils everywhere, and melodical conversation bursting with energy.
When asking students what the class is like Elli said, “It totally depends on the day,” and that same sentiment is held by many in favorable view. Another scholar, Max Ingram, claims, “We’ve learned about the history of music from: classical, country, music theory, musicians composing songs, song building, countries of origins for songs, and so much more.”
Every year Tana plans a performance with original music about GSP. This year, theatrical performance snuck its way in. This should come as no surprise since the two go hand in hand together. There was definitely teaching of minor stage directions, pseudo-foreign to many, such as up stage and down stage and learning our stage right and stage left. The GSPlay is going to be the crown jux of Music Theory, where the class performs original music. Many students picked up quite quickly on the theatrical side of things such as Paige who played the part of Mel to a tee, with facial expressions, tone of voice and the classic “M…Kay.”
Before the early morning rehearsal began Tana declared a dire warning that…“This may lead to a hot mess.” While Tana was giving the instructions, the class immediately bloomed like a flower that’s been waiting all winter for that sudden apricity. Music notes were beginning to be written and passed around, while the many instruments began to belt out like the cello, electric guitar, piano, flexatune, tambourine, and many more. Then the Upbeat little riff began playing.
The Scholars were encouraged to create original music for the GSPlay, the first leading song of which is called “Homesick”. All of the original songs are created to embody a specific key aspect of GSP life. Their lyrics also profound, “Passing billboards left and right no more empty starry nights, something different something new I will always long for you,” “My boots have never seen the lights of this inner city wonder, but my soles are breaking in and your lust has pulled me under,” or “My Old Kentucky Home has never felt so far way.”
There are plenty of other originals such as “SlessNights.” Scholar Jesse explained that the reason behind the song is the thought that sleepless nights are continual just for different reasons. Anticipation of arriving at GSP, to life whilst at GSP, to the closing ceremony. Other songs, such as “Highway to Mel,” borrow some creative liberties
Once the morning rehearsal was finished, the day then took a lucky turn for a reporter like me….a field trip! The field trip was to look at music in the community. The Music Theory Class visited “Wit’s end. RECORDS” owned by MSU’s own Tim John, the Assistant Professor of English and a Film Studies Professor. While also visiting the adjacent Graymare Music Works. The Scholars, all music fanatics themselves, were like moths to flame when it came to the stacks of records in an unusual, brutalist style of record store. Coffee pots, books, cassettes, and owners with no shoes on were a common sight at Wit’s end. They also have reading nooks and performing spaces in which many local artists frequent, as well as poetry readers and story tellers. Many of these artists often collaborate with Graymore Music Works to bring in these acts. With instruments galore, even ones of which were thousands of dollars being passed around like Sunday potluck dishes by scholars, Graymere Music Works is your typical, yet polished, music shop.
Tana Field, when asked about her class, had to say that it presents its own challenge each and every year. This year, for example, there were 2:1 men to women in the class compared to years passed. These changes did not stop at just the genders of the scholars, but their specialties as well with the new array of instruments such as Guitar and electrical guitar which were never before seen auditions to the Music Theory focus area.
It’s easy to see that when you talk about passion, drive, and leadership here at GSP, in Music Theory it’s abundant.