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Playing Every Instrument

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  As a music education major, I was excited when I first had a chance to learn how to play a new instrument family. We are always reminded that we need to learn almost every instrument in order to provide future students with the correct knowledge needed to succeed in their own music education. However, learning every instrument is not a small task, especially in four years. Each instrument class has a goal to have every student learn an instrument up to an advanced middle school level, but at the same time there are not enough instruments to go around, and simply not enough time. So, how do we do it? As future music educators , we are encouraged to stay on track with our individual studies, and weave tall tasks into our everyday lives. When it comes to learning a new instrument, we have to devote at least an hour a day in order to have constant improvement. Along with learning a new instrument, music majors still have to maintain their main instrument in order to meet certain requ...
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County Fairs Are Not Fair

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  Introduction I used to love fairs growing up. The people, the sketchy rides, the unhealthy food, weird shows -- I loved it all. I had not gone to fair since I was in grade school, but then I was invited to one this past week. The San Diego county fair is held every year in Del Mar, California, and is a beautiful beach town. After living in San Diego for the past two years, I felt like I was missing out because I had never attended the San Diego county fair, so this time I said yes to the invitation. The main memory I have from when I was a child was something I had never really thought of until this week: I never had to pay for anything. Being an adult, I obviously had to pay for absolutely everything. The San Diego County Fair I feel like I sound childish and spoiled when I complain about having to pay for everything, but I honestly would not bring it up if it was not for the prices. Now, I have to say that the fair itself is cool. The people, rides, food, and shows were almost...
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Why to Visit a Small Pueblo in Mexico

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 Background I come from a Mexican background, with both parents being from the same small pueblo in Jalisco, Mexico called El Reparo . I grew up with stories about this pueblo, but I still had no idea what it was truly like. I had the opportunity to visit for the first time at age ten, and after a short three-day drive from my home in Southern California to El Reparo, I was finally able to see the pueblo for myself. Sayula , Mexico At first, I was surprised. I did not expect the pueblo to look the way it did, with pebble roads and brick houses. Of course, there were lots of other factors that I was surprised about, like how everyone know everybody and how kids my age already had a job. But the main reason I was surprised was because I saw and realized that my parents came from this place, and that all of their stories were true. After my first visit, I have tried to go every year. It truly opens my eyes about how different life can be in a different country, and it makes me gratefu...
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Exploring the Life of a Music Education Major

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 Introduction Hello. My name is Oscar Ramirez and I am a fourth year Music Education Major at San Diego State University. I will show you what exactly I do as a future music educator, but first let me start with how exactly I got here. Music students who go on to continue their music careers usually start with music at a very young age. I was fortunate enough to start in middle school, but believe it or not, I was still behind in the world of music. After playing trumpet, my primary instrument, for 7 years, I concluded that it might be a good idea to make a career out of this whole music thing. So, I combined my two passions, teaching and music, and decided to become a music teacher. Being at San Diego State , I have seen the hard work that I have put out, but I still have such a long way to go. Why Music Education? I ask myself the same question everyday. Why does music matter in schools nowadays? Is it not a better decision to put students in extracurriculars that are more useful...
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