2008 Woodie Awards
Manhattan Composes a Melodic Music Minor
Jeff Latzer
Issue date: 4/7/04 Section: News
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"Music has the unique ability to connect people across continents and centuries in the most personal way," said Professor Mark Pottinger, Chairman of the Music Department at Manhattan, a Musicologist and Music Historian. Some of the questions Professor Pottinger hopes to explore through the various courses offered are, "How can music composed by a stranger in another era make you start to cry, experience personal emotions? How does music allow us to figure out what it means to be alive?"
He continued to say, "Our primary goal in this investigation is to help students develop a better understanding of themselves and their major through a minor in music. Be it Psychology, History, Physics, we find that a background in the Arts helps students create more individualized careers in today's job market. And diversity in the portfolio goes a long way."
Dean of Arts, Mary Anne O'Donnell, attributes the new minor to a growing interest among students and an eagerness of the School of Arts to provide an outlet for such fervor.
"We recently began a class in guitar instruction, and 15 students signed up," said Dean O'Donnell. "These, however, were the 15 happiest students I've ever seen on campus and that enthusiasm is growing."
Dean O'Donnell speaks of the Guitar Computer Workshop, which Prof. Pottinger agrees is an impressive academic examination.
"The guitar and piano classes encourage seasoned players as well as novices with an interest in the instruments to explore the language of music," stated Prof. Pottinger.
The classes teach proficiency through instrument instruction, as well as the use of MIDI software in digital music. No background in piano, guitar or computers is needed in either course. Instructors meet the student wherever their experience level may lie.
"Students learn the history of the instrument, how to play them, and how to compose music through digital mediums. All you need is your own guitar," he said.
Prof. Pottinger, who teaches Roots of Music in the core curriculum, is no stranger to the possible alienation of required courses. "You're forced to take so many classes here, which is a joy of education, but at the same time, there has to be a sense of ownership in what you're taking. I see this all the time in the core-you're required to take music or art, and at the end of the day, unless you make each bit of knowledge your own, it becomes simply memorization for a test," he said.