Philosophy of Music Education

Purpose

Through music, I teach citizenship and humanity. A musical ensemble is a microcosm of the society teachers are preparing their students for, and the musical ensemble work the students do is precisely the work they will do in society. The independent work of the student musician requires a level of personal responsibility and discipline the student can and should take to every endeavor. When group and individual work come together in musical rehearsal and performance, people synthesize a heightened form of communication in which they can explore what it means to be human.

Method

The philosophy which informs my teaching methods is based on starting with the student and using their strengths to build their knowledge and skills. I then use my understanding of my student’s prior knowledge, in conjunction with my understanding of my student’s learning styles, to design a musical activity the student can engage in to construct new skills and contextual understandings.

Teaching Goals

My three process goals are to come to appreciate the active process of learning, to move students from lower to higher levels of thought, and to engender critical and creative thinking and problem solving. I will come to appreciate the active process of learning by engaging students in the learning process. I will move students to higher levels of thinking by designing lessons that students can engage with on a higher intellectual level. I will engender critical and creative thinking through the responses I evoke from my students.