Do- The Purpose of Music Education
Why do we teach music? It’s certainly not simply to breed future musicians, although that is one considerable benefit. We choose to teach to bestow our love of music onto future generations. Not all students will continue to be virtuosic musicians, but we have the opportunity to enrich all students with the many benefits of music. Music has the ability to enrich students’ lives and aid in other areas of their education as well. The four different branches that are integral in the family of music education are the student, the teacher, the community, and the national organizations. These create a multifaceted and symbiotic approach to teaching music that benefits all parties involved.
Re- The Student’s Role in Music Education
When it comes to the student’s role in his own music education, he must initially be motivated to be a vital part in his learning. Part of this is the teacher’s responsibility to create an environment where students desire to excel. Students should keep an open mind to all genres of music, despite their own preferences; this will enable them to enjoy learning about classical music as well as contemporary music. At the same time, students should bring their own musical interests into the classroom. They should share the types of music they prefer with their teacher, and the teacher should try to incorporate students’ preferences into lesson plans when possible. Finally, students should participate to get the most out of their lessons, and for secondary instrumental or choral students, home practice is extremely important. It is best to arrive at ensemble rehearsals already having looked over music selections so that rehearsal time can be spent moving forward and working as an ensemble as opposed to having to trudge through figuring out notes, pitches, or fingerings.
Mi- The Teacher’s Role in Music Education
A music educator must approach education in a way that is tangible for her specific students in the twenty first century. She must educate herself by listening to the current generation’s music; she can use resources to learn about her students’ backgrounds, holidays celebrated, and milestones that have created the adolescents they are becoming. She must be fair if she expects to be respected; she must deal with disruptions immediately, with little confrontation, and with little interruption of the instruction so as to not rob the rest of the students’ time. She must begin the year with high expectations and establish a list of positive rules that can be learned and reinforced consistently. If she over-plans her lessons, there will be minimal free time for infractions to take place. Of course a music educator must assess for understanding of critical standards of learning, but most of all, an educator must assess for enjoyment of the music class as a whole; it is the role of the teacher to spark motivation and find new ways to educate exceptional students in her classroom. First and foremost, teachers of all different calibers should be there because they want to be. They should possess an obvious and tangible passion for their subject matter, and it should be infectious; if a teacher isn’t energetic about the content, how can she then pass on any kind of passion or fire to the students? When a teacher is enthusiastic, even the most indifferent of students can be delighted.
Fa- The Teacher’s Role in Differentiating Instruction
Passion will also fuel a teacher’s desire to help all types of learners; it is essential for a classroom teacher to have the ability to differentiate learning, both in premeditated lesson plan, and especially while thinking on her feet. When it comes to music, all students are gathered in the same classroom; sometimes the help of an aid is written into a child’s Individual Education Program, or other times the teacher can wear a microphone amplification system for students needing aural assistance. It is essential for the teacher to know her students’ needs, because differentiating instruction will help all types of students flourish in her classroom and beyond. All students, especially gifted students and those requiring special education, are in need of highly qualified master teachers to provide the support they need. The music classroom should be an atmosphere where each and every student can extend their limits and step outside of their comfort zone. It is the duty of the instructor to provide an interactive process that only begins inside the classroom; students should not only be satisfying expected needs, but should be striving to accomplish more goals even outside of the classroom. Students with special needs and gifted students as well tend to be sensitive to teacher expectations, so it’s not a pressure that should be exercised, but rather an enriching opportunity to supplement their daily instruction.
Sol- The Teacher’s Role in the Community
A teacher’s role as a professional music educator should never end when she steps foot outside of her classroom. An integral aspect of teaching music that differs from a general classroom teacher is the necessity to advocate for her music program. Throughout history, it seems that the arts have always required justification in the public school system, and we never want to slide back into an age where we are fighting for music’s place in public education. The music teacher, especially in a secondary setting, is a figurehead in the community. Parents know her; administrators know her; other teachers know her. Even news outlets communicate with her, so she has a platform from which to advocate for her program, and she should do so enthusiastically and respectfully; the press can be an excellent tool for her to project her vision and boast about her program. One way a music director could promote her program would be to advertise performances. She should make sure things her students have done well are recognized, either large scale, or even just by inviting classroom teachers into the music room for informal performances. Social media is another invaluable tool for music director to flaunt the advances, awards, or small victories of her band, orchestra, choir, or even general music class. Community members both young and old are quick to follow a social media account, especially if it is well-managed. Finally, it is especially important for the music director to be a good role model at public events, such as concerts, parades, or even just out in the town on her own personal time. When you are a member or a leader of a program, you are associated with that program, even when you are not in uniform or on the stage, so it is wise for the music director to always act courteously, confident, and respectful.
La- The Role of Professional Organizations
A director of a music program, whether it be small or large scale, cannot do it alone; this is one reason there are professional organizations that offer twofold support to music educators. First, organizations are an excellent means of networking; music educators, more often than not, are the only ones in their school, and sometimes in their district, so it may be hard to locate other music educators to bounce ideas off of or from which to find out about job openings. Even when not attending conferences, a music teacher can use a professional organization, such as NAfME, to her advantage. Websites contain so much content one can use both in and outside of the classroom.
Ti- The Community’s Role
The music educator cannot possess a successful program on her own, whether it be an elementary classroom or a high school marching band. The community needs to support their young learners, and they can do so in multiple ways. The first and most obvious is to simply support their children. Encourage at home practice and attend performances enthusiastically. Secondly, communities can raise funds for music programs, which all seem to be lacking funding, and one does not have to be a parent or a musician to help a music program; all are welcome!
Do- Conclusion
We must promote the arts; without music, dance, visual arts, etc, a child’s education exists with its sole emphasis upon reading comprehension, math, and the preparation for standardized testing. A child’s education should not be a chore; it should be a lifelong joy of a learning, an all encompassing learning experience, and for many students, this lifelong love of learning begins, not in the general classroom, but in enriching classrooms such as the music room. We must be concerned with how students learn best; it is our duty as music educators to know our students on an individual basis and promote the type of rigorous standards that they need to be able to fulfill their potential as blooming musicians. We must provide a safe school environment at the very base of student needs; if we desire to develop talented, respectful, ethical citizens to release out into the world, they first and foremost must feel safe in the classroom, so that learning can occur without unnecessary worry or distraction. A teacher should hold high expectations for her students so they deem themselves scholars the moment they enter the classroom. There is always room for growth as a teacher, so constant self reflection is essential; we must learn from our mistakes and be open to critiques. If I am not a great pianist, but my choir requires accompaniment, do I fumble, or do I access someone who is a master pianist from my resources to aid in my instruction and create an environment where my students can truly thrive? We can be the finest musicians in the world, but to take the next step and become a teacher requires empathy, flexibility, ingenuity, humility, and a lot of hard work.