The purpose of music education can be put very simply as to help students grow and bond through music. However, leaving it at that, while correct, would be an incredible disservice to just how important music education is. One could argue that music education is the most important education to give to today’s students. While yes, it is fun to learn about what a tempo is and how to count different rhythms, that’s missing the main point behind music. Music is about 3 things; community, achievement, and passion, or “CAP” for short. A community striving for an achievement is what builds passion. Let’s take a dive into what those exactly mean. 

“C” stands for community. There can’t be a good performance without a good community. In order to have a good performance, everyone needs to be able to set aside any differences they have in order to be on the same page and committed to the same goal. This means there needs to be trust. Trust that everybody will go home and practice what they need to. There needs to be confidence. Confidence that everybody can play through whatever music they are performing. A good community, even in the middle of a performance, knows how to communicate and be on the same page even if somebody makes a mistake. Just like in any community, everyone has a role. While yes, there are the technical roles like playing the Trumpet 1 part or being the snare drummer, there is more to it than that. To put it simply, the role of the student is to learn while the role of the teacher is to teach. The teacher must be able to pass on their knowledge and pass it on so that everyone understands. This applies on both the individual level and the ensemble level. The role of the student is to absorb this information and not only learn it themselves, but also make sure everyone is learning. This, in turn, will turn into a community even outside the rehearsal halls and practice rooms. This leads to bonding on a personal level between all the students and also between the students and the teacher. This is why there are stereotypes like “band kids,” because of the community that is created in music. This community creates a safe space for students to express themselves on both a musical and personal level. In short, a community that is still a community outside of the rehearsals and performances, will make the rehearsals and performances that much better in terms of both enjoyment for the students and in actual product that is put out. This leads to the next letter in “CAP”. 

“A” stands for achievement. Forming a dedicated and bonded community is what leads to achievement. Achievement is not only the achievement of a goal, but it is also the hard work that goes into achieving that goal. Actually reaching a goal is only a small part of what an achievement is. For music students, achievement is all the practicing they have done outside the classroom to prepare for a performance. Achievement is the sectionals they do together. Achievement is all the rehearsal time they have worked through together. Only after all of that time spent together does achievement then become the actual performance. Striving for achievement is what teaches working hard for both short term and long term goals. This builds work ethic and dedication among all the students. Striving to have a great performance really motivates students to work hard and practice. This creates good working habits and great dedication to their craft. This strive for achievement can turn into something more. This brings us to the final letter in “CAP”. 

“P” stands for passion. A community coming together to achieve a common goal is what can light up the fire of passion in students. Students enjoy working hard and working together to prepare for performances where they get to showcase what they are capable of. They enjoy the bonds they form with each other and they enjoy the fulfillment they get when they have a killer performance. These students really enjoy what they do and this leads them to form a passion for it. They start looking forward to the music classes, the sectionals, and the after school rehearsals. They enjoy every single part of their music experience and this can start driving them in other parts of their life. Being active and dedicated in one aspect of their life can bleed and spread into other aspects of their lives. Finding their passion leads to more motivation and higher morale overall. This passion that burns inside them will drive them to work harder and make the most and get the most out of everything they can. This goes for every single aspect of their life. The best part about the “CAP” philosophy is that the teacher gets to teach this to philosophy students every year that they are in whatever level of schooling they are in. Elementary school music teachers have their students for 5 or 6 years, middle school teachers get their students for 3 years, and high school teachers have their students for 4 years. Teachers get to build a culture with their students over the years and the students pass it on from class to class. This builds a culture where a community strives for achievement that brings out the passion in every student. That’s “CAP”.