Philosophy of Music Education

I believe music is an important part of everyday life and is an essential aspect of education. Music can bring joy, hope, and healing into a student's life. Music classes which encourage creativity and allow for emotion, are fundamental to students who yearn to communicate their opinions and feelings. I feel that all students can identify with some type of music and that is an important reason why it is so essential. I want to give my students every opportunity to experience all they can with music. Music provides many academic and physical benefits for students. Music improves cognitive capability, memory, and the ability to focus. My students will experience teamwork through working together in ensembles and learn to respect each other. Music students often develop strong friendships from daily interactions and working together. Students will also gain discipline, confidence, and self-esteem through performance. Music is a hands-on learning process which provides a healthy experience for students. Music classes cater to many different types of learning. Music is a synthesis of all other academic subjects and engages all types of intelligences from logical-mathematical and linguistic, to kinesthetic. I feel that the most affective learning takes place when students are allowed to experience for themselves and music consistently permits this type of participation. I believe it's important for students to have a solid foundation of music theory and history. Students should be exposed to as many styles of music and ensembles as possible. A music teacher should be able to demonstrate a passion for music and act as a positive role model for the students. As a teacher, I want my students to succeed and learn how to better appreciate and enjoy music. My goal as an educator is to guide students to develop a deep love and appreciation for music as I share my own passion with them. It is my job as a music educator to expose my students to the benefits of music, giving them every possible opportunity to do the best they can and help them reach their full potential.