Sarah Williams 102 Claremont Road, Franklin Park, NJ 08823

(609) 577-3099 sawilliams0312@gmail.com

Philosophy of Music Education

It is my belief that music is designed by nature to be an intimate, expressive outlet for all

who welcome it into their lives. Everybody is capable and worthy of learning music, but not all

learners will accept it at the same time or in the same way. I firmly believe, however, that the

majority of students will best learn music by experiencing it through a passionate lens, rather

than just discussing it out of context.

Therefore, I find it best to, rather than just teach music, teach through music. I recognize

that many students in my class will not be pursuing music as a career; to expect that of every

student is to set them up for failure and frustration. Therefore, it is my job to help students

appreciate music and learn to apply it to their everyday lives, rather than just have them master

every musical skill and memorize every piece I assign them. I plan to teach life skills and other

academic subjects through music: discussing the poetry in a choral piece, talking about vocal

science or the physics of sound, teaching each other about music from other cultures, and

learning how to express oneself and interact and connect with others. I will do this by

collaborating with other teachers and learning to incorporate their curricula.

I believe the job of the teacher is to facilitate learning, rather than control every bit of

information given to the students. This means students should dominate the discussion and have

leadership opportunities as they please. Furthermore, no matter how great a lesson may be, if it

does not reach the students, it has not served its purpose. Thus, while personal reflection is

critical, I believe a teacher should accept critique and suggestion from students on how to

improve and how to further help him or her succeed. Students should also have a say in what is
learned in the class, based on their personal interest. Allowing the students to help decide what is

covered in class will allow them to take what they already know and apply it to music, rather

than just blindly assuming they know nothing. This incorporation of Critical Pedagogy will keep

students engaged and excited to learn.

Regarding different approaches to music education, I believe incorporating movement

through the Dalcroze method is an incredible way to get students physically engaged with the

music while finding a greater level of comfort in their own bodies and selves. Finding this

comfort is a crucial step to helping these students become happier and more effective adults. This

can lead to more comfort in improvisation, thus incorporating the Orff approach to music

teaching. To make this level of comfort possible, it is critical to behave professionally yet

lovingly. I intend to be supportive of students through any struggle and make myself

approachable, but to always maintain a strong teacher-student relationship rather than friendship.

To earn the students trust and vulnerability, I plan to maintain a safe space in my classroom,

void of unnecessary ridicule or punishment, but replaced with correction proposed in a positive

and encouraging light.

Through making a safe classroom where students can learn how to apply music to things

they are passionate about, I feel students will be constantly engaged and eager to learn. If the

students are not enjoying the content being discussed or are struggling to apply it to their

everyday lives, they will not learn the subject matter thoroughly nor will they retain it. Passion

and compassion feed the most effective learning and their implementation into the classroom is

crucial for teaching these students lifelong lessons.