Jojimar Kenneth M.

Gonowon
First Year – BM Piano Performance

“Metamorphosis”

My journey in teaching does not stop in teaching itself but continues when you are again
a student studying and learning new things. My experience in education especially in music
accompanied me in my endeavors. Reflection is made because we want to go back what we have
been through and make it not only memorable but meaningful and that is life all about. We
always find meaning in what we do and transforming our individual experiences into
extraordinary one.
This pandemic, I supposed, made me a better person – to really manage myself when it
regards to discipline and perseverance. Music Education does not only pertain to the concepts on
how they were made but, in the process of how they come up because of what music can really
do. We know that music transforms gradually an individual to its fullness. The proponents of
Music Education in the world, especially Kodaly, Dalcroze, Orff, Gordon, Suzuki and others
made us realize that we can do different approach in music, diverse yet unified and rooted in
standards. But what I learned and reflected about music education is this quote coming from Mr.
Paul Leman:

“My role as a music educator is to facilitate learning and discourse and prepare students to be
productive members of society. Through music, I will engage students in activities that require
them to be creative, disciplined, flexible, and work cooperatively with others. I must also help
them explore the emotions that various songs or types of music brings them and help them learn
to articulate what they feel and why.1

To be an educator, as far in my experience, does not end when the school year end or the
term ends but when you are close yourself to the possibility of believing and for me that is faith.
Faith is something you believe on the mystery of the Divine where we came from. Our learnings
can be transformed and make this available as wisdom tested by experience and time. We can
make music which transforms the individual to see what our eyes can see but to feel what really
love is. We teach because we want to be transformed as we live in the paradoxical way of life.
We do not stop to find the meaning of what we are doing and through music we are able to
express it to the best that we could.
I think, one thing that I will never forget in education and that is the process of being
transformed into something beautiful and profound. At first we are like ugly worms who pursues
and continues to battle within and outside of ourselves. Sometime we forgot to think about who
we are, that we have the potential hiding inside us and we need to become what we become. We
need to take time and harnessing ourselves inside the cocoon in order for us to become ready and
from that time, we will be transforming ourselves into beautiful butterfly which is very colourful
and full of grandeur. This is what I saw and thought about education. We are actually worms
that will go inside of the cocoon and transformed into butterfly and that metamorphosis is always
given to us human who strives to the fullest. I know that these learnings that I inculcated in the

1
Lehman, Paul R. “A Personal Perspective.” Music Educators Journal March 2002, Vol. 88, Issue 5.
past lessons gave me an insight that will contribute in my life and ministry. Hopefully, I may
able to see the light and transformed again through His light.