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Teaching Music for Student Growth – Music Education Philosophy

What is a music educator? As defined on the Merriam-Webster Dictionary website, an

educator is “one skilled in teaching.” Then what is teaching? There are many definitions for “to

teach”, but I think that to properly define teaching, there needs to be some sort of context. In the

case of music education, there still is not enough context to properly define teaching. This is

because there are many different kinds of music education. For example, each of the following

elementary, middle, and high school music education can vary greatly due to student experience.

Although once could mention a few other examples of types of music education as well, like

private instruction, my teaching philosophy will be focused on the former three examples and

even more specifically for band.

As a band teacher, one could be working with a few different age groups of students.

Elementary school students generally range from ages seven to eleven. At this level of teaching,

the band director is in charge of an army of energetic children that are not all quite sure what is

going on. The band director’s job is not just to be a music educator, but to also be a mediator.

Children have the capability of being well-mannered and behaving, but I believe that one should

expect to be doing some wrangling. One thing might be striking readers as weird, “how could a

band director be dealing with children of ages seven to eleven if most school only allow fourth

and fifth graders to play in the band?” This is a fair question, and, in truth, most band teachers

will not actually be dealing with first through third graders. The combined responsibilities of

mediating bickering between students or dealing with other misbehavior and teaching music is a

little too much for a music educator. The other part of being an elementary school music

educator is that almost every one of the students signing up for band have never played an
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instrument before. What this means is that elementary school music educators are mostly

teaching their students how to play a musical instrument.

On the other hand, in high school, the band director is teaching in a slightly different

way. While a handful of the students in a high school band may be picking up an instrument for

the first time, most of them have been playing for at least a couple of years now. This means that

high school band directors now have the role of teaching how to make music rather than how to

play it. There are normally more complex pieces of music and the students are capable of taking

on harder tasks. In middle school, there is more of a combination of these two overarching

teaching aspects. There are still some kids that are learning an instrument for the first time, but

now some of them are more experienced and have a few years of playing under their belt. This

divide of teaching aspects is very important to take into consideration when thinking about

teaching philosophy because each of these grade levels are effectively different kinds of music

education.

When it comes to teaching a class of less experienced musicians, the teacher really has to

do their homework. Observing each individual students’ level of playing and capacity for

learning new material early on in the school year is critical for having a smooth experience with

the students. Any exceptionalities in the students should be taken into account, too. Students with

a learning impairment or disability are due for a bit of extra attention and time to develop their

skills. Lessons and song parts could be specifically tailored to students that a teacher knows is

not quite at the level of their classmates. Students that seem gifted in music should also be taken

into account. An occasional challenge is great for students that show appreciation for the arts or

who constantly are ahead of their peers. The name of the game when working with exceptional

students, however, is discreteness. No student wants the whole class to know that they are a little
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behind, especially in a lower grade level when feelings may be more volatile. Additionally, the

whole class does not need to be told that one person is doing exceptionally well. Assigning parts

with solos for the talented individuals is a good example of being discrete with this.

My philosophy of music education is that it should be taught in the band room, along

with music. Yes, minor themes of philosophy should be discussed in the classroom, especially

for high schools. Themes like practicing and teamwork are great to talk about with students that

are unsure of why they do band. Practicing an instrument can develop healthy habits for all other

areas of education and the playing in an ensemble is all about teamwork. Teaching students

about how the skills they use in band class can be utilized in other areas will motivate them and

give them a sense of direction when it comes to band and music. Humans naturally work so that

they can get something done. Showing students what they are getting done will help legitimize

the sometimes-grueling task of practicing as an ensemble. Setting goals for the class is another

great way to give them a sense of direction.

Having a proper sense of direction is especially important for students that live in an

urban environment. Underfunded schools in urban communities can harbor a sense of

hopelessness in students. Band class is a great place to show students that they can make a

difference in their life. Teaching proper work and practice techniques helps these students with

other aspects of their school life. Band class and music education in general are imperative in

this regard. A fun way for students to learn these essential skills is undeniably helpful in a

student’s life.

Why would anyone want to teach or learn music anyway? Teaching music serves many

purposes. In my philosophy, I focus on teaching music and how to play an instrument, life

lessons such as good practice etiquette and teamwork, and making sure the students have an
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overall relaxing and enjoyable time in class. All of these aspects come together for a manageable

and effective class.

Reference

Dictionary by Merriam-Webster: America's most-trusted online dictionary. (n.d.). Retrieved

September 8, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/