Nic Adams

Music Ed Philosophy Statement

As both an educator and a musician, I have experienced the benefits of a quality

musical education firsthand. Music and the community that surrounds it gave me both

the skills to become an accomplished instrumentalist but also helped me to become in

touch with my identity and emotions. Through music, I not only learned scales and

rhythms, but how to work with people, how to balance passion and restraint, and how

to express concrete ideas abstractly. My goal as an educator is to provide students

with a space where they can do the same, a space which they are open to explore and

process life through art. I believe that music is one of the best ways that students can

confront complex social-emotional issues and concepts in a less obvious but still

meaningful way. This subconscious processing of issues is extremely potent, and I

believe that it can help students become more confident and centered, just as it did

with me.

The world we live in becomes increasingly more connected every day. In this

globalized, interconnected world, people must how to communicate with people, be a

part of a community, and interact with different or foreign ideas in order to be a

functioning, contributing part of society. It is imperative to introduce these skills to

students, as their world will become even more interconnected. These skills, however,

can be difficult to process and understand, especially for very young children, so an

indirect approach must be used. This allows young students to be exposed to, and

explore, the concepts of socialization, group unity, and cultural difference, while not

being overwhelmed by the weight these concepts can have. Music is an excellent

example of an indirect way to expose children to these concepts. Through musical

experiences like playing in an ensemble, learning to improvise, or learning music from

other cultures, students are introduced to the importance of community and culture,

while not being directly taught about it. Therefore, the teaching of music to young

students will prepare them to be successful, comfortable, and understanding in a

globalized, interconnected society.

Along with learning to interact as part of a global community, students will find

that music teaches them how to form their own localized communities as well.

Humans have been making music for thousands of years across cultures and oceans,

and despite our modern separations between music, drama, art, poetry, and

storytelling, one or more were often unified into one. Music has always been a

multifaceted social activity, with groups coming together to play, create, or even just

enjoy music. As an educator, I want my students to not think of themselves as

students, but as part of a larger community that includes everyone directly involved in

the music program as well as supporters like audience members or parents. Each

person that is part of this community has been affected by music in some way, has

something to offer to the community, and can play multiple roles in the community.

Students can learn from me, their teacher, but as well as each other. Students do not

just play for their parents, but for their peers as well, and can use their peers’ and

parents’ feedback from performances to improve their musical skills.

Music has had a profound impact on my life, and ultimately, my reason for

wanting to teach is to be able to help as many people experience the same benefits

that I have. I began the period of my life where I was serious about music in complete

denial of who I was and the fact that I had emotions, much less what those emotions

were. I felt empty and had no direction or drive to do anything, no goals or aspirations.

As I became involved in music, however, I learned the satisfaction of playing something

right for the first time after spending hours trying, the feeling of the kick drum locking in

with the bass player, and the way a D and a Db felt different when played with an F.

Though on the surface these things are musical concepts, I was learning much more;

delayed gratification, work eithic, group cohesion, acknowledgment and expression of

emotion. I now recognize that despite not being consciously aware of it, I learned so

much outside of music by participating in music, a power that as an educator and

musician I hope to harness.