Philosophy of Music Education

David Jerabek

University of Wisconsin Oshkosh

April 1, 2002

Music is one of life's most treasured forms of expression. Used worldwide in every culture, music has spanned the globe and captured the human heart. The enormous responsibility of passing it on to future generations lies in the hands of today's music educators. This philosophy of music education will display personal aspirations, values, experiences, and goals I wish to accomplish as a music teacher.

It is scary to think of a life with no music. It is such an integrated part of everyday life that we can never fully appreciate its value. Music develops creativity and stresses the conception of new ideas. It offers a place for people to express themselves and beliefs. Within its melodies and rhythms, music communicates emotions and messages to the listener even with no lyrics. It is universal.

Everyone loves some sort of music, whether it is country, folk, rock n' roll, or classical. This alone vindicates the enormous importance of music. For too long music and music education has gone unrecognized and unvalued. Providing life's soundtrack since birth, music has been with us our entire lives and will be there when we die. The impact the arts have had on society cannot be denied. "Throughout history, all the arts have served to connect our imaginations with the deepest questions of human existence" (MENC 1992).

In today's world of downsized school programs, music teachers are faced with an ever-increasing battle with budget cuts. It takes educators with the love and commitment to the music they teach in order to convince the public of it. The Arts provide meaning to a life that would otherwise be meaningless. "An education in the arts benefits society because students of the arts gain powerful tools for understanding human experiences, both past and present" (MENC 1992). By studying the arts, students learn to develop their natural creativity and learn to make decisions in situations where there are no standard answers. In many ways, the arts provide children with the abstract reasoning skills required to build a better tomorrow. Serving as role models for their students and their community, music teachers must have, and never loose, the love for the continuation of music.

There is a relationship between being a good student and being a teacher. A teacher is a life long learner and student. If person does not like being a student, it is safe to assume they won't like being a teacher. Responsibility, dedication, and organization are all characteristics of a good student. Those same qualities, and more, are necessities in the teaching field. They are what make the difference between the good and the bad teachers.

Expectations only go so far. Good music teachers go above and beyond the set bar. They go out of their way in the education process because of their commitment. Teachers, whether they like or not, are role models for their students. They represent and pass certain values to everyone they teach. It takes the great educator to pass on the right values to their students.

Every student should have some background in music. Public schools make this possible with their availability to all children and standard curriculums. For students that can't afford private music instruction, music in the public system offers every child a chance to learn it. Public schools also provide a standard level for all students to meet. It generally insures that each child will get a set degree of education. Children today are tomorrow's school board members. Teaching them the value of music education now will ensure it a place within the public system in the future.

Good teachers can acculturate and lead the cult2lreforward at the same time. Acculturate means to incorporate the children's culture into class studies. Leading the culture forward is the opposite and directs toward unity rather than individual cultural backgrounds. Only the best teachers can combine both of these techniques to give their students the maximum quality of education. At any culture's core, you find music deeply rooted in the everyday life of the people. It is a defining characteristic of a culture's identity and what they stand for. So as we teach students about the world around them, it is imperative we teach them about the music also. "There are many types of music, not just Western art music. We need to see the whole picture of what music is" (Ellen McCullough-Brabson 1995). Multicultural education teaches students respect and understanding towards one another, and other cultures.

Music for all children is possible with certain goals. A positive attitude, open mind, and a load of knowledge make it possible to gain the respect and friendship of all students. An educator should teach each student differently but as whole within the ensemble. This way the children will learn that music making is a group effort and everyone is needed in the process. As with any teacher, the students that will benefit from me are the ones that have the desire to learn. To reach the other students, I will try my best to make it interesting to them and show them the value music plays in their life.

Mainstreaming is defined as the placing of exceptional students in non-handicapped classes. There are many advantages to the mainstreaming process. For instance, exceptional learners are given the opportunity to participate in normal classroom settings and socially be involved with other children their own age. In some cases, the classroom children wil1 help teach the exceptional learners and show great results. The classroom children solidify their knowledge of the subject by having to teach it, and the exceptional learner is provided with a non-intimidating teacher. With these valuable social interactions, everyone involved earns respect and understanding of any particular differences.

Teachers have responsibility of shaping tomorrow's society. It takes the knowledge and commitment of our music educators to ensure that ~sic will still be taught and appreciated in the future. It is such an awesome responsibility lying in thee hands of today and tomorrow's music teachers.

Work Cited

MENC. (1992). Summary: What Students Should Know and Be Able to Do in the Arts. http://www.menc.org/publication/books/summary.html, World Wide Web.

McCullough-Brabson, E. (1995). Music and Cultural Diversity: Thoughts from a World Music Cheerleader. Toward Tomorrow: New Visions for General Music, 77.