A Philosophy of Music Education In The Curriculum

Michelle A. Henslin

Music Education in the curriculum is not just extracurricular, but vital. This case has especially been true for me as I realize all the doors that have been opened to me because I was involved in music. There are two types of benefits that man kind reaps from music; musical and non musical. It is for both of these reasons that it is important to maintain a positive music experience in the curriculum. Music is a unique form of intelligence and way of thinking. It has no prejudices; meaning anyone can partake in the musical experience. Music is an artistic and unequivacle experience that provides many aesthetic qualities. It allows us to discover a part of ourselves that we never knew existed and gives an alternate form of expression of our inner most feelings.

Some non musical benefits include a raise in self esteem and self expression. Providing a musical background balances the education of students as well as increases problem solving skills. Further more, music can improve motor skills and hand-eye coordination. The music student learns goal setting, perseverance, commitment and discipline. For all of these reasons, I feel music has more than justifiably earned its place in the curriculum.

Music needs to be taught in schools all the way from pre-kindergarten through high school. Of course I feel this way because of the above mentioned attributes, but there is more. Music, on the average, truly makes a human more intelligent; showing a twenty to forty point increase on a music students SAT score. Obviously, academics tie in with peer association since school is an interactive environment. Music can be played by one person at a time or by as many people as are interested, unlike sports where spots are limited and many children are "bench-warmers." By providing students with musical knowledge, you are preparing them for life with the proper concentration, coordination, memory, and communication skills they will use every day in their future.

Just as a student is trained in the three "R's", so must a student be trained in music. No student should be turned away from or denied a musical experience. Music is for everyone! Music should be offered on two levels, general and specific. The general classroom should prepare the younger student for the upcoming joining of an ensemble by teaching them the value and fundamental aspects of music. The specific courses, reserved for the later years, should teach and focus on one topic, for example; the study of jazz. I also feel that in both of these classroom settings, multi-cultural pieces should be played as well as explained. I believe that cultural diversity is a must in today's day and age. By teaching kids at a young age to accept and appreciate different cultures and beliefs, we are teaching tolerance and acceptance in racial issues, thereby taking steps to abolish racism.

It is not only racism that needs to be accepted, but anyone who is different. This leads me to inclusion and mainstreaming. I feel it is important for everyone, no matter what the level of intelligence or ability, to participate together in one common area. Music is the best place to start. Music is a great icebreaker and an excellent opportunity for a teacher to introduce "normal" children to disabled children and have them work together on one common goal. Every child has a right to succeed in life and should be given a chance to do so. I feel music is one of the strongest bearers of success, since it has no prejudices.

Although there are no prejudices in learning music, I feel there should be some guidelines that must be met to teach it. For example, I participated in band when I was in high school. However, the experience was not the greatest since my band teacher had no control over the classroom. Many students dropped out as a result of this pandemonium. I was very saddened to see this, and I wondered how something like this could happen. I feel a music teacher should be a leader; someone who is passionate as well as compassionate. The music teacher should love his/her job; in fact it shouldn't even feel like work. The music teacher should be creative and be able to challenge the minds it reaches out too. The music teacher should be patient and nondiscriminatory. Above all else, the music teacher should be a positive influence on everyone he/she crosses paths with. Each person he/she meets could be a potential musician...and we all know that music needs people as much as people need music.