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Nicole Vasconcelos

November 24, 2014


MUE 2040
Philosophy on Music Education
Estelle R. Jorgensen says Philosophy is both a body of ideas and a way of thinking. Ive always
believed that teaching is to inspire others through learning experiences and shared processes. As a
music educator, I believe it is my sole purpose to pass on the knowledge Ive acquire about music
through my studies and experiences to students. With the knowledge attained, students can apply what
they know and learned about music in their own ways by creating, sharing, listening to, and practicing
music. Music is a universal form of expression that is shared among many. Students should be exposed
to music so that they can engage in their own ways and have another form of self-expression in their
day to day life.
In order to be successful in music, one must practice and put forth an effort towards learning.
Regular academic courses do not always teach students that. Students must focus on achieving their
tasks and goals in practicing music (Lloyd). Academics are given more importance than music because of
the course work, but in reality music incorporates all academics and gives students a way to express
themselves. There are so many ways to teach music, to expose students to music, and to appreciate
music. Music is not just theory and playing instruments. Music is not about the end result of
performances. Music is so much more than just what people assume it to be. Music is math, literature,
writing, reading, culture, religion, a form of expression, and so much more than most realize. You can
teach so many things using music, not just its basic fundamentals.
As a music educator I understand that my way of teaching will never be the same every time I give
a lesson. The way we interact with music is constantly changing, therefore should the way music is
taught in a classroom environment. Music is evolving in and outside of the classrooms and as an
educator I should know how to adjust the way music is taught according to the environment, the
students, and even oneself in retrospect when learning from the students themselves. Educators learn
from experiences gained from their students. It should not be limited to what we learn from books and
course works but we should allow the experiences we gain from teaching music to shape who we
become as educators to better ourselves for our students. Participatory culture in music heavily
influences how students interact in and outside of the classrooms (Tobias).
I believe in creating a safe environment for my students to be able to explore themselves in
music. Enabling a student to access that inner expression allows them to grow not only as a musician
but also as individuals (NAfME, 2014). I will make a difference with the way that I teach music. We are
educators and our job is to teach, but my goal is not to "teach music", its to enable creativity and to
encourage self-expression through music. I want my students to learn about music and apply it in their

own ways; to allow students to be hands on with music and really dive into music, internalize it,
appreciate it, use it in different ways outside of western classical forms.
It is important to be aware of not only the way students interact with music inside of the
classroom, but the possibilities of how they interact with music outside as well. Music has proven
benefits for children by building confidence, teamwork and discipline, and encouraging improvements in
academics (NAfME, 2014). Music is often undervalued in all schools as just an extracurricular activity
when music is more than just a hobby for most students. Students identify with music and constantly
interact with music whether its a social setting or as a form of self-identity. As an educator I will do
whatever it takes to reach out to my students in the classroom and share my passion for music through
teaching. As an educator I want music to be treated equally as any other academic and to one day be
put as prime importance in all education systems.

Tobias, Evan. "Toward Convergence: Adapting Music Education to Contemporary Society and
Participatory Culture." Music Educators Journal. Web. 1 Nov. 2014.
<http://mej.sagepub.com/content/99/4/29>.

NAfME. (2014, July). NAfME News. Retrieved November 2014, from National Association for Music
Education: http://www.nafme.org/20-important-benefits-of-music-in-our-schools/

Jorgensen, Estelle. "Philosophy and the Music Teacher: Challenging the Way We Think." <i>Music
Educators Journal</i>. Web. 1 Nov. 2014. &lt; http://mej.sagepub.com/content/76/5/17&gt;.

Lloyd, Tricia. "Student Voices: Music Education Is More than an Extracurricular." Web. 1 Nov. 2014. &lt;
http://www.dailyitem.com/opinion/student-voices-music-education-is-more-than-anextracurricular/article_fe5f5fe0-6c3c-11e4-b2ec-6f4a22da326a.html&gt;.

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