Music

as Empowerment: Body-Mind-Spirit
A Philosophy of Music Education
By Kathleen Austin

My philosophy of Music as Empowerment is founded upon the belief that all musical
concepts can be made accessible through an understanding of Body, Mind, and Spirit. Given
the appropriate environment, I believe that students of all ages and dispositions can develop a
profound relationship with music. This philosophy applies to all music classrooms of vocal and
general music, in the understanding that to teach music is to nurture and empower others.

ENVIRONMENT

Music as a Spiral of Growth

o Grow together
Reciprocal teaching
Student-centered learning
o Implement a spiral curriculum
Revisiting material at higher levels of complexity
Applying skills through new challenges
o Build confidence
Interacting in positive communication
Learning new skills and information
o Explore music through the human condition
Steady beat as a musical heartbeat
Contour and cadence as growth
Harmony as organic structure

Music as Discipline
o Create a SAFE SPACE
o Respect people and property
Taking care of the classroom space together
o Establish a productive attitude
Practicing with diligence
Speaking in positives rather than negatives
o Work as a team
o Respect personal limits
Recognizing each individuals sphere of control
Engaging in appropriate communication
o Balance reverence and independence
Responding to instruction with respect and healthy analysis
Understanding actions as moral choices

BODY

Music as Healthy Voice

o Engage the breath
Employing proper singing muscles
Visualizing and feeling the phonation process
o Vocalize alone and with others
Matching pitch
Singing both melody and harmony
o Communicate through language
Speaking and singing with clear diction
o Sing with attention to
Age appropriate vocal technique
Stylistically appropriate practices

Music as Motion
o Show rhythm through the body
Demonstrating steady beat
o Dance alone and with others
o Understand movement as an extension of self
Engaging in movement improvisation and exploration
o Externalize music through instruments
Pitched and unpitched percussion
Pentatonic Flute or Recorder

MIND

Music as Literacy
o Read musical notation
Differentiating between pitch and rhythm
Interpreting expressive markings
o Write musical notation
Dictating and composing
o Connect notation to sound
Kodaly solfge syllables
o Develop fluency with musical terms
o Decode the musical staff
Clef
Key and time signature

Music as Knowledge
o Musical terminology
Developing fluency with musical terms
o Music history
Understanding the pendulum effect of music through time
Studying the transmission of music across cultures
o Musical math
Conceptualizing the structures of music theory

SPIRIT

Music as Peace
o LISTEN to show respect and make informed choices
o Build community through music making
o Establish a global perspective
Experiencing a variety of musical styles
Engaging in cultural exchange through song
o Share music with humility
To perform is to give
To listen is to receive a gift

Music as an Extension of the Self

o Appreciate music in daily life
Consciousness in musical interactions
o Imagine new possibilities through sound
o Create and express through music
Original composition
Freedom of interpretation

If you can walk, you can dance. If you can talk, you can sing.
Zimbabwe Proverb