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Emily Clark

Philosophy Paper
Philosophy comes from the Greek roots, phil which means love, and sophy which means
wisdom, so together philosophy means the love of wisdom. Music is a unique element that inspires
knowledge and growth in multiply areas of learning and wisdom. It is for my love and passion for
music that I establish my philosophy of teaching it. Music has always been perceived as a valuable
subject because it not only teaches the mind to think in an abstract creative way but it provides an
irreplaceable outlet for connecting with ones soul. Plato, an ancient Greek philosopher, described
the significance of music on education when he said, music is a more potent instrument than any
other for education because rhythm and harmony find their way into the soul.
Music is a beautiful art form that has an integral part in educating children because it is one
of the few ways that people can connect with their emotions and with each other. Apart from this
deeper meaning of music, music can also have a significantly beneficial impact on other studies
and can reinforce what children learn in other subjects. For example learning how to count and beat
rhythms reinforces what students learn in math class. Music is a language of its own, and so in
music class students learn the written and spoken language of music which is universal, and also
reinforces English and other language studied in school. I always find it more meaningful to give my
students a brief historical background on the pieces of music they learn so in this way history and
culture are also reinforced in music class.
Music needs to be introduced to children at the elementary level and this needs to be
supported by further music class opportunities in higher education. At the elementary level, it is
my intent that students will learn the basics of music in a fun and creative way that will spark their
interests and inspire them to learn. Students will learn concepts of improvisation, music literacy,
rhythm, singing, and performance. My goal is to evaluate them in a variety of ways so as to receive
the most accurate picture of their musical growth throughout the year as is possible. A lot can be
observed from day to day participation that will gauge where the student is in their individual
learning process. But there will also be other evaluations based off of the quality of their

performance, rhythm accuracy, music reading proficiency, and comprehension of the music style
and form. My philosophy for teaching music at the elementary level is to introduce students to
music in a fun and creative way so that they will develop a love and passion for music and learning
at a young age that will in return make a memorable impact.

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