Introduction:

Music Education is a two way street (teacher- student/student-teacher) which

encompasses a broad spectrum of knowledge, aptitude, and communication skills. It
welcomes interactions, learning and the creation of music. The Instructor’s ability to
cater to the individual needs of each student and the capability of delivering a lesson
plan in an environment conducive to discovery and self-empowering is vital to learning.
Music has the ability to engage all facets of the mind. Music has the possibility of
influencing the persona of each and every individual participating in the class, despite
any challenges one may face when learning music. Qualified instructors enter a
classroom armed with skills that enable them to reach each student on a plethora of
learning levels.
“They allow for the assessment of complex thinking, deep understanding, and
application of knowledge...students are encouraged to become reflective learners
responsible for their own growth” (Abrahams and John p. 82-83)
A dream of Technicolor
One’s passion, knowledge and motivation to teach is only a portion of the kaleidoscope
of education. Teaching begins with classroom preparation and set up. This precursor is
a vital component as entering students “size-up the room”, while simultaneously
the instructors analyze the students; through body language, energy levels and
enthusiasm (or lack of). The instructor sets the tone and expectations of the classroom.
First impressions are critical (from both points of view) and assist in enrolling students to
nurture knowledge, share passions and establish expectation levels. A room that
exudes professionalism and exemplifies musicianship quickly implies a higher level of
learning and performances. Abrahams and John talk about different types of
assessment. I really liked the concept of the Portfolio assessment because not only
does it teach students accountability, but allows them to reflect on their own work and
understand how far they have come. This ties into my belief of students monitoring their
personal progress with something measurable. After a month of music, students can
celebrate a growth and development. Knowledge and growth exemplifies what teaching
is about. Students learning and recognizing a life lesson from a musical perspective is
based on personal value. Values are individual and personal and these differences can
be beneficial - it can also spark conversations as to why different things were valuable.

Adapting to the Needs of the Student:

Imagine this scenario, as you are teaching and scanning your music class you observe
students yawning, fidgeting and getting distracted by phones with texting- reading the
room skills confirm that you are losing the interest and focus of your class. Improvisation
is an important tool that can be used to turn around the end results of a lesson plan
which may not be going according to the desired outcome. Improvising can be used to
re-enroll and redirect your students, to accomplish a better understanding of the lesson.
The talent to modify teaching techniques mid-lesson, is critical to successful learning.
Inevitably, as a music teacher there are bound to be the “doubting” students in class
who underestimate the value of music courses. Music is not an easy ‘A’. Student
participation is mandatory and required. Student voices make up the choir and voices
must be heard. The ingenuity to enroll disinterested students; whose reasons may very
well be real feelings of insecurity and doubts, to jump onto the band wagon and
perform, is a powerful skill set. Students must become invested in the instructor in order
to achieve the desired outcome of exemplary performances.
“Abide implies a long- term commitment to believing in yourself...and most importantly
the journey of others” (Jordan, J.M, 2017 p. 21). I am going to invest in my students.
Find out how they learn and to utilize their interest for whatever they are learning. As a
teacher sometimes the lesson is not always about the destination, but the journey to get
there. How did they get there? What did they learn from it? What did they take away?
How could this be useful to them? Etc.
"To help students connect to material and to actually make schooling relevant to
student's lives... meaningful" (Abrahams and John, 2015 p. 43) This is a crucial
sentence that exemplifies my teaching beliefs. I agree with 100%. It is both a waste of
time, energy and effort to teach something that is completely irrelevant to the class. It
would be like talking about music one minute then talking about how much you like
eating candy canes. The two have absolutely no correlation. It will also cause the
students to lose focus or be completely confused. Once a student is confused they will
lose their attention and that is when misbehavior can occur. Not only is this for the
student, but also for the teacher.
All for One and One for All
In order for a symbiotic investment to occur, all parties must be open minded to unity
and allow the music to take them on a journey where lessons can be learned on many
levels. “The most beautiful and life changing sounds are made by communities of
musicians that are deeply connected in an organic almost electromagnetic way.”
(Jordan, J.M, 2017 p. 50). Students enter a classroom with preexisting knowledge, and
often unknowingly familiarity and eclectic knowledge of music. It is imperative to
stimulate and acknowledge this wisdom. This realization can contribute to exploration of
music theory, history, and successful performances. A trusting student – teacher
relationship proves transparency that both parties are vulnerable and supportive to one
other. The powerful, stimulating emotions of music are secure in the music classroom
environment. While the day’s lesson plan may not be the primary interests of the
students, it is the obligation of the professor to bring the students up to a higher level of
learning, on whatever path makes that possible. A disinterested student can be
connected to music by making real life references to music and the concepts being
discussed. Allowing for the “ah-ha” moment to occur- when the student is ready.
Delivering Differentiation
The intelligence to apply different teaching techniques is important in order to reach as
many students as possible. Differentiation is a valuable tool and skill which can be used
when a student is struggling with appreciating a lesson. Musicians comprehend the
roles of the conductor and choir members. Non- Musicians placed in a music class may
be clueless to the structure of music classes and may need analogies to their interests
in order to help them experience music in a way they understand. Non-musicians are
equally important in music classes, and must be encouraged to freely participate. An
athlete should realize that a conductor is similar to a referee. Referees watch the game
and make sure the athletes are all contributing and playing fairly. Conductors ensure
that the choir, orchestra and soloists are in tempo with the musical scores. Every
student is important as they contribute their ideas, thoughts and interpretations into a
piece to achieve musical goals (pun intended). After much collaboration the teacher
can step back and allow the musicians to experience the optimal class, which leads to
penultimate performances.
Another topic that I want to address is the importance of seeing something as
measurable. As people the sense of accomplishment is gratifying. A measurable
outcome can produce a pleasurable response and a feeling of accomplishment, thus
increasing the possibility that one would try something again. The same goes for a
“failure”. If you "never get it right" the chances of one quitting are higher. In order to
achieve the positive outcome, it is my opinion to have two goals; one is an immediate
recognizable goal reached at the end of a class; one which leaves the students feeling
as though they accomplished something. The second being a long term goal which
often cannot be immediately recognized, but achieved further into the school year.
Applying this method is as simple as organizing what the order of your pieces are- or as
complicated as the smallest meticulous detail. When organizing music I think it is
important to start with a relatively easy piece, let their ears become adjusted to making
music with one another, then progressing onto the more challenging pieces. Use
caution and observation skills not to stay in a difficult piece too long, because if students
begin to get frustrated, you may lose their previous enrollment. End the day with the
students learning something new about their favourite piece, or a piece that is of
medium difficulty. This way the students are learning positively without ending
frustrated. End on a high note!
Gradual Responsibility
This approach resembles the technique of Gradual Responsibility; of which Pearson &
Gallagher is a leading advocate. Planning Instruction in Music by (Abrahams and John
pg. 19) states that teachers begin by modeling the learning task or lead students
through tasks that increase their understanding of the content. Initially, one would
imagine that it would be easier to instruct by telling the students what to do. On the
contrary, including students in musical decisions and working as a team to analyze and
understand a composition; allows students the freedom to ask questions and input
interpretations. This process allows for the creation of music the “responsibility for
learning shifts from teacher centered to student centered- giving the students a chance
to voice their opinions and become excited for a class that they have a say in.” This
transformation enables the students to take ownership of the piece and the classroom.
“In many cases the value of having musical engagements has become secondary to the
ability to prove that students can perform… regardless of whether those tasks are
meaningful.” (Abrahams and John p.7) Disregard for student value and focus on
performances is NOT the philosophy of my musical class. If administration requires
performances to be the sole reflection of learning, I will find a way to make connections
with music, so that I do not sacrifice student connections. I do not want students to sing
notes from a page. Emotions and artistry is vital to breathe life into a performance. I
recall Dean Onofrio’s statement as I sat in the audience as a freshman: “"If we just
needed the right notes you wouldn't be here. We need your story." That is exactly what I
want and it works perfectly with what is being said here. Anyone can try to read notes
on a page, but what makes it meaningful and creates experiences is what the students
take out of it. By them relating to it or experiencing it is what makes it so special. And by
focusing on some other factor it takes it away.

One of Us is Not Like the Other

Individuals are unique learners- some aural, physical, or verbal. The ability to read body
language helps to identify these different types of learners. It is not impossible to cater
to all of the students’ needs at once. On the contrary, it is possible to encompass as
many of the different types of learning at a time. Solfege incorporates many of these
options. For example; hand gestures may assist physical and visual learners. The
motion of hand movements can reinforce pitch representation. Elevating and lowering
hand movements represent whether the pitch moves higher or lower- aiding both the
visual learner who can “see” the pitch move and the physical learner to feel the pitch
rising and falling, and an aural guide to hearing the part that is being sung. Students are
not wired identically and it is the duty of the instructor to alter their methods of teaching
to reach each student.
"Nobody takes another box of the same medicine when it’s inefficiency is proven"
(Abrahams and John 2015 p.154) I cannot explain the amount of times that I have not
understood a topic and the teacher keeps "explaining" it to me in the exact same way.
Clearly, it did not make any sense to me… so why explain it the same way over and
over again? The approach must be changed. I feel like one of the biggest challenges
that I will face as a teacher, is to find a way to explain a concept to a student in "their
language". Their language being, words that the student can understand. For example
in chemistry I did not understand how chemicals could break down. My teacher sat me
down (previously knowing that I liked music) and explained to me how these chemicals
could work in a musical setting- only then did I understand what the concept
meant. One of the traits that would make an incredible teacher is one who will find a
way to explain a concept in different ways to reach all students.
Fear: BE GONE
Occasionally students are reluctant to sing. Whether the anxiety is hesitation or stems
from a fear of being judged, their own lack of self-confidence, or even a simple fear of
classmates; a vocal sound still needs to project from their mouth in order for you to
create music. Creation of Music is the primary reason to foster and ensure a safe
environment for the students to blossom in. It is imperative to enroll students and this
begins with the very first day of classes. From day one the teacher should exemplify
and encourage students to support each other- after all it is a collaborative partnership.
The better the symbiotic relationship is, the better the sound. A good music teacher will
first nurture a safe environment for his/ her students. When in an emotional and unique
class like music; which often brings out very intense and personal emotions, it is crucial
for that instructor to harvest a safe environment for emotions to surface and flow freely.
“But they confuse freedom with the maintenance of the status quo; so that if
Conscientização threatens to place that status quo in question, it thereby seems to
constitute a threat to freedom itself” (Freire, Paulo. 2014. Web. p.36) This belief is vital
to the success of a classroom. I do not want to become so comfortable with a routine,
that I jeopardize the possibility of successful learning in my class. I do not want to
confuse freedom with the status quo of the music classroom. Each New Year
introduces, new students, different temperaments and musical appreciation levels and
new approaches to teaching. Hum Drum and mundane are not what I want to be known
for in my teaching legacy. As the school year advances I do not want to get stuck in a
mindset of routines. Reading this helped me recognize that while having a routine can
help maximize an instructors time, it could be a double edge sword - an inhibitor.
A routine regimen could hinder the creative, imaginative "juices to flow". If my classroom
is so time focused on running by a clock, then my class is in jeopardy of losing the
possible emotional gains of a lesson. Allowing for adjustable teaching allows for one to
be “free”. Sometimes the notion of being free means to be uncomfortable. The flexibility
to change up a classroom presentation gives the ability for growth and maturity. In a
safe environment, that is perfectly ok.

Let the games begin:

It is not until a congenial classroom has been achieved, that different forms of
experimentation may begin. Discussions about the history and meaning of pieces and
musical interpretation can lead to a positive outcome of harmonious learning.
The method, tones and approach to communication is important when sharing a journey
through the world of music. It is vital when trying to connect with students that the
teacher be cognizant of their tone and verbiage when interacting with the students.
Student should be spoken to at adult level as competent individuals whose opinion is
welcomed and encouraged. Talking down to students as if they are unintelligent and
don’t have a mind of their own, does not encourage a safe classroom environment, and
may result in the negative effect of students becoming introverted and reluctant to sing.
Speaking to students as adults helps establish a sense of respect and creates bonds. I
will encourage them to begin to think on their own. When I participated in the All-
County choir; I hated it. I didn’t despise the music, but I disliked the conductor. He used
his position as a weapon. He would threaten his singers with tests and treated us like
we were stupid. If we didn’t understand his concepts, he would yell and insult us. This
instilled fear in me. I didn’t want to sing. I mouthed the words because I was afraid that if
I sang a wrong note I would be chastised in front of everyone. I dreaded every
rehearsal. This epitomizes what NOT to do in any classroom setting. While teaching is a
position of leadership, it should never be used to belittle or intimidate students. It is an
opportunity to share a commonality in feelings and by criticizing their every move it is a
breeding ground for fear, mistrust, and a miserable classroom.
I read a fascinating article titled Music and the Intellect by Liora Bressler. Bressler
addresses the time of day when typical music classes are taught- at the end of the day.
After hours of tedious learning, student's brains are exhausted, and this article inferred
that music programs are in jeopardy because of the literal timing of the class. Bressler
provided an explanation as to why most people do not view music as intellectual. "Low
regard for music in schooling stems primarily from the recognition of its affective
powers, rather than from a lack of recognition of its intellectual properties." (Bressler, L.
2005 p. 2) “Spot-on!” As musicians, not scientists, we don't often talk about how music
stimulates our brain. Instead, we discuss the emotional factor that it has on us or what
emotion we as performers would like to convey. The intellectual impact often goes
untouched, though we all know that it somehow impacts us.
"In the imitative view, the arts are servants to academics; in the complementary view,
they are expected to expand upon academics." (Bressler, L. 2005, ). These are two very
popular beliefs about music. Complementary relates to my personal philosophy of
teaching. I believe that most students should leave the classroom learning something
that they could use in their daily life or bring it into their home.
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly
"Howard Gardner suggests that curricula in schools should focus on teaching ... true,
the beautiful, and the good." (Abrahams, and John, 2015 pg 6) I do not completely
agree with this. If the teacher wants to focus on helping the students grow realistically
through life and music, they should, every once in a while, include some of the harsher
realities people face in the world. Life is challenging and often throws us a curveball;
sugarcoating life does not paint the true realties. Maintaining a level of maturity will
allow a safe classroom will lead to mature discussions. This would be an opportunity to
allow a break though and turn a negative into a positive, and for students to share their
knowledge and experiences of their life. Utilizing that moment to set an example of how
to cope with some of the rougher times in life, through music exploration and teamwork.
Pedagogically this can be transferred to music making by having the students act and
react to sounds that they are creating. In turn this will create an even stronger bond in
the classroom which will help harness greater musical skills. This affirms the students’
life experiences and creates a trusting environment.
Closing Thoughts
My philosophy of teaching will incorporate a euphoric world where trust, respect and a
thirst for musical interactions allows for a soulful revealing of one’s inner self. I want to
make every student feel that they are a valuable contributor to class. I hope my skills
will be sharp enough to encourage and recognize individual learning styles to allow for
individual growth, excitement and curiosity of music. The musical classroom will be the
equivalent to possessing your own universe. A place where students will experiment,
explore and discover new possibilities, emotions, and themselves.