Book:​ ​Music Education and Social Emotional Learning- The Heart of Teaching Music​ By Scott

N. Edgar
Authors of the Review:​ Rachel Jun, Hansol Chang, Hannah Leckner, Patricia Morrison
APA Citation:
​Edgar, S., Kelly-McHale, J., Rawlings, J., & Lautzenheiser, T. (2017). ​Music education and
social-emotional learning: The heart of teaching music​. Chicago: Gia Publications.

Collaborative book review:

For our assigned book, our group learned about the various relationships about how
social-emotional learning is affected in a music classroom. The components of social-emotional
learning are self-awareness, social awareness, responsible decision making, self-management,
and relationship skills. ​The main purpose of the book is to build awareness about the powerful
effects of building social skills in a music classroom. Like any general education, students get
more involved if they participate with their peers and teachers. It leads to greater satisfaction for
academic success and internal improvement as a person. Dr. Edgar does a fine job proposing
numerous activities to help educators find alternatives to go beyond learning notation in a music
classroom. Instead, these examples of activities will be greatly beneficial for teachers who seek
to influence the student as a whole. Main points the author mentions throughout the book are
cooperation, communication, and fostering social engagement. As mentioned in the title, the
author offers different ways teachers can unite students to collaborate as a team.
The author formatted the book to contain narratives from past music educators,
discussion questions, and interactive activities for teachers to use in class. After thoroughly
digesting the book, our group learned about the importance of SEL in a music classroom and
techniques to use in our future lessons. As stated in the front introduction and back cover of the
book, Dr.Edgar describes in depth about how his teaching career. It has changed and challenged
his beliefs about the emotional and academic impact of his students. Dr. Scott N. Edgar is in his
fifth year as Assistant Professor of Music, Music Education Chair, and Director of Bands at Lake
Forest College. He specializes in instructional strategies for music educators and
social-emotional learning across the field of music pedagogy.
Between chapters 5-7, Dr. Edgar formulates 3 different goals and imposes activities to
achieve them. In page 146-147, Dr. Edgar created useful charts (checklist) for teachers to use
what they have accomplished in the classroom. Each goal is created as a checklist for teachers to
evaluate themselves if they’ve reached a specific goal. Example goals include music practice
journaling, goal setting, and self-evaluations for students to understand the process of what they
are learning. It is mentioned in the book how students feel a greater sense of achievement and
self-worth when they can visually record their progress of ideas, reports, and most importantly
self-assessment. Similar to other books about social and emotional learning, Dr. Edgar highlights
the key points and relates the skills and knowledge music educators should attain to build a
stronger relationship in the classroom. Overall, the book influenced our group to look at teaching
from a different perspective.

​SUMMARIES FOR CHAPTERS 1-7

Chapter 1:
“What is Social Emotional learning?”

Chapter Summary:
Chapter one introduces us to what really is social-emotional learning (SEL). According to
(CASEL, 2006), SEL means “unifying concept for organizing and coordinating school-based
programming that focuses on positive youth development, health promotion, prevention of
problem behaviors, and student engagement in learning”. SEL is basically a framework that
provides skills to address individual issues like bullying, suicide prevention, teen pregnancy,
careers, drug use prevention, etc. SEL is a universal intervention that is intended to help all
students in a school setting, unlike other interventions that only targets students with “problems”.
This chapter also introduces key components of SEL and they are self-awareness, social
awareness, responsible decision-making, self-management, and relationship skills. Usually,
instruction in one component leads to success in multiple. It also explains how students value
social, musical, and emotional elements of participation in music classrooms. This explains that
music teachers could and is a valuable asset in helping students gain social and emotional
competency.

Key Points:

- Self-awareness focuses on how well someone knows themselves. This component

includes recognizing emotions, accurate self-perception, spirituality, etc. (Edgar, 2013,
pg. 12)
- Social awareness focuses on how well someone knows the broad population around
them. This includes empathy, appreciating diversity, and importantly, respect. (Edgar,
2013, pg. 12)
- Responsible decision-making component includes identifying problems, and personal
responsibility. Identifying responses in a critical situation is a must for responsible
decision making. (Edgar, 2013, pg. 12)
- Self-management component focuses on impulse control, stress management,
self-motivation, discipline and etc. For this component, it's important to develop
self-control personally and publically. (Edgar, 2013, pg. 12)
- Relationship skills component addresses communication, social engagement, building
and maintaining relationships, working cooperative, negotiating refusal, and conflict
management. (Edgar, 2013, pg. 13)
SEL Learning standards
- Develop self-awareness and self management skills to achieve school and life success
 - Use social awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive
relationships
- Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and
community contexts. (Edgar, 2013, pg. 13-14)

Chapter 2:
​“Socialization in the Music Classroom:”

Chapter Summary:
Jacqueline Kelly Mchale expresses her passion and joy in the music environment. There
are also three different types of socialization that function to help people identify their belonging
in the norm. In addition, the same concept takes part in a classroom. Social and Emotional
learning invites students to feel a part of a group. Students in an SEL environment are
academically driven, feel a sense of belonging, and build stronger companionship among their
peers.

Key points:

- Alan P. Merriam describes the ten functions of music within children’s lives. Some
include (Edgar, 2013, pg. 30-31)
1. Emotional expression
2. Aesthetic enjoyment
3. Entertainment
4. Communication
5. Validation of social institution and religious rituals
- The primary goal is not replicate ourselves, but rather provide students with opportunities
to enrich their musical experience. (Edgar, 2013, pg. 35)

Chapter 3:
“Bullying in the Music Classroom”

Chapter summary:
Bullying can be labeled as direct and overt or indirect and covert. Direct/overt includes
physical and verbal actions that impose harm on another person. Indirect/covert include social
exclusion, name-calling, manipulation, and ridicule. Research shows that indirect/covert has the
most long term effects on individuals affected. The chapter digresses into theories that explain
bullying. Many sides with that bullying behaviors typically manifest during preadolescence and
then peak during adolescence. The music classroom should be a safe and supportive space for
children to explore, create and experience music’s effect. It is not a shock to see gender
stereotyping in musical instruments. There aren’t many female tuba players or male flute players.
As future music educators, we found it really important to not assign labels to a particular
instrument or section, i.e. low brass.

Key points:
- Bullying is any unwanted aggressive behavior(s) by another youth group or youths who
are not siblings or current dating partners (Edgar, 2013, pg. 57) (As stated by the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Students that play an instrument that may be “gender stereotyped” are at a higher risk to
be victimized (Edgar, 2013, pg. 61)
- Gender harassment is a relatively unexplored topic within music education and
performance, which may or may not contribute to bullying in the classroom (Edgar, 2013,
pg. 63)
- Male music and theatre students are at a 69% higher chance than non-arts students to
experience face-to-face bullying (Edgar, 2013, pg. 63)

Chapter 4:
“Music Educators are not Counselors”

Chapter Summary:
This Chapter discusses how music teachers tend to be directive teachers, which is only
giving knowledge and not counseling students. However, music educators should aim to become
facilitative teachers because it encourages students in the classroom to take on challenges and
demonstrate what they have learned through creative projects. Edgar also explains that the
music classroom should allow students to have emotional growth, which leads to the question of
if music educators are prepared to take the role of the counselor. The music teacher should not
be a counselor. However, they should be prepared with SEL and be able to actively listen to the
student, but they should not give advice to them. Instead of giving advice, the teacher must
question the student so the student will know that they can continue speaking to the teacher. The
best teachers empathize with their students. Although music educators are not counselors, they
are able to facilitate a safe space for students to speak to them about their problems.
Key Points:
- “Facultative music educators can have a profound effect on their students including a
passion for music, social stability, emotional competence, and future career choice”
(Edgar, 2013, pg. 80). Being a facilitative music educator allows students to have more
connection to the teacher and impacts their future and current goals.
- A facilitative teacher should not give advice to their students. However, they should be
proactive listeners by having deep conversations and by helping the teacher create goals
for the issue. (​Edgar, 2013,pg. ​82)
- “Music students often admire their music teachers” (Edgar, 2013, p. 88). As the music
educator, you should set a good example to your students and should be able to show
them the musicianship you have to inspire them.
Chapter 5:
“Self-Awareness and Self-Management in Music Education: Self-Discipline and the Music
Within”

Chapter Summary:
This chapter focused on the components of self-awareness and self-management. The
goal is to develop the skills of self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve success. The
book pointed out many learning standards such as, identifying and managing one’s behavior,
demonstrating skills related to personal and academic goals, and recognizing personal qualities
and external supports.

The first goal in the Illinois SEL Goal list is to develop a student skill set: (pg. 98)
● Identify and recognize emotions
● Achieve accurate self-perception
● Self-monitor
● Perist
● Cope
● Accept responsibility
● Self-accept
● Recognize strengths, needs, and values
● Self-efficacy
● Manage impulse control
● Manage stress
● Self-motivated
● Have discipline
● Set goals
● Develop organizational skills
● De-escalate emotions

All of these are important skills to develop as musicians and as individuals. The chapter
gives many examples of what this could be in music education. One of the activities that can be
used in the classroom is to have your students complete practice logs/journals. One of the main
ideas presented throughout the chapter is promoting mindfulness and positive growth to the
student as a performer and person. On the journal, we appreciated that the author discloses that
rather than having the amount of time practiced be the main goal, the main goal was a reflection
about what the student practiced and a spot for parental reflection to encourage family support.
Key points:
- Being able to identify and unpack emotions is an important skill to achieve in both the
music classroom and overall mental health of the person
- Self-awareness is achieved if the student is aware of what they are feeling, and assign it
to either a negative or positive thought (Edgar, 2013, pg. 98)
- “Great teachers care about their students and emphasize with them beyond the content
they teach.” (Edgar, 2013,pg. 90)
- Empathy and support is just as important as learning notes and rhythms (Edgar, 2013, pg.
99)

Chapter 6
“Social Awareness, Relationship Skills and Music Education: Sharing and Communicating
Through Music:”

Chapter Summary:
The music teacher is in charge of helping create positive relationships in the music
classroom. For example, they should promote section leaders helping students falling behind
instead of giving negative feedback. Also, students should support each other in the ensemble to
create healthy relationships and be a family in the school. Not only that, the ensemble should
meet outside of ensemble time to discuss goals as a group because it unites everyone.

Key Points:
- Student Leadership: The music educator should allow students to have leadership roles
in the classroom because it promotes growth in the ensemble. However, everyone should
be allowed the chance to lead because it gives them experience and promotes a healthy
ensemble.
- “Harry Potter had it right! Separating students into houses is a fantastic way to build
community” (Edgar, 2013, pg. 128). Naturally, cliches are formed in schools and music
classroom. The music teacher can create a positive formation of these groups, which can
lead to greater diversity.

Chapter 7
“Responsible Decision Making in Music Education”

Chapter Summary:
This chapter focuses on learning to make quality decisions in the setting of the music
classroom. The decisions involve both social and emotional domain of SEL (Social Emotional
Learning) and it helps students learn to make safe decisions. It explains how teachers tend to be
fixers. This applies to all adults and of course also music teachers. It explains how as teachers,
we like to fix things musically and interpersonally in our own and students’ lives. Students need
the opportunity and time to fix on their own. Students learn the best when they realize the
mistake and learn to overcome that mistake. It’s saying if we keep sugar feeding the students,
they won’t learn and will be used to the system of teachers fixing things for them. Other chapters
go over goals one and two, and this chapter 7 goes over goal three. The SEL goal three
demonstrate skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.

Key points:

- Adults / Teachers/ Music Educators should not be fixers, students should learn how to fix
problems themselves in order to learn. (Edgar, 2013, pg. 147)
- Social Emotional Learning Goal Three (Edgar, 2013, pg. 148)
- Student skill sets (Edgar, 2013, pg. 148-149)
- Avoid risky behavior
- Identify problems
- Analyze situations
- Solve problems
Discussion Questions:

1. Chapter one discusses the key components of social-emotional learning. Which of these
components do you agree with? Disagree? Is SEL the only way to build a relationship
within a class?
2. How can teachers enrich students with different levels of experience in music?
3. What are ways we can encourage students to play instruments that seem more
‘masculine’ or ‘feminine’ and contribute to eliminating gender stereotype?
4. What type of activities can you create in your music classroom to make it more inclusive
and create positive relationships among students?
5. How can you incorporate the identification of emotions in music in the classroom?
6. What makes a teacher directive facilitative, and what distinguishes their teaching style
and differentiates them?
7. How can a teacher cope with a student who continuously makes irresponsible decisions?