The Art Of Teaching Music

The history of our schools is told beginning with the founding of our nation, moving through the common school movement, the arguments of the progressive era, and leading up to all of the modern acts made in the 21st century. Music education is a factor in the public schools, and it is rarely discussed as part of the history of our schools. Music education has been a part of our schools since the beginning and continues to better our students to this day.

Across the United States many elementary school music classrooms are filled with simple and popular tunes such as Hot Cross Buns and The Ode to Joy, played on the recorder, while high school students may be playing collegiate or professional pieces of music such as Armenian Dances and Carmen Suites. I have been very fortunate to have gone on the journey of progressing through different music education programs within Fairfax County Public Schools. If I was never exposed to music while in elementary school I might not have ever found one of my greatest passions or been able to create such fond and unforgettable memories. While music education programs across the country appear large and strong, many schools are beginning to experience budget reductions. As a result, music is often the very first component of a school 's curriculum or programs to be cut or significantly reduced, but I believe this is not the right course of action. It is important to preserve and promote music education in public schools because of the proven cognitive, character,and academic benefits for students.

Author Courtney Crappell writes the article, “Making Music Lessons Attractive Again”. She begins by asking her readers if they are interested in discovering ways to make music a better-known aspect of people’s everyday lives. She then moves on to explain what it is music teachers do. Music teachers are people who give individuals who seek musical knowledge, the tools to experience the world of music. At some point in his or her lives, Crappell states every person desires to learn how to play an instrument.

For the Arts Making activity the main resource I used was Chapter 9- Music from Delivering Authentic Arts Education by Judith Dinham. The pages on making a percussion instrument gave me ideas on what instrument to create, the materials I would need and the procedure to create it. Also, the section on musical elements allowed me to understand the different aspects of singing and making music which improved my technique and enhanced my performance. In addition, I watched a few videos by singer, songwriter and singing teacher Jules Rendell. These taught me how to make the most of my voice and gave me some tips on how to improve my vocals; thus, improving my overall performance.

When I was a little girl, my father, William Koehler, always seemed to take significant delight in teaching things to me. He always spoke to me about teaching from many different approaches and the importance of a complex understanding of subject matter. He also emphasized the satisfaction of the “lightbulb moment,” which he defined as the exact moment he could tell that his students (including myself) began to firmly grasp the concept he was teaching. To this day, Koehler, who is also an esteemed bassist, still loves to teach. His job as a tenured college professor allows him to enjoy his passion for teaching on a daily basis. William Koehler, a Professor of String Bass and Music Education at Illinois State University, truly loves his job because of its significant impact on society and because he finds teaching to be among the most joyful and fulfilling things in his life.

Music has always been a major part of my family and my parents were determined that my sister and I were well acquainted with music from a young age. Inspired by the sound of the piano by the time I was six, I knew that I wanted to learn how to play it. Fast forward to the first day of class, my teacher, Ms. Lilly, guided me through the school and into a narrow hallway that held five doors. Each door opened to a cramped room that each held a piano, a stool, and a chair. Ms. Lilly’s hand softly held my shoulder as she led me to the first room. I became excited to finally expand my knowledge of music, excited to be given the opportunity to not only listen, but play music, excited that I had the opportunity to inspire others. But I soon became apprehensive about the idea of playing in front of a crowd. I worried that I wasn’t ready to excel in such a complex instrument. I held my breath and sat on the wooden stool beside my teacher, my conflicting emotions, making me dizzy, but

What comes to mind when you hear the words “classroom management”? Many people think of a school classroom in utter chaos: students socializing during work time, projectiles flying across the room, a fight breaking out in the corner, and a helpless teacher wondering, “where did I go wrong?”. Eggen and Kauchak (2007) cite classroom management as the primary concern of preservice teachers (p. 369), and I am no exception to this citation. I am very excited to teach in a classroom someday, but confess my concern that students will not behave or listen. This paper, therefore, seeks to further explore the concepts of classroom management, with an emphasis on challenges specific to the instrumental music (band) classroom.

My father and my grandfather are both accomplished, self-taught guitarists. I began to learn the instrument as soon as I was able to hold a guitar at four years of age. In addition I have sought instruction from professional guitar instructors. However, I have realized a struggle with my own introversion and awkwardness with spoken communication in public. This might be a serious hinderance to a successful preforming musician. This struggle was highlighted when I was interviewed for a local culture story. I watched myself fumble with a few sentences on live television. Another example occurred when my high school music theory teacher sat on my desk last october for a little chat. ” He said, “ Really ? Have you ever performed? ” I said,

Few would argue against the idea that we educate ourselves and our society so that we have adequate means with which to understand and interact with elements of the world around us. Subjects such as mathematics, language, history, and the hard sciences are granted immediate and unquestioned legitimacy in our schools, and with good reason. We encounter each of these elements of our lives on a daily basis. We need to have an understanding of these disciplines in order to interact with them, otherwise they are meaningless to us. I submit that the same can be said for the fundamental concepts of music. Music is something that we encounter in our society every day. It surrounds us. Indeed

Elementary schools around the country are starting to cut out music education. Fortunately, there are many schools that still recognize the importance of music education. Malinda Williams is a teacher at the Baldwin Hills Elementary School. She is also a fan of Motown Classics. The Jackson 5 was one of the most popular groups during the Motown era.

Music teachers are the backbone of all real musicains. Although it may the not be the most intriguing job, it eventually pays off. While a music teacher may not get the most pay or the best hours, but to be able to watch students become adept in music makes it worth it.

Music teachers can easily impact a child because of how unique they are. Music teachers spend a lot more personal time with each student. Music teachers start to figure out each student and what kind of person they are like. Which also means that they can certainly see when a student’s behavior and mannerism begins to drastically change. It could be for multiple reasons such as the student being a victim of bullying, a situation at home has risen, their emotional state is deteriorating. For whatever reason it may be, music teachers need to be at the ready whenever the situation arises. To help any student in problems like this, there is only one solution. Compassion. Compassion is like empathy however it is more deeply rooted in love and kindness compared to empathy. Compassion is a way to connect to another on a more spiritual plane. With compassion, music teachers can help their students in their condition. Compassion is a crucial part of a music teacher’s tool in helping their students in more ways than one.

Today was the first time I saw the kids attend music class. The class went to a music class and I thought it was pretty interesting to see the transition of how the kids change from doing their work to being active. Mr. Ruben and Mr. Mike were the music teacher who came into the classroom with a guitar. When Mr. Mike came in the a a big guitar the kids were cheering and kept saying, “Woah” and kept asking what was the thing he was holding. I realize that simple things will get the children excited and I love to see the how excited the students get.

The stigma associated with pursuing an education in the musical arts affects the decision of many musicians nationwide. The appeal of guaranteed financial and career stability of STEM and other paths of high demand jobs is very difficult to pass up, even by the most dedicated musicians. Then, the input and advice of outsiders come into play. These onlookers not only encourage study of the hard sciences and a foolproof path to success via university, but they also totally and blatantly discourage and belittle the intelligence, rationality and integrity of not just the paths of musicians, but all liberal artists. Don’t you want to make money? What do you mean you won’t have internships, don’t you want a job? How are you going to survive? This blitzkrieg of questioning and doubt, though theoretically peripheral to the bigger picture, is reasonably common, however, severely unjustified. Pursuing a formal college education in music is easily one of the best things you could do for yourself, regardless of whether or not this is the career path of your choosing. As a student of formal music education, you are actually being trained in more real world skills than most other majors, which will prepare you for many careers, making you stand-out amongst the masses. Being a music major, you learn more than just music, you learn problem-solving skills, how to communicate and collaborate, and how to overcome failure, which are all essential skills to have as a professional in today’s day

“Education- should enhance understanding of the world, of oneself, and of one’s own experience” (Kelly 2009). What is important about music education? There are many important aspects in music education like pedagogy and performance. For me, music education is about letting the students express themselves. Having the ability to give an idea or to vent is a vital tool in today’s society. This concept influences music because expression is not only in how to connect a phrase, but also how to tell a story. With my time in college, Dr. Joseph Frye will always tell me to tell a story with music. He will also ask me what I want to feel after playing a piece. This is what I believe is important in music education.