My Philosophy of Music Education

My Philosophy of Music Education By: Carlos Gonzalez
I believe that music can do many things to enrich the lives of those who embrace it. Music exists in forms as primary and secondary elements helping the individual progress to a goal. Although it may not seem it to those who experience it every day music education impacts the students everyday life. Not long after a student takes an interest in their music education soon they'll be walking at a pace that keeps the time of a song or humming a melody that they create. I personally think that music should be made available to all students and allow for a greater experience. Also for students showing a great interest and display a passion for playing they should be encouraged to continue and study further. I myself was given the opportunity when I was in middle school and not only could I never go back to what it was like before but I can't even imagine it. As musicians we would love to encourage everyone to learn music, but this may not be the creative outlet for everyone. Music is an outlet, an inlet, a guide, a track, a hope, a dream, and a future for so many people. Many people will say that music is their life but more than half don't really know what that means. Music in conjunction with stimulating the brain also drives the individual to think differently and possibly more critically. Also as an after school activity it can keep students from engaging in dangerous or illegal activities. For me the very reason I want to go into music education is that I want to give the gift of music to others and share my passion with them. Not every student will excel at music but it is our duty to give them the opportunity to contend. Unfortunately schools may not always have the funds to foster a proper music program or a program at all. Funding is just one of the challenges the arts as a whole face. Another hurdle constant in music education is that some people think that results will show instantly. In the beginning of a child's education in music growth will be evident because they are going from never playing an instrument to playing it and learning their way around it. After that though,
growth will be more evident as challenges come to the student. With harder music the student will find themselves being able to read and/or understand more than they would have if they had read it previously. Parents will usually only notice growth if they hear the practice every day or if they understand what they are going from to what they are growing towards. This is just one of the challenges being faced in music education and another would be how the class is taught. Personally I believe in a class that encompasses both formal and non formal learning. Students with formal learning generally excel in the theory and more understanding parts of music; whereas, students with an informal approach excel in auditory skills such as chord recognition and relative pitch. In her article Lucy Green observes "All the activities revolve around music in which learners are thoroughly encultured and which they strongly identify." Along with traditional teachings if students are given an opportunity to work with each other on songs that are relevant to them, then they can apply the teachings to what they like. For example popular music usually follows the same progressions or will stay in one key so we can use this to our advantage. If we were to be teaching a class in middle or early high school we could explain a simple I-V-vi-IV-I progression and how it sounds harmonically and link it to a song they know for example Home by Phillip Phillips. Then have them play with each other using the progression with different rhythms and instrumentation of their liking. This could then be linked to a home assignment that incorporates song writing by writing lyrics or a melody that the progression could accompany. While all of this is going on the students are not only receiving formal knowledge of progressions, chord function, chord tonality, and internalizing the harmonies within a given progression but also working with each other and teaching themselves. Music plays an interesting and very important role in the lives of students. Students will begin to enjoy the types of music they play due to exposure and what that genre offers to the individual. How do we help keep a balance for the student between what they listen/play in their ensembles and what they listen/play in their leisure time? If we add popular music in our curriculum we can teach students the lessons we have planned without having to use the same exact method that our teachers used. Randall Allsup touched a bit on this subject in his article on garage bands "Popular music shares with classical music the misfortune that certain songs are so overplayed, whether through commercial use or as background sound in shopping malls, that we can no longer hear them in new or interesting ways."
As music teachers we can also a big influence on our students. We see the students in an atmosphere that is different than what they are used to as a classroom, often times outside of school (marching band, jazz combo, etc), and exercising their creativity instead of regurgitating information. When we can observe the students in these situations we can notice something wrong often instantly. The music educator acts as both a teacher and as a member of the community so they will often be close enough to the students to see if there is something troubling them. Most issues can be resolved or begin resolving when the student talks to someone about what is bothering them. Music educators should be close to their students but like everything else it won't always be this way in practice. To conclude the part that a music teacher plays is one of great importance. They can influence students in many good ways that can range from schoolwork to involvement in the community. I personally look forward to the opportunities, obstacles, influencing, the pride, the worry, the struggle, and the satisfaction every day from doing what I love and live for, music.
Works Cited
Allsup, R. E. (2011). Popular Music and Classical Musicians Stratagies and Perspectives. Music Educators Journal . Green, L. (2009). The Music Curriculum as Lived Experience: Children's "Natural" Music-Learning Process. Music Educators Journal .

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My Philosophy of Music Education By: Carlos Gonzalez

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