The document discusses the philosophy of education of a music teacher, Alexander Meek. Meek believes that effective music education focuses on developing students as individuals and building a sense of community. He argues that simply focusing on test scores or performances does not adequately develop students. Meek also stresses the importance of creating an inclusive environment for all students. His goal as a teacher is to use his philosophical approach to music education to positively impact his students' lives.
The document discusses the philosophy of education of a music teacher, Alexander Meek. Meek believes that effective music education focuses on developing students as individuals and building a sense of community. He argues that simply focusing on test scores or performances does not adequately develop students. Meek also stresses the importance of creating an inclusive environment for all students. His goal as a teacher is to use his philosophical approach to music education to positively impact his students' lives.
The document discusses the philosophy of education of a music teacher, Alexander Meek. Meek believes that effective music education focuses on developing students as individuals and building a sense of community. He argues that simply focusing on test scores or performances does not adequately develop students. Meek also stresses the importance of creating an inclusive environment for all students. His goal as a teacher is to use his philosophical approach to music education to positively impact his students' lives.
The document discusses the philosophy of education of a music teacher, Alexander Meek. Meek believes that effective music education focuses on developing students as individuals and building a sense of community. He argues that simply focusing on test scores or performances does not adequately develop students. Meek also stresses the importance of creating an inclusive environment for all students. His goal as a teacher is to use his philosophical approach to music education to positively impact his students' lives.
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PHILOSOPHY OF
EDUCATION MUSIC 512
Alexander Meek
15 October 2018 | Philosophy of Education
In most regions of United States, you will find numerous thriving music programs
containing multitudes of dedicated students. A good portion of these students usually are not
even interested in pursuing music seriously after high school. Then why do music programs
continue to hold such a place in our education system? Perhaps the reasoning behind this is due
to music’s unique environment it seems to inherently create. However, it is important to note that
the impact of music education relies heavily on the core beliefs of the music teacher. Therefore,
effective music education stems primarily from development of the student as an individual, with
particular attention paid to individual learning and the development of community.
Before I delve into my personal values, I believe it is important to establish where formal
education got its roots. Establishment of the public schooling system came from early 19th-
century America’s distaste for the lack of education in incoming immigrants. As the education
system developed, it also became sort of a “ground zero” for the separation of church and state.
It then developed into sort of a breeding ground for independent thought, shying away from
intellectualism and elitist influences (Murphy). These principles were largely retained as the
public education movement developed into what it is today.
Looking at its current state, there are considerable problems within public schooling, but
overall I believe it is a necessary and admirable structure to have in this country. For instance,
many educators focus on the end goal (a test or performance), not necessarily on the growth of
their students. This may not necessarily be their fault, as many schools, districts, and state
education systems place a heavy emphasis on high test scores and other result-based data.
However, this mindset (along with other teacher- or results-centered mindsets) can lead to a
myriad of problems, especially at the student level.
Therefore, I believe formal education goes beyond teaching students practical
information and assessing their retention. It builds a community for students and teaches them
how to function inside of it. It allows students to discover their interests in a safe environment. It
teaches students critical thinking. And last but not least, it forces students to practice inward
thinking and reflection (Rose). These are all critical components of successful progression
through the various stages of development our students will be entering. Simply put, students
will naturally be looking for these sorts of things. And since every student comes from a
different background, we cannot be sure that they are receiving adequate exposure to situations
that allow for development. Therefore, I believe it is our duty as educators to provide them with
the opportunity to learn about themselves.
Before extending this belief into my specific content area, we must first pose a question
that has stood the test of time: what is music education? A very literal interpretation would yield
a definition along the lines of “a class within the formal education setting that focuses on choral,
instrumental, or other methods of music production and construction”. However, because music
is so present in all parts of our culture, these lessons extend beyond the classroom setting.
Music education covers topics that are easily applied to real-life scenarios, such as its
place in culture, how to analyze it (tempo, timbre, meaning, etc.), and how to perform it. While
music was originally included in public education to train young singers to lead church
congregations in song, it has developed into a subject as multi-functional as other core subjects
were thought to be. Music fosters growth in skills related to analysis, critical thinking, culture,
performance, expression, and self-efficacy, among others. This form of “community”, “beauty”,
or “life” education is simply not as accessible in other subjects.
However, like formal education in general, there are some substantial gaps in music
education that are not beneficial to the development of those areas. For instance, one of my
primary concerns involves a common trait among some band directors: the adoption of a “final
performance”, or a goal-oriented mindset. In this frame of mind, educators make musical
excellence their primary motivator, rather than assessing individual student learning. While this
approach has its benefits, subscribers of the mindset tend to hone in on technique and nuance to a
very extreme point. This type of instruction can become meaningless to the student if not paired
with bigger concepts, or if it is addressed before more basic concepts (which I have seen in
person). I plan on combating this mindset by selecting music and touching on larger concepts
that best fit my ensemble, placing a greater emphasis on individual student learning than
receiving high marks at a festival.
Moreover, creating an inclusive environment for students of all races, orientations, ability
levels, etc. is one of the first steps in establishing effective life and community education
practices. Many students of marginalized identities tend to find solace in an expressive art of
some sort. Establishing a classroom that supports this behavior and fosters cohesion of these
students (working to eliminate the marginalization) not only gives these students a place to learn,
but gives students of more prevalent identity traits a chance to learn important life skills. This is
very important to the development of the holistic human being.
In summation, the very structure of formal education has allowed music education to
develop into what it is today. Through this, music educators have been able to establish practices
and beliefs for the consumption of future music teachers like myself. My core beliefs, which
concern the treatment of students as an individual and music as a unique art form, make up who I
am both as an educator and as a person. Through my experiences and the opportunity to analyze them in terms of my values, I relish the fact that my classroom will uniquely reflect my identity.
My only goal is to use my philosophical stance regarding music education to better the lives of
my students entirely.
WORKS CITED
Murphy, Robert P. “The Origins of the Public School | Robert P. Murphy.” FEE, Foundation for
Economic Education, 1 July 1998, fee.org/articles/the-origins-of-the-public-school/.
Rose, Mike. “Why Do We Educate Our Children?” Equity Alliance, 5 Nov. 2009,
