PHILOSOPHY OF MUSIC EDUCATION

Students deserve the best from their education and teachers.

A good music education should challenge, inspire, encourage, develop, advance, and bring enjoyment to students!

 

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It’s never just about the notes on the page. True learning comes from the stories behind the music, the connections formed with like-minded individuals, and the discovery process in finding one’s own voice. Students come to music class with different backgrounds and reasons for being there. Not everyone will go on to become the next Bach or Beyoncé, but if they walk away having found one more reason to love music, to love performing alongside friends and classmates, then I’ve done my job right.

 

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Music is a communal art form, and as such, requires teamwork and humility. A director is as much part of the band as the students. Learning, after all, is a lifelong journey. I believe it necessary to hold educators to the same standards that we ask of our students. From dedication to practice to perseverance, if I am looking for excellent musicianship and character, then students must first see those qualities in me. Good teachers tell. Great teachers show. I strive to show my students what I expect of them and demonstrate that I am part of their team.

 

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I don’t believe in the so-called act of “playing the game…” because my students are much more than a game to me. The world is constantly screaming loud opinions, and it’s easy to crumble under the pressure of “that’s the way it’s always been done,” but teachers that truly care for their students and their future will stand up for what they believe in. Our decisions as educators must be about the students and in their interests, not the world’s. Courage reveals itself when we hold firm in our values, when we stand we stand by what is right, even if it is hard.

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To me, that is what it means to give students your all… to give them your best.