My Philosophy of Music Education
Music education is an integral part of the education of every child. This education begins when a person first hears the sounds of daily life in the womb and continues, both formally and informally, throughout that person’s life. As Oscar Hammerstein once said, “all the sounds of the earth are like music.” As such, every person is exposed to music whether he or she is attending a concert or simply walking down the street. This constant exposure to music leads to subconscious music education. Whether a person simply listens critically enough to determine what genres of music are pleasing to his ear, or that person finds himself suddenly walking to the beat of music he hears, his mind is processing and thinking about music on some level. Although opportunities exist for children to be exposed to music from early on in their lives, musical knowledge must be supplemented by formal training in order for children to gain the most from their musical experiences. The necessity of formal music education lies in harnessing the mind’s natural tendency to process music in order to create conscious thoughts and actions. Every child enrolled in any form of schooling should be taught the basics of music starting at the earliest age possible to supplement their previous musical experiences.
Music education must introduce all students to the basic technical concepts of music, including music of all cultures, with different approaches adapted to each grade level. While a child just entering kindergarten will not understand the complexities of rhythm and melody in the same way a high school student will, these concepts should be introduced in simplified form and then expanded upon as children progress in their levels of understanding. In addition, children need to be exposed to music of all cultures throughout their studies. Dr. Max Bendiner once stated, “Music…may be a bond between nations, races, and states, who are strangers to one another in many ways; She may unite what is disunited, and bring peace to what is hostile.” Multicultural music is an incredible resource for teaching elements such as modes, unusual rhythms, and ethnic instruments. For children to gain a full appreciation for music on a global level, they must be exposed to everything music has to offer at an age when their minds have not yet formed impressions of other cultures or of what music “should” sound like. In addition, this cross-cultural exposure will lead to tolerance and acceptance of other ethnicities in an increasingly diverse world.
As children study music, they should be taught all aspects of music. This includes learning how to sing, play instruments, improvise, read and write music, compose music, listen critically to music, and evaluate performances. Although not every child will excel in all of these activities, a proverb from Zimbabwe astutely states: “If you can Walk, you can Dance. If you can Talk, you can Sing.” Every child, no matter what learning, emotional, or physical disabilities he might have, can be successful in each of these activities with the right guidance. When a child experiences success in music, the child gains an incredible sense of self-worth and finds a new way to express himself. In addition, all of these skills are essential for any child continuing musical studies at a higher level.
The most important aspect to a successful music education program is achieving a balance of the technical aspects and the emotion contexts of music. Music education is a holistic experience combining the analytical elements of music with the affective responses generated. Children only benefit so much from learning note values and musical terms. When a child understands these elements and can also describe the emotion he feels while playing or listening to a piece, that child has truly learned something about music. Many children receiving an education in music will not devote the rest of their lives to formal music study or performance; however, every one of these children will sing “Happy Birthday” to a friend or listen to the radio. The role of the music educator is to impart to these children an understanding of both the intellectual and emotional aspects of music needed to appreciate fully the music in the world. Music is after all a universal language ever present in daily life, and every person should be given the knowledge necessary to participate in the conversation.
Music education must introduce all students to the basic technical concepts of music, including music of all cultures, with different approaches adapted to each grade level. While a child just entering kindergarten will not understand the complexities of rhythm and melody in the same way a high school student will, these concepts should be introduced in simplified form and then expanded upon as children progress in their levels of understanding. In addition, children need to be exposed to music of all cultures throughout their studies. Dr. Max Bendiner once stated, “Music…may be a bond between nations, races, and states, who are strangers to one another in many ways; She may unite what is disunited, and bring peace to what is hostile.” Multicultural music is an incredible resource for teaching elements such as modes, unusual rhythms, and ethnic instruments. For children to gain a full appreciation for music on a global level, they must be exposed to everything music has to offer at an age when their minds have not yet formed impressions of other cultures or of what music “should” sound like. In addition, this cross-cultural exposure will lead to tolerance and acceptance of other ethnicities in an increasingly diverse world.
As children study music, they should be taught all aspects of music. This includes learning how to sing, play instruments, improvise, read and write music, compose music, listen critically to music, and evaluate performances. Although not every child will excel in all of these activities, a proverb from Zimbabwe astutely states: “If you can Walk, you can Dance. If you can Talk, you can Sing.” Every child, no matter what learning, emotional, or physical disabilities he might have, can be successful in each of these activities with the right guidance. When a child experiences success in music, the child gains an incredible sense of self-worth and finds a new way to express himself. In addition, all of these skills are essential for any child continuing musical studies at a higher level.
The most important aspect to a successful music education program is achieving a balance of the technical aspects and the emotion contexts of music. Music education is a holistic experience combining the analytical elements of music with the affective responses generated. Children only benefit so much from learning note values and musical terms. When a child understands these elements and can also describe the emotion he feels while playing or listening to a piece, that child has truly learned something about music. Many children receiving an education in music will not devote the rest of their lives to formal music study or performance; however, every one of these children will sing “Happy Birthday” to a friend or listen to the radio. The role of the music educator is to impart to these children an understanding of both the intellectual and emotional aspects of music needed to appreciate fully the music in the world. Music is after all a universal language ever present in daily life, and every person should be given the knowledge necessary to participate in the conversation.