Brian

Smith

Statement of Music Education Philosophy

As a field of education, I believe that music should remain as broad and accessible as

music itself. Just as everybody is affected by music in the real world, so too should
everybody be exposed to an education in music. An early exposure to music in school is
important for all students for several reasons. For one thing, I believe that when it comes to
music, seeing is believing, or perhaps, hearing is believing. That is, while some students
may have been exposed to music by their families before entering school, others are not so
lucky. My time at the University of Illinois has caused me to consider more carefully the
impact of a variety of socio-economic backgrounds on the support and enrichment that a
student receives outside of school. An exposure to music is the only way to discover a
passion for music, and if it is not required, then some students will never gain exposure.
Requiring music education legitimizes music education for those who have in the past,
viewed music as purely an elective. If everyone is required to learn how to analyze
literature, then they should also learn, at the very least, a basic understanding of effective
music listening. This being said, music education loses its effectiveness when students are
coerced into learning. This loss of effectiveness negatively affects not only the resisting
student, but also all others in the class or ensemble.

Exposure to music before students are old enough for a formal classroom music

experience is equally important. There is a critical period in a childs development for

learning language; the same is true for music. Being exposed to music at a young age can
help children develop stronger pitch and rhythmic centers than if they didnt start until
later. Children who do this will learn to listen to, rather than simply hear, music in the
world around them.

Our discussions about diversity in the classroom have caused me to consider how

best to use music to reach a classroom made up of individuals. In the real world, music has
so many different facets, covering many different styles, and roles within different cultures.
In the music classroom however, music often becomes limited. It is easy, especially in
performance- based classes to limit the education to western music in pre-measured
serving sizes of band, choir, and orchestra. I believe that performance-based classes should
therefore be as well rounded as possible. Performance classes should teach fundamentals
and skills, not just repertoire. Students who learn skills and musicianship, will not only
become better musicians, but will also learn repertoire more effectively. While this is more
efficient than simply drilling notes, it is also important as a tool to lead students to learn to
listen critically and analyze what they are hearing, and not just to spit out repertoire. While
preparing repertoire for performance is a means to an end, the goal is the musical
inspiration and progression of the student. It is therefore more important that students are
exposed to a wide range of repertoire, which should not be limited to the teachers
interests or strengths. By the same token, repertoire should be chosen with balanced
instructive goals in mind, not just because theyre fun for the students. Most importantly,
students should understand the reasons behind why they are doing whatever they are
being asked to do.

Student Teaching has led me to think more about how I would reach students who

do not necessarily engage with music in the same way that I personally do. Non-
performance based classes can and should draw in the sorts of people who may or may not
think to join the stereotypical band, orchestra, or choir. It is easy for performance-based
classes to become limiting, while music itself is anything but limiting. There are many

potential non-performance based classes to be taught, and each of these can be adapted to
step outside of many traditional music-classroom boundaries. For example, a music history
class can teach critical listening, comparison of styles, and musical form just as well if it is a
history of rock music class. Music is everywhere in life, and so every person should have the
opportunity to learn about it in a way which will inspire them. No student should be
prevented from finding his or her own connection to music because a music program is too
narrow minded.