Teaching Philosophy:
Music is a part of everyday life. Whether it is on the radio, on streaming on our phones, YouTube, in the grocery store or on an elevator, music is everywhere. Although it is astounding that music has permeated into every realm of society, we have lost our value in music as a highly regarded and exclusive art form because our culture is over saturated with it. My goal as a music educator is to highlight how to fully appreciate, engage, perform, create, and critically listen to music within our daily experience.
Music is a vital part of the human esthetic. Music, in all cases, is present across cultures and serves as a narrative vehicle for the human experience throughout existence. For its students, music provides a unique academic experience that melds creativity, physical persistence, scientific study, and interpersonal skills all within one field of study.
Music allows students to connect their thoughts, feelings, and experience through artistic expression. This study of esthetics is crucial to developing creative and divergent thinking across curriculum; whether it is the analysis of a poem in English class, or understanding the results of a science lab experiment. The ancient Greeks and Romans regarded music as one of the main scholastic studies because they understood the impact that musical proficiency has on the mastery of other disciplines.
Likewise, instrumental music is also proven to stimulate the entire brain and engage crucial hemispheres that are linked to improving how students cultivate relationships and work with their peers. Instrumental music also allows students to work with their instruments as an extension of themselves. The manipulating of an instrument, how it kinesthetically relates to reading music, playing it with others, and playing individually is an opportunity not provided by any other traditional academic study.
Music works to provide an environment where fostering both independence and teamwork are paramount. It also provides a creative environment that is structured differently than the traditional classroom. Providing students with the opportunity to develop their individual and ensemble artistic technique while also building an environment that promotes creative expression is something that is impossible to achieve from any subject other than the arts. The landscape of any school's fundamental course offering is incomplete without music courses in its schedule. Music has the fortitude as those content areas already included in the general curriculum.
Music is a vital part of the human esthetic. Music, in all cases, is present across cultures and serves as a narrative vehicle for the human experience throughout existence. For its students, music provides a unique academic experience that melds creativity, physical persistence, scientific study, and interpersonal skills all within one field of study.
Music allows students to connect their thoughts, feelings, and experience through artistic expression. This study of esthetics is crucial to developing creative and divergent thinking across curriculum; whether it is the analysis of a poem in English class, or understanding the results of a science lab experiment. The ancient Greeks and Romans regarded music as one of the main scholastic studies because they understood the impact that musical proficiency has on the mastery of other disciplines.
Likewise, instrumental music is also proven to stimulate the entire brain and engage crucial hemispheres that are linked to improving how students cultivate relationships and work with their peers. Instrumental music also allows students to work with their instruments as an extension of themselves. The manipulating of an instrument, how it kinesthetically relates to reading music, playing it with others, and playing individually is an opportunity not provided by any other traditional academic study.
Music works to provide an environment where fostering both independence and teamwork are paramount. It also provides a creative environment that is structured differently than the traditional classroom. Providing students with the opportunity to develop their individual and ensemble artistic technique while also building an environment that promotes creative expression is something that is impossible to achieve from any subject other than the arts. The landscape of any school's fundamental course offering is incomplete without music courses in its schedule. Music has the fortitude as those content areas already included in the general curriculum.
Participating in a Professional Community
An active music educator has the professional responsibility to also be an active performing musician. We cannot hold our students accountable as musicians if we ourselves are not engaging in the art form. Additionally, it is my goal to provide as many professional music experiences for my students as possible, whether it is attending a concert together, working alongside professional musicians, or recording in a professional recording studio.
Professional Development
I am continually seeking opportunities for professional development and also enjoy sharing what I have learned with other educators. I have had the honor of presenting lectures on Technology in Music Education and Marketing Yourself as a Music Educator for the Mansfield University Chapter of NAfME.
2019 PMEA performance with the LMHS Jazz Ensemble
2013 PMEA Performance with the Pennfield Jazz Band
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Professional Music Organizations:
Marketing Yourself as a Music Educator - Presentation October 2014
Composition Competition Adjudicator, 2014 Composition Competition Adjudicator, 2016 |
Danielson Standards:
DAN.4 - Domain 4: Professional Responsibility
- 4a - Reflecting on Teaching
- 4b - Maintaining Accurate Records
- 4c - Communicating with Families
- 4d - Participating in a Professional Community
- 4e - Growing and Developing Professionally
- 4f - Showing Professionalism