PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY FOR MUSIC EDUCATION
Enriching Lives Through Music
As a Music Educator, my goal is to enrich the lives of every student through music and help them discover their musical voice. Music is a fundamental part of life and a universally recognized form of expression and communication, regardless of an individual's background, race, or socioeconomic status. For this reason, I believe all students should have access to high-quality music education so that they can recognize the importance of all music and be able to express themselves creatively. As an educator, I have to guide students through their journey of self-discovery, so they can grow into the best version of themselves that they want to be. I hope that through musical enrichment students will be able to develop a sense of integrity for their art, recognize the importance of music within society, and use their creativity to build community.
Like all subjects within art, music is a deeply personal experience for students regardless of the method they are expressing that creativity. Therefore, as a teacher, I must create an environment where all students feel comfortable and supported, so they can freely express and share their art. I will do my best to guide and assist students in their musical goals and challenge them to explore beyond their comfort zone when they are ready. Through exploration, creativity, and collaboration, I hope to instill within my students a sense of respect and integrity for their art and others so they can truly express themselves universally.
Music has always been an essential centerpiece when it comes to history, culture, and society. Everyone has experienced music to some degree throughout their life and one of the most crucial objectives a music educator can have is to instill a sense of appreciation for music in students. Regardless of how far these students will take their musical instruction, my personal goal is to get every student to realize the power of music, the importance of music in their lives, and to respect the art of others. Music appreciation is not only important for musicians or individuals learning music, but also a major part of enriching the lives of all people.
One of the most powerful facades of music is its ability to bring people together and build community. Whether that's through live performances or streaming music, music has a tremendous impact on bringing people together to share and enjoy something beautiful. The performance allows students to share their music and skill with an audience and helps build a deeper connection between the music program and the community. However, the true goal of the performance is for the students to have fun and enjoy their performance, and experience the impact their music can have on the audience. Music performance goes hand and hand with music teaching, and to be able to bring students together in a space to create something so powerful, is truly something magical.
Music education, in itself, is an art form and a craft, which goes deeper than just teaching music, but delves into the understanding of each student and catering to their personal needs and wants out of their music. The systematic instruction of music helps to educate not only the student's mind but also their soul. Through their music education, every student should try and not only better their personal musicianship, but also become their best self as well. Whether or not the student pursues music as a career or not is not the goal, but the true objective is for them to understand and acknowledge the power of music in life. Through dedication, performance, practice, failure, success, hardship, and enjoyment, all students should value music and make it personal to themselves. My role as a music educator is to facilitate that growth in each student and help all students regardless of their race, gender, or socioeconomic status, to develop a voice in music, so they can use that voice to advocate themselves and change the world around them.