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The purpose of education in to expose children to knowledge that will benefit them in the future, as well as teach them to live in the big bad world without being to dependent on others. However, whether the child wishes to learn is completely up to them. A child cannot learn from one who they don’t respect, so the teacher must give respect first, if the child is worthy. That is shown through their passion and willingness to learn, which is not always akin to knowledge. A child can be the most intelligent person on the planet, yet that child will not learn from someone they do not respect or care for.

As to how to best teach music is also up for debate. In my opinion, music should be taught without specific instruction, more taught from a guidance standpoint. I’ve always believed that music isn’t a “common core class” in itself, such as math or science. Music builds and takes from the other classes and instruction to form a higher class unto itself, one that encompasses a multitude of knowledge. In courses such as math and science, there is always one correct answer. There is no “oh that could be correct, but so could this answer.” Everything is set in stone. However, I believe there is no flat out right and wrong in music, but a certain level or correctness, just as my director taught me. Such as in part writing. As far as chord building goes, there are a number of options to where each pitch could be put to build the chord; in the end there’s going to be the same result with any of them. There should be guidance for the student, but not specific instruction. Unless one is teaching something such as technique, where there is a right and wrong, such as how to hold a bow or what angle to hold an instrument, there is not carved out “right and wrong”. I also firmly believe in hands-on instruction, especially in music. Music encompasses and hones in on 3 out of the 5 senses, which really aids in the understanding of the true core of a piece. To understand the essence of a certain piece, guidance must be given towards the desired direction, however, as to how the student gets there is completely up to them. Each era brings it’s own specific’s and gifts to music, and to play and perform a piece correctly, the student must understand those aspects. However, the beauty of understanding the aspects is the flexibility in the deliverance of the gifts.

Children learn best at a young age, for the things learned will stick with them for years to come. They have a mind waiting to be filled. John Locke, a prominent figure in the development of philosophy, believed in the idea of “tabula rasa”, or clean slate. The idea of “tabula rasa” is that a child’s mind is a clean slate ready to be filled by those of whom they will listen to and those of whom they respect. I firmly believe and agree with this aspect of Locke’s teaching. However, one thing I don’t believe in doing is teaching to the lowest common denominator. Especially in the world of music, all different skill levels are present.

In order to successfully teach and perform music, students must be challenged. If the instruction for the whole group only goes as far as the weakest player, the instruction isn’t helping anyone gain any skills. Now, I understand that not everyone can play on the same level as the strongest player, but if I teach music to everyone that is fit for the lowest skill, that is not beneficial to the higher level student. Especially in music, private instruction is always an option for every student so that specific aspects can be worked on and developed. Every student has the potential to succeed in every subject, not just music. The potential can emerge when the student is encouraged in the correct way. When I was in high school, my director always said, “I don’t care if some of the notes are wrong. Mistakes happen. As long as you play with confidence and believe in what you’re playing, I will be proud of you.”

Teaching music is a complex process, but it is also very, very one. Only through innocent eyes can the beauty of music be truly discovered and explored. Education is not for everyone; it takes a special person to be a teacher, and even more of a unicorn, so to speak, to be a successful and good one. The philosophy is not the same for everyone, however, when it comes right down to it, education, no matter what the subject, is always changing and growing. One never truly stops learning, they only chose to pass on what they’ve learned in the past to the students who need it.

Educational Philosophy

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