Running Head: PHILOSOPHY OF MUSIC EDUCATION 1

Philosophy of Music Education

Paris Puuri
Northern Michigan University
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My Philosophy of Music Education

I remember the first time I knew I wanted to be a music teacher. Everyone remembers a

great teacher – perhaps one that inspired him or her to achieve, showed him or her the joy of a

particular subject, or made lessons fun. For me that was, Mrs. Raffaelli, my high school band

teacher. My junior year at Jeffers High School I took a piano class with Mrs. Raffaelli. I had two

classes in a row with her. Right after piano, I would go to band. Piano and Band were always my

favorite classes of the day. I used to think I wanted to be a doctor or music therapist, but I knew

I loved music. I already played flute, piano, and guitar, but I wanted to take my passion for

music further.

My senior year I had a chance to volunteer with Mrs. Raffaelli at the elementary school

with the fifth grade band. Every day I would go down to the elementary school the last hour of

the day. I loved the students. I had the chance to direct the band at a festival and their spring

concert. The fifth graders had great excitement about learning their instruments. It was a new

experience every day. It was during that time I realized I wanted to teach music for a career.

My passion and appreciation for music has called me to be a music educator. Music has

several benefits towards a child’s education. Research has found that learning music facilitates

learning other subjects and enhances skills that children inevitably use in other areas. This

relationship between music and language development is also socially advantageous to young

children. According to an article by Christopher Bergland (2018), “Musical training around the

age of five has a unique ability to enhance kindergartners’ speech perception and language

skills according to a new study contributed by Robert Desimone of the Massachusetts Institute

of Technology (MIT).” In 2015, another study on the language-related benefits of musical

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training reported that children who took musical training lessons before the age of 14 — and

continued these lessons for at least a decade — experienced less decay in their speech-listening

skills much later in life. As the authors explain, "Musicianship in early life is associated with

pervasive changes in brain function and enhanced speech-language skills." This study was

conducted at Baycrest Health Sciences Rotman Research Institute (RRI) in Canada and

published in The Journal of Neuroscience. A study published in 2006 by Christopher Johnson,

professor of music education and music therapy at the University of Kansas, revealed that

students in elementary schools with superior music education programs scored around 22

percent higher in English and 20 percent higher in math scores on standardized tests. (Johnson,

2006) The many underlying benefits to music education include a sense of discipline and

responsibility, learning a skill, being part of the music world, managing performance, and a

sense of pride of being a part of something. Music is Universal. Listening to music is profoundly

human. It lets us touch and understand some of our most complicated feelings. It helps us

know who we are, what we want, how to be ourselves in the world.

When reflecting on how my music program will reflect the nature and value of music, I

think it is important to have a curriculum that is child centered and mimics the natural

behaviors of children like singing, dancing, playing, improvisation and creative movement.

These behaviors form the basis of the Orff Schulwerk (literally, “School work”). The Schulwerk

grew from the ideas of German composer Carl Orff, whose experimentation with musicians and

dancers in the 1920s planted the seeds for his method’s association of music with dance and

theatre. According to “Music in Childhood” by Patricia Shehan Campbell and Carol Scott-
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Kassner (2006), “Orff believed children to be naturally musical, uninhibited in their expressive

movement, and more receptive to his brand of musical training than adults.” Principal

components of the Orff approach to musical training include imitation and exploration of music

and its components, with opportunities to improvise original pieces available as learners

become more musically skilled.

To have a curriculum that is based on the Orff Schulwerk, I want to have my classroom

arranged in such a way that supports a creative environment for singing, playing, and

improvising. My classroom will be open in the center with no chairs as to allow room for

creative movement and dance. The foundation of music for children is ultimately and intimately

entwined with their physical selves. Children develop their musical abilities through a

combination of what they experience through their ears, eyes, and bodies. As children listen,

sing, or play instruments their aural, visual, and kinesthetic senses are activated. Movement is

thus vital to their musical development and basic to all that they do (Campbell and Scott-

Kassner, 2006). I would like to have instruments in my classroom such as xylophones and

metallophones to teach improvisation and ostinato patterns and a piano to teach various

melodies and match pitch. Singing will be an integral part of teaching music in an elementary

classroom. In fourth grade, when my students have developed their fine motor skills, I will

teach my students recorders. Recorders are a great instrument for children to play because it is

small and does not require a developed embouchure to play. This makes it a great instrument

to inspire children to play music and continue to play in band through high school.
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Elementary and middle school teach children the basics of music and set the stage for a

greater appreciation and understanding of music. I believe all students should be involved in

music in some form. Being part of a band, choir, orchestra, or even in a general music class

should all be options for students. There are several ways students can be involved in music. I

will be highlighting a few in the next two paragraphs.

Being a part of an ensemble like band, orchestra, or choir helps develops student’s

musicianship. Students must listen to each other and learn performance skills. They learn a

greater variety of repertoire and gain an appreciation for different styles of music. High school

music should be about the music the students are performing. The focus should be on the

music and creating the best possible performance. I believe students should compete in a state

festival or solo and ensemble during their high school career. It gives the students and the

teacher something to strive for. The focus in going to state festival or solo and ensemble should

be on the music and becoming better musicians. Students will learn Important performance

skills that will strengthen the ensemble. Those memories and skills that the students learn will

stay with them. Through this experience, students learn the discipline of rehearsal, are

challenged to advance their musical skills, perform in front of an audience and adjudicator, and

receive feedback on their performance. No matter how well the student’s do, they should feel

accomplished because they gave the best performance they could. Similar to festival, students

who participate in solo and ensemble will experience a greater variety of repertoire for their

instrument and gain valuable insight into playing techniques and suggestions for improving

their musicianship. Hopefully, being in band or choir in high school will be a starting block to

continuing in music throughout college and later in life.

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Even if students do not participate in band, orchestra, or choir in high school, they

should still have an opportunity to study music. That is where general music comes into place.

Often music is required in elementary school or middle school, but not in high school. Why is

that? General music can help bridge the gap between what students learn in elementary and

middle school to gradation. According to “Teaching General Music” by Carlos Abril and Brent

Gault (2016), “Since its beginnings, even before its common usage, general music was a type of

music education designed for all students, to develop basic musical skills, knowledge, and

understanding.” To help bridge the gap between the music students listen to at home and at

school, I will teach my students popular music. I can teach the basic concepts of beat, rhythm,

tonal patterns, melody, and harmony through popular music. For a challenge, I can have my

students create a cover of a popular song using instruments such as guitars, drums, keyboards,

or ukuleles. I hope that if the students are interested in playing these instruments, they will be

encouraged to learn more and possibly start a band. It is a wonderful opportunity for students

to continue learning and playing together after high school. Another idea I have for a general

music education class is to have the students create their own lip sync battles. This would be an

idea for a 5th or 6th grade general music class. The students would form groups, pick a popular

song, and make up a lip sync battle routine that goes along with the song. The students are

working together, so it creates classroom community and is a wonderful performance

experience because it requires the students to perform in front of their peers. If a student was

not comfortable performing, I could have them be a judge and help the groups with their

routines. The purpose of a general music education class for me is to inspire students to
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continue to learn about music through the music they listen to and are inspired by. It is a place

for all students to develop their musical abilities and understanding.

General music teachers play an important role in bringing the gift of music to their

students. Music teachers are usually drawn to the profession because they are already

accomplished musicians. Most important, the musical future of children rests on the teacher’s

confidence that he or she is foremost a musician, one with a lifetime of music to share. I want

how I teach to be reflected in who I am as an individual. I believe I can teach my students well if

I show them the passion I have for music and make it relatable to his/her life. I can show my

students the power of music by showing them how it has influenced my life.

Music’s powerful role offers compelling reasons for its inclusion in the schools. Music is

important to children. The numerous ways in which children engage in music, whether it be

listening to it alone, singing, or humming, shows it appeal. To deny it a solid place in the

curriculum would be a terrible mistake. I want to teach music because it is too powerful to be

excluded from children’s lives, whether in school or out.

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References

Abril, C. R., & Gault, B. M. (2016). Teaching General Music. New York, NY: Oxford University
Press.

Bergland, Christopher. (2018, June 26). How Does Musical Training Improve Language Skills?
Retrieved December 3, 2018, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-
athletes-way/201806/how-does-musical-training-improve-language-skills

Campbell, P. S., & Scott-Kassner, C. (2006). Music in childhood: From preschool through the
elementary grades (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson Schirmer.

Johnson, C. M. (2006). Examination of Relationships between Participation in School Music

Programs of Differing Quality and Standardized Test Results. Journal of Research in Music
Education, 54(4), 293-307. Retrieved December 3, 2018.