Ethan Neal

MUS 262
Prof. Beth Wilson
20 August 2020

Choral Music Education Philosophy

Inspire personal growth and development, welcome individuality and diversity, and instill

a love and passion for music to afford the betterment of people, homes, community, and the

world, but above all else promote love; love of the fellow person, love of diversity, and love of

the craft of music: this is my driving force as an educator. A force to be reckoned with, a force

not to be taken lightly, and a force for the improvement of the lives we surround ourselves with

through choral excellence.

My personal definition of choral definition is as follows: Choral excellence affords a

comprehensive and working knowledge of music theory, both written and aural, and an

understanding of its uses and applications both to guide musical expression and structure;

provides the ability to sight sing, both on neutral syllables, numbers, and solfege, rhythms,

monophonic phrases, and multi-part harmonic phrases; develops excellency in our accurate and

appropriate uses of dynamics, rhythm, diction, tone, balance, control, and expression; create

working narratives of music expression through the connection of the intellectual material – the

physical written music – and the emotional soul; contains music appropriate for each ensemble

that encompasses the entirety of the choral canon to develop whole musicians that are capable of

performing at the highest caliber music of all genres, time periods, and styles with appropriate

technique and musical understanding to explore various cultures, languages, and subject matter;

performs at the highest caliber in terms of music, ethics, etiquette, and manners; provide musical
experiences for public and community in all walks of life by not only performing for school-

affiliated events, but also providing external performances for the betterment of the lives of

others, whether this be in local care facilities, events, etc.; creates well-rounded and cultured

citizens; creates a welcoming, accepting, and positive environment for students to learn, express

themselves, and grow to be the best version of themselves; instills group and individual goals

and afford the creation of pathways to their completion; provide opportunities for service to

others, not only just through music; promotes individualism and confidence through

teambuilding and roles of importance in a group setting; cultivates a respect of art and music in

our community through exposure to the entirety of the choral canon; and most importantly,

inspires students to become the best versions of themselves.

While developing the highest caliber musician and performance is a large goal of mine as

an educator, it is more important to me that I develop the highest caliber person that I can of my

students. Those who are kind, caring compassionate, responsible, open-minded, articulate,

empathetic, and loving, and inspiring them to not only be the best musician they can be but also

inspiring them to be the best person they can be through music. As Maya Angelou once said, “I

have learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people

will never forget how you made them feel.” At all times, I want my students to feel my love and

passion for music and for them. I want every student to walk into my classroom knowing that

they have a place where they belong, where they are important, unique, talented, appreciated,

and loved. To love is to meet anyone, no matter their background, with open arms of acceptance

wherever they may be. “Whoever loves much, performs much, and can accomplish much, and

what is done in love is done well.” – Vincent van Gogh. My philosophy is simple: love always;

love the craft, love our differences, and love the people.